6. Configuring Printers with PrinterDrake

Abstract

This tool allows you to either:

  • configure a newly installed printer on your machine;

  • configure your machine to act as a server for a printer which has just been connected to your local network;

  • allow your machine to access network printers served by other servers (GNU/Linux as well as Windows® ones).

[Tip]Tip

If you just installed a printer that was not available when you installed Mandrakelinux, make sure it is correctly connected and powered on before launching the configuration tool.

6.1. Initial Configuration

When you first launch the PrinterDrake tool, it may be in one of three states:

6.1.1. There is no printer directly connected to the computer.

Figure 3.9. Activate Printing

Activate Printing

The tool did not detect any local printers. However you can print on network printers, or manually install printers which were not detected. Press on Yes to do so.

Figure 3.10. Activating Network Printers

Activating Network Printers
  • Select the Local CUPS printing system option if you wish to configure your machine to act as a print server for either a local printer which was not detected, or a network printer connected to your local network.

    Any required software will be installed and then the main configuration interface (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”) appears. Click on Add Printer to install the network printer.

  • Select the Remote server option if you wish to be able to print on printers served by another CUPS printing server on the network. Your applications will immediately have access to all public printers served by that server. You only need to provide the hostname or IP address of that server in the field below (ask your system administrator).

    When this is done, the main configuration interface (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”) appears. The Configured on other machines tab will be filled with the available network printers.

6.1.2. A New Printer Has Been Detected

If a printer had already been configured previously, the new one will be installed automatically. Otherwise a confirmation dialog will appear.

Figure 3.11. A New Printer Is Detected

A New Printer Is Detected

Simply confirm the automatic installation of the new printer. The main configuration interface (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”) is then displayed. Make sure to check that the printer parameters fit your needs (see Section 6.5, “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”).

6.1.3. A Printer Had Been Already Configured at System Installation Time

In this case, the main configuration interface (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”) is shown. Make sure to check that the printer parameters fit your needs (see Section 6.5, “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”).

6.2. The Printer Management Interface

Figure 3.12. Managing Printers

Managing Printers
[Warning]Warning

If your local printer has been automatically added you should now verify its configuration. Select it in the list, click on Edit and check the Printer options.

The printer configuration tool (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”) has two tabs. The first one for locally connected printers (Configured on this machine), the other one for printers available on the local network (Configured on other machines). These are the buttons (at top) which give you access to all available maintenance tasks:

  • Add Printer: launches the printer configuration wizard described in Section 6.4, “The Printer Configuration Wizard”.

  • Set as default: sets the selected printer as the default printer when no specific printer is chosen at print time. A cross appears in the Def. column of that printer.

  • Edit: opens the printer configuration dialog described in Section 6.5, “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”.

  • Delete: removes the selected printer from the available printer pool.

  • Refresh: updates the printers list with possible new or removed printers, especially true for networked printers.

  • Configure CUPS: (if a local network exists) by default, your system will be totally open. It will use all of the network's available printers and share all of its local printers with the local network. Click on this button if you do not want to access network printers, or if you want to restrict the access to your local printers. This dialog will also let you configure access to servers outside the local network.

[Note]Note

The Options->Expert mode menu will add extra features to the tool. See Section 6.6, “Expert Mode”.

6.3. CUPS General Configuration

We have already mentioned that printing can be performed on printers configured on your own machine (general home installations) or on those served by other servers (for centralized corporate printers). The Configure CUPS button allows you to control such behavior.

Figure 3.13. CUPS Printer Server Configuration

CUPS Printer Server Configuration

This dialog enables you to switch between the two available printing modes: client or server, through the Remote CUPS server and no local CUPS daemon button.

6.3.1. Client Mode

Figure 3.14. Client Mode Configuration

Client Mode Configuration

Select the On option to connect to another printer server. You then just need to specify the name or IP address of that server in the field below.

If you choose this mode, your printing configuration is now finished. Accept the options by clicking the OK buttons, and you will be able to check the list of available printers in the Configured on other machines tab of the main interface (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”).

6.3.2. Server Mode

If you want your machine to access locally connected printers (through parallel or USB ports), or network printers not already configured on another server, you need to select the Off option. Click OK, and you will then be able to fine tune your printer server (see Figure 3.13, “CUPS Printer Server Configuration”).

A number of options are available to further secure and enhance your print server features:

The printers on this machine are available to other computers

By checking this option, you allow other computers to print on printers configured locally. Remember to restrict access by clicking on Printer sharing on hosts/networks (see below).

Automatically find available printers on remote machines

By activating this feature you will tell your print server to automatically make available all other printers found on other servers on the local network, as if they were locally connected to your print server. This way your system's users will be able to print on any printer the print server “sees”, either local or remote ones. If the remote printers you intend to use are served by a server not on your local network, you can still tell the print server to use them with the Additional CUPS servers button (see below).

Printer sharing on hosts/networks

Clicking on this button displays a new window where you can specify which networks the local printers should be made available to.

Additional CUPS servers

This dialog simply allows you to specify one or more CUPS servers to which we want to be able to connect and access printers from. Specify the IP address and port of the CUPS server in the dialog which opens.

Japanese text printing mode

This option replaces the original text filter for one more suited to Japanese texts, but with less features. Use it if you have to print Japanese text-only files.

6.4. The Printer Configuration Wizard

Click on Add printer and the configuration wizard will come up. To move from one step to another, click on OK or Next. Use Cancel to abort the installation.

6.4.1. Detecting a Printer

Figure 3.15. Auto-Detecting Printers

Auto-Detecting Printers

The first screen allows you to enable the auto-detection of locally connected printers, network printers, and finally printers served by SMB (Windows®) servers. First try to activate auto-detection for the printer types you are looking for. The next step will show which printer(s) was/were detected. If the one you want to set up is listed, select it, click on OK, confirm the printer model, and proceed with Section 6.4.5, “Printer Test”. If the detected printer is not the correct one check the Manual configuration box and proceed with the printer model step (see Figure 3.20, “Choosing a Name for your Printer”). If auto-detection fails, remove the check mark from all check boxes, click on Next and follow the instructions below.

6.4.2. Printer Port, Type, Name and Model

Figure 3.16. The Printer Port

The Printer Port

First, you need to determine which port your printer is connected to: either a parallel or a USB port.

Figure 3.17. Multi-Function Device

Multi-Function Device

You will then be asked whether your printer is a multi-function device from HP or Sony. If so, additional packages will be installed on your system and you will be told how to scan and access photo memory cards with your device.

Figure 3.18. Choosing the Printer Model

Choosing the Printer Model

Next the list of supported printers is displayed. It is a tree view with the manufacturer's name first and then the printer models. Select the printer you have or a compatible one (see Figure 3.18, “Choosing the Printer Model”) if yours is not specifically listed.

If you want to install the driver supplied by your printer manufacturer, click on the Install a manufacturer-supplied PPD file button and select the medium containing the PPD file and browse to it. Accept subsequent dialogs to use your chosen PPD file.

6.4.3. Print Options

Figure 3.19. Configuring the Printer's Options

Configuring the Printer's Options

After that, the options associated with the chosen printer will be shown (see Figure 3.19, “Configuring the Printer's Options”). It is important you choose the proper settings (such as paper size, media source, etc.) currently installed on the printer. If the settings you choose are not correct, printing may fail.

[Note]Note

For settings referring to printout quality, bear in mind that higher quality levels may make the printing operation slower and may consume more ink.

6.4.4. Printer Name

Figure 3.20. Choosing a Name for your Printer

Choosing a Name for your Printer

You must now provide a name for your printer to easily identify it. Optionally, you can also supply a Printer description and a physical Location (see Figure 3.20, “Choosing a Name for your Printer”).

[Tip]Tip

The printer name must contain only letters, numbers and the underscore “_” character. Also it is better to limit its length to 12 characters maximum so that Windows® clients don't have problems when accessing it through Samba.

[Note]Note

If you already have one or more configured printers, you will be asked whether the printer you are configuring will be the default printer for applications on your system. If you say No, the previous default printer will be retained.

6.4.5. Printer Test

Figure 3.21. Testing the Printer

Testing the Printer

Finally, you will be asked whether or not you want to test the printer. Two test pages are available (see Figure 3.21, “Testing the Printer”) so you can adjust the parameters according to your needs. It is advisable to print at least one test page so you can immediately correct the parameters if something goes wrong. The printer should begin to print almost immediately.

6.4.6. It's Done

Congratulations, you are ready to print! If you are not satisfied with your test page, answer the appropriate question with No and you will be led to the printer configuration menu (see Figure 3.22, “Modifying an Existing Printer”) in order to correct the settings. See Section 6.5, “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”.

Your printer will now appear in the list of available printers in the main window (see Figure 3.12, “Managing Printers”).

6.5. Reconfiguring an Existing Printer

Double-clicking on a printer's name in the list, or clicking on the Edit button, displays a menu where you can choose actions to take on the selected printer (Figure 3.22, “Modifying an Existing Printer”). Each option gives access to a particular step of the wizard we described above (see Section 6.4, “The Printer Configuration Wizard”). One difference will be that the current settings will be predefined in all fields, and you may update them where required.

Figure 3.22. Modifying an Existing Printer

Modifying an Existing Printer

There are a few additional options:

  1. Disable printer. Use this option to remove that printer from the printers available to the system's users. You might need to temporarily disable a printer under maintenance so that users don't try to use it in the meantime. When a printer is disabled, that option changes to Enable printer.

  2. Learn how to use this printer. Displays information on how to use a particular printer model. In the case of a multi-function device from HP, information about scanning and photo memory card access is also displayed.

  3. Remove printer. Use this option to delete that printer's configuration from the system.

Select an action in the dialog and then click on the Do it! button to perform it.

6.6. Expert Mode

The expert mode has three additional features:

  • Choose a Different Driver to the Default One for a Printer. Different drivers are available for the same printer. In expert mode, a third level appears in the printer model selection list (see Figure 3.18, “Choosing the Printer Model”). It allows you to change each printer's driver.

  • Install Many Kinds of Remote Printers. This feature enables you to print on remote printers using the LPD protocol, printers on Windows® servers which require authorization, or other arbitrary printer types.

[Note]Note

If PrinterDrake is in expert mode, it does not automatically configure new local printers on start-up. Use the Add printer button to configure the printer.

If you start the new printer wizard in expert mode, there is an additional step at the beginning.

Figure 3.23. Configuring a Remote Printer

Configuring a Remote Printer

Different connection types are available:

  • Local printer. A printer directly connected to a parallel or USB port on your computer. In most cases, the printer model will be auto-detected.

  • Printer on remote lpd server. A printer already served by another machine on a lpd server.

  • Network printer (TCP/socket). A printer directly connected to your local network. The network can be scanned and printer models automatically detected provided the Printer auto-detection box is checked.

  • Printer on SMB/Windows 95/98/NT server. Relevant for printers already connected to a computer running an OS which serves printers with the SMB protocol, including Samba printers (the necessary Samba components will be automatically installed in this case). The network can be scanned provided the Printer auto-detection box is checked.

  • Enter a printer device URI. This option allows you to directly enter the printer's Universal Resource Identifier (URI) on your network. It can be used for any of the above remote connections, and more. This is useful when your system administrator provides you directly with the printer's URI.

Click on the Modify timeout for network printer auto-detection button to change the default timeout (4000 milliseconds, or 4 seconds) for detection of networked printers. Please bear in mind that the bigger the timeout, the better the chances of detecting remote printers. However the auto-detection process will also take more time.