2. Setup your Printer

Setup of printers is made easy using graphical tools that automate most of the process of detecting and installing appropriate software for attached printer devices.

[Tip] Tip

If you are installing an HP all-in-one device (printer, scanner, fax), and want to use the scanner component, please install the printer using HPLIP, an HP developed solution for printing, scanning, and faxing with HP inkjet and laser based printers. If you setup without HPLIP Mandriva Linux will not detect the scanner component when you come to install it.

Once you have setup your printer, any software with print capabilities will be able to print to it. The list below provides examples:

2.1. Installing a Printer

The procedure below steps you through the process of installing a printer. Before starting, ensure that your printer is connected to the parallel or USB port of your computer and is powered on.

Procedure 2.1. Installing a Printer

  1. Start the Mandriva Linux Control Center.

  2. Click the Hardware button.

  3. Click the Setup the printer(s), the print job queues, ... tool.

    Printer detection will start to interrogate your system for printers attached to the system and network shared printer resources.

  4. When prompted to “Start the printing system at boot time”, click the Yes button.

    Wait for the detection process to complete.

  5. When the list of detected printers is displayed, check the checkbox option Do not setup this printer automatically again, then click the OK button.

  6. When prompted that you have turned off the automatic printer setup feature, click the OK button to proceed.

The remainder of the procedure is automatic. Wait for the selected printer to be configured. Depending on the printer you are installing, additional configuration messages may be displayed. Follow the instructions provided. The automatic configuration process may take a few minutes, just wait for it to complete, do not cancel it. You will know it is finished when the Printers management interface is displayed. The newly installed printer should be listed and marked as Default and Enabled.

2.2. Configuring a Printer

Newly installed printers are automatically configured with default settings provided by the printer driver and regional settings of your system. You may wish to change the default settings to your own preferences.

Procedure 2.2. Configuring a Printer

  1. From the Printers management interface select the Configured on this machine tab.

  2. Select the printer you wish to configure, then click the Edit button.

    The Modify printer configuration dialog is displayed. For the purpose of this procedure, we will change the Page size parameter using the Printer options item.

  3. The Printer default settings dialog is displayed.

  4. From the Page size drop-list, select the page size you require, then click the OK button.

[Tip] Managing Printers and Queues in KDE

Default printer settings can also be changed from within the KDE Control Center (Main menu+System+ConfigurationControl Center) using the Printers applet, located under the Peripherals category. This will save some time when reconfiguring printer settings for already installed printers, as the Mandriva Linux Control Center, Setup the printer(s) tool searches for newly installed printers each time it is started.

2.3. Testing a Printer

It is useful to test newly installed printers to see if they work. It is also useful to test printers when changing printer settings or when changing ink.

Procedure 2.3. Testing a Printer

  1. Select the printer you wish to configure, then click the Edit button.

  2. Select the Print test pages item, then click the Do it!.

  3. Check either or both the test page types, then click the Print button.

    The print job is sent to the printer. Once the job is sent, status messages will provide feedback.

  4. When notified that the print job has been sent and that the printer is printing, click the OK.

    You are returned back to the Modify printer configuration dialog where you can continue to configure and test the printer.

If the selected test page(s) print then your printer is installed and serviceable. If not, then review the printer settings and try again.

[Tip] Tip

It is also possible to test an installed printer from within the KDE Control Center, using the Printers applet located in the Peripherals category.

Display the Control Center by selecting Main menuSystemConfigurationControl Center. Then select PeripheralsPrinters. When the interface is loaded select the printer to test and select PrinterTest Printer. Click the Print Test Page button.

While this test does not give you options to print a Photo test page, it does enable you to view the print queue and control print jobs.