Deploying Suse Linux Enterprise Server
 |
Purchase "Deploying Suse Linux Enterprise Server" at Lulu.com |
CUPS Print Server
- Installing a Printer
- Configuring the CUPS Print Server
- Using the Web Interface to Manage CUPS
- Configuring Client Computers
Printing within most GNU/Linux Systems (and even other Unix Operating Systems such as Mac OSX) is based on a server application called CUPS or Common UNIX Printing System. When setting up printing within your network, CUPS allows you to designate a single server (or servers) to handle the printing for your entire network. This has the benefit of reducing the administration overhead (which normally occurs when every client acts as a "print server"), as well as giving you the ability to manage your print output to enable advanced features such as user quotas, etc.
This guide will take you through the process of installing a Printer within Suse Linux Enterprise, enabling the Print Server for your network, configuring client computers to print to the server, as well as show you how to easily administer your Print Server using a web page.
Note - It is highly recommended that you have a properly configured DNS Server for your network. The CUPS Software makes use of FQDNs and without DNS resolution you will be asking for problems.
Installing a Printer
With most GNU/Linux distributions, there are quite a few different ways to add a printer to the system: each Desktop Environment has it's own way, you can utilize a special "web page" to add a printer, each Distribution may have a different process, etc. With Suse Linux (and the Yast Printer Module in particular), not only is it relatively easy to add/remove printers, but you can also control the more advanced functions of the CUPS Print Server through a graphical application.
Selecting the Connection
When you first start the Yast Printer Module you are presented with the "Printer Configuration" page which has an overview of all of the printers/devices installed on the machine (if you installed any). To add a device to your machine simply click on the "Add" button at the lower left of the page. The procedure of adding a printer is pretty straight forward, so I will just touch on some issues you may encounter.
Most printers that you add to a server will probably be printers that are connected to an HP Jetdirect or similar device or have an embedded "network card". To be able to print to these devices you would select "Print Directly to a Network Printer". Then enter the Hostname (or IP Address) of the Jetdirect device or the printer's Network Adapter. Once that connection is configured, you then have the option of installing a printer driver or not. If the printer is simply going to be used through Samba for Window Printing, you do not need to provide a driver.
Selecting the Type of Network Printer and Configuring a TCP Port Printer
Creating the Queue and Selecting Printer Driver
Over the last few years, the availability of drivers for the CUPS software has dramatically improved (especially since Mac OSX utilizes the CUPS software). Because of this, Suse Linux Enterprise provides an extensive library of already loaded Printer Drivers. It also allows for an easy way to add Manufacturer drivers that you can downloaded from the Internet, or you can even utilize some Manufacturer's Windows Postscript Driver for their Postscript Printers. If you are unsure about which driver to utilize with your printer, or if you want to see if your printer will even work with CUPS, check the http://openprinting.org/ website.
Creating the Print Queue and Selecting the Printer Model
Note: Suse Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 (and later) includes two different versions of the "hplip" software which provides drivers for HP Printers. By default it installs an older, but more thoroughly tested version. If you have a newer HP Printer and a driver is not listed, you may want to update the hplip software using the Yast Software Management Module.
Once the Driver is selected (if you chose to install the driver), you are then presented with the configuration page for the Printer Driver. Here, fill in all the relevant options you have installed on the Printer (such as duplex unit, paper trays and paper sizes, etc.).
Adjusting the Printer Configuration and Adjusting Print Queue Permissions
On the configuration screen, you do have the option of setting restrictions to that printer. Here you can restrict specific users from being able to print to the printer. This may be useful to deter some people from misusing certain printers (such as the ones that are costly to operate).
|
Purchase "Deploying Suse Linux Enterprise Server" at Lulu.com |
