[cups] Multi-user CUPS printer configs / customised PPD per user?

[Michael Pardee]

If the lpoptions approach Michael Sweet suggested won't work for some
reason, here is an ugly solution:
Have a separate printer/ppd defined (or created on the fly) for each
user and then change the default printer for each user to that
user-specifc printer/ppd.

Thanks,
Michael Pardee
Open Sense Solutions LLC
http://open-sense.com
888-323-1742


On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 1:54 AM, Roland Giesler <roland at giesler.za.net> wrote:
> I have to solve a sticky problem that I have tried to solve before but
> without success...
>
> On a server with more than one user (specifically here LTSP), everyone uses
> the same printer config / ppd.  Typically is config would be in
> /etc/cups/ppd/printer.ppd
>
> With print accounting (Xerox, TA in my case), the ppd file allows a section
> where this information can be provided.  However, every user has his/her
> own account/pin, so hard coding this is the pdd is not a solution.
>
> How can each user have his own ppd file so we can hard code his pin in it?
>   This is becoming a common problem since most larger printers/copiers now
> have this feature, so it is something cups should be catering for imho...
>
>
> Some things I have considered / though about:
> * LTSP has a mechanism to provide for a local printer attached to a thin
> client.  I could use this and print to the network printer, but the clients
> are light and printing a large pdf would probably kill it
> in terms of resources
> .
> * Maybe CUPS can be told somehow to use a different config when a user logs
> on?
> * Asking the printer manufacturers for help has not been fruitful yet.  I
> did manage to glean from forums how to hack the ppd file to facilitate the
> accounting pins, but not more than that.
>
> What suggestions do you have?
>
> thanks
>
> *Roland*
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