[cups] Using a network enabled printer from a lappy

[Daniel Miller]

Hmm...

Not sure what version the browser got split off into a separate process 
& config.  Assuming you're on an older version the BrowsePoll is 
appropriate in cupsd.conf.

Let's back up a sec and make sure we're understanding each other.  You 
have one or more network-enabled printers that work fine with some 
machines.  Those machines have been configured to print directly to the 
printer.  You have one machine (laptop) that for whatever reason you 
want/need to configure differently and instead send print jobs to one of 
the working machines which will in effect become a print server.

Based on that...print sharing needs to be enabled on the designated 
print server.  And the laptop needs to be able to reach the print 
server.  Share some IP address specifics - you're talking local 192.x 
addresses anyway so you're not giving much away.

There's a lot about cups that is supposed to Just Work - and mostly does 
- but sometimes...for whatever reason, the automatic 
share/browse/find/announce/print whatever doesn't automagically happen.  
So explicitly specifying the appropriate commands to force it has 
brought me better results.

Things to verify:

1.  Designated print server has a listener on it's IP address.  "lsof -i 
:631" should yield results with either the specified IP or the global 
*:631.  If it's only the localhost - need to fix that using the Port or 
Listen directives.

2.  Print server needs to advertise it's shared printers.  
"BrowseLocalProtocols" in cupsd.conf should be "CUPS".  Or specify 
"BrowseProtocols CUPS dnssd".

3.  BrowsePoll 192.168.whatever:631 on the laptop should now show the 
printer.

4.  From the command line, using "cupsctl" to both display current 
settings and make changes may also help shed some light for both your 
server and laptop.

--
Daniel


------ Original Message ------
From: "Gene Heskett" <gheskett at wdtv.com>
To: "The CUPS user discussion list." <cups at cups.org>
Sent: 2/28/2016 3:31:20 PM
Subject: Re: [cups] Using a network enabled printer from a lappy

>On Sunday 28 February 2016 17:44:09 Daniel Miller wrote:
>
>>  "printer sharing" needs to be enabled on your "machine" and then try
>>  adding BrowsePoll printserverip:port to your laptop's
>>  cups-browsed.conf.
>>
>None of the 4 machines where it Just Works(TM) has a cups-browsed.conf
>I added it to that stanza in cupsd.conf and restarted cups but its 
>still
>not visible.
>
>Thanks.
>
>>  Daniel
>>
>>  On February 28, 2016 11:34:34 AM Gene Heskett <gheskett at wdtv.com>
>wrote:
>>  > Greetings all;
>>  >
>>  > Trying to make a network printer work from my lappy.
>>  >
>>  > It is addressed at a local network ipv4 address, and cups can see
>>  > it, but its a brother (both are in fact) that needs its own ppd's
>>  > from brother.
>>  >
>>  > I have them but no quick and dirty way to get them from this 
>>machine
>>  > to the lappy, and finding Brothers ppd's on their site is a drag as
>>  > they make the linux drivers everything but invisible.
>>  >
>>  > So, since its all on the same local 192.168.xx.yy network, how do I
>>  > go about relaying the printjob to this machine, so that this 
>>machine
>>  > then processes the job and prints it?
>>  >
>>  > And its a bit strange, I have another machine on this same local
>>  > network as the printer, and I cannot find a mention of any printer
>>  > except the default .PDF generator anyplace in the /etc/cups tree.
>>  >
>>  > But if I fire up a copy of the editor, geany and ask it to print a
>>  > file, every printer available on this main machine, is available 
>>for
>>  > use by that machine.  Ditto on 2 other machines of my local 
>>network,
>>  > but not from the lappy.  Best I seem to be able to do is to see it,
>>  > but the filter failed.
>>  >
>>  > Clues please.
>>  >
>>  > Thanks.
>>  >
>>  > Cheers, Gene Heskett
>>  > --
>>  > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
>>  >  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
>>  > -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
>>  > Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
>>  > _______________________________________________
>>  > cups mailing list
>>  > cups at cups.org
>>  > https://www.cups.org/mailman/listinfo/cups
>
>
>Cheers, Gene Heskett
>--
>"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
>  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
>-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
>Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
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