Setting up a parallel printer using CUPS

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Abstract

This article explains how to install a parallel port printer on a Debian GNU/Linux computer using CUPS (the Common Unix Printing System). These instructions have been tested with Debian 3.1 (Sarge).

1 Installing the Debian packages

Install these packages using Aptitude, apt-get or Synaptic (in X):

gnome-cups-manager (may be already installed) - CUPS printer admin tool for GNOME
cupsomatic.ppd - linuxprinting.org printer support - transition package
cups-pdf - PDF printer for CUPS
cupsys - Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - server
cupsys-bsd - Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - BSD commands
cupsys-client - Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - client programs (SysV)
cupsys-driver-gimpprint - Gimp-Print printer drivers for CUPS
gs-esp - The Ghostscript PostScript interpreter - ESP version 

 

Note: 

During installation, lpr is replaced with cupsys-client.

 

During installation, you will be asked to configure cupsys-bsd.

Configuring cupsys-bsd

This package contains a server that can accept BSD-style print jobs and  
submit them to CUPS. It should only be set up if you have other 
computers that submit jobs over the network via "BSD" or "LPR" services, 
and these computers cannot be converted to use the IPP protocol that 
CUPS uses. 

Do you want to set up the BSD lpd compatibility server? 

Choose No, the default, unless you know otherwise.

2 BIOS setting for parallel port

You may need to change your printer port setting in BIOS to EPP mode.

You can access the BIOS setup program at boot time before the bootloader or Linux is booted. Usually, this means pressing the Del or F1 key a few times immediately after switching on the computer. (The key or key combination itself it usually displayed immediately after you turn the system on.)

Find the setting for parallel port and change it to EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port).

3 Checking that the kernel supports the parallel port (optional)

You can check that the kernel supports the parallel port by checking that the appropriate kernel modules are loaded. Open a terminal (or a terminal window in X) and log in as root. Use the lsmod command to list the currently loaded modules. Pipe the output through grep to filter the names of loaded modules containing 'parport'. You should find two: parport_pc and parport.

# lsmod | grep parport
parport_pc            33348  0
parport               37320  1 parport_pc

If you do not find them, use a utility such as modconf to load them.

4 Installing a printer using the CUPS web interface

Use a web browser eg Links (in a console) or Firefox (in X). To use CUPS, visit this URL:

http://localhost:631/

Follow the link 'Do Administration Tasks', and enter 'root' and the root password when prompted for a user.

• Do Administration Tasks

This takes you to the Admin page.

From the Printers menu choose Add Printer.

• Printers
  • Add Printer

Enter the details for your printer and choose a driver. For instance, here is an example showing how to add a Samsung ML-1450 printer.

• Add New Printer
  • Name: Samsung
  • Location: Office
  • Description: Samsung ML-1450
  • Continue

• Device for Samsung
  • Device: Parallel Port #1
  • Continue

• Model/Driver for Samsung
  • Make: Samsung
  • Continue

• Model/Driver for Samsung
  • Model: Samsung ML-1450 Foomatic/pxlmono (recommended) (en)
  • Continue

Printer Samsung has been added successfully.

5 Configuring the printer and printing a test page

Click on the link to the printer. If you have followed the previous section, follow the link to Samsung. If you cannot see a link, choose Printers from the main menu at the top of the page first.

• Samsung

Default Destination: Samsung

Samsung     Samsung ML-1450 Foomatic/pxlmono (recommended)     
Description: Samsung ML-1450
Location: Office
Printer State: idle, accepting jobs.
Device URI: parallel:/dev/lp0

Configure the printer by clicking on the Configure Printer button in the menu.

• Configure Printer

Check that the Page Size corresponds to your printer.

• General
  • Media Source: Printer default
  • Page Size: A4
  • Printout Mode: Normal
• Printout Mode
  • Resolution: Controlled by 'Printout Mode'
• Banners
  • Starting Banner: none
  • Ending Banner: none

Print a test page and check that it prints correctly.

• Print Test Page

Hopefully, your page will print perfectly. If the page does not fill the paper exactly, you may need to go back and choose a different driver. If the worst comes to the worst, try a generic driver such as 'Epson' or 'HP Laserjet'. Check your printer manual for the generic emulations available on your printer. If you have lost the manual, try Google.

6 Appendix A: Licence

Copyright © 2005-2007 Chris Lale, chrislale AT users DOT berlios DOT de.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License."

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