Set up a print server using cups

Quickstart

• Make sure your printer prints as a local printer
• Find out your printer's name using the command lpstat

lpstat -p -d
printer Brother_DCP-J140W disabled since Fri 14 Dec 2012 03:13:10 PM UTC -
        Unplugged or turned off

• Modify /etc/cups/cupsd.conf:

Listen *:631
Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

<Location />
Order Deny,Allow
Allow From 127.0.0.1
Allow From All
</Location>

<Location /printers/Brother_DCP-J140W>
Order Deny,Allow
Allow From 127.0.0.1
AuthType None
Allow from All
</Location>

The (re)start the cups printing service:

/etc/init.d/cups restart

TroubleShooting

forbidden

Solution: In /etc/cups/cupsd.conf, add under

<Location />
Allow from 192.168.0.1

Do the same for the section /admin.

no printer found

Symptom

No printer is displayed in a KDE application so you cannot select a printer. You are using (e.g.) 192.168.0.1 as print server.

Reason

When CUPS listens to 127.0.0.1 it does not listen to the computer's public IP address.

Solution

In the KDE print dialog, select "System Options" -> "Cups Server" and enter 127.0.0.1 instead of e.g. 192.168.0.1.

printers.conf

set shared to yes

See also

• printing