Arch Linux

theNerd247

Member

Registered: 2012-12-26

Posts: 10

CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

I have a server running archlinux on it with a CUPS server. It's used to host a USB printer as a network printer. It can be easily printed to via Linux, Mac, and Windows machines if it is hand configured on each client using the available IP address. I would like to make the printer discoverable on windows machines, i.e: the client:

  1. opens control panel
  2. goes to "add a printer"
  3. selects "network printer"
  4. the printer on the archlinux printer server (via CUPS) displays to be setup on the client

I've done a bit of research and I've found that Samba holds a solution but I know nothing about Samba and according to the Archwiki the default smb.conf file holds the proper configuration for printer sharing (although I'm still unsure if this method is required. Also to note the default smb.conf file does not solve my issue).

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 913

Re: CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

I think Avahi is what provides that on Arch.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Avahi

Tim

dejawu

Member

Registered: 2014-11-01

Posts: 2

Re: CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

You can try the following. I'm not on a network with a server running CUPS so I'm not sure these steps are verbatim, but hopefully this puts you in the right direction:

1. Go to your CUPS web interface. It should be on port 631. If this is not open or accessible, modify your CUPS config so that it is: http://hplipopensource.com/node/231
2. Go to Printers
3. Go to the page for the printer you want to remote-print to, and grab the URL of that printer's page.
4. On your Windows machine, when it begins to scan for printers, choose "My printer was not displayed in this list."
5. Choose the option to input a URL, and paste the URL of your printer.
6. Select your driver. Run Windows update if needed.
7. You should now be able to print to that printer over the network.

theNerd247

Member

Registered: 2012-12-26

Posts: 10

Re: CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

I think Avahi is what provides that on Arch.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Avahi

Tim

This looks promising thanks! Do you know how avahi need to be configured to make it work with CUPS? Also, is Samba required for the printer to broadcast with avahi?

I've also found cups-browsed however it doesn't seem to work. Below is my /etc/cups/cups-browsed.conf if it will help any.

BrowseRemoteProtocols DNSSD,CUPS

BrowseLocalProtocols CUPS,DNSSD

BrowseProtocols CUPS,DNSSD

AutoShutdown avahi

You can try the following. I'm not on a network with a server running CUPS so I'm not sure these steps are verbatim, but hopefully this puts you in the right direction:

1. Go to your CUPS web interface. It should be on port 631. If this is not open or accessible, modify your CUPS config so that it is: http://hplipopensource.com/node/231
2. Go to Printers
3. Go to the page for the printer you want to remote-print to, and grab the URL of that printer's page.
4. On your Windows machine, when it begins to scan for printers, choose "My printer was not displayed in this list."
5. Choose the option to input a URL, and paste the URL of your printer.
6. Select your driver. Run Windows update if needed.
7. You should now be able to print to that printer over the network.

This is what my current fix is (and it works quite well), thanks for the suggestion though! The server is hosted in a public-ish place and there are various end users who aren't computer savy. The issue is one of convenience as most end users don't know how to follow directions correctly and "IT support" (which is just myself) is very limited.

I'm not concerned about security currently (I'll worry about that later).

Thanks for the responses!

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 913

Re: CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

This looks promising thanks! Do you know how avahi need to be configured to make it work with CUPS? Also, is Samba required for the printer to broadcast with avahi?

Sorry, I've never really used it. I really only knew about it because, when I installed CUPS on Debian, it automatically pulled in Avahi. I don't think Samba is required, but I'm not certain.

Tim

hydrosIII

Member

Registered: 2013-04-04

Posts: 127

Re: CUPS Printing Server Discoverable by Windows Machines

Hi im not sure about this at the end of the avahi article there is a section saying, "Bonjour on windows" but the links is broken, i dont know if it is possible. I have  found something in the zeroconf home page. http://www.zeroconf.org
What google shows:
http://peterlaszlo.wordpress.com/2013/0 … i-windows/

As a fun story, I remembered having a similar problem in a small office that i set up. But i couldn't/didn't want to find a solution, you have to install the printers in all the windows machines and even select a driver, (any simple postcript driver will work) but some windows basic installation didnt have any suitable driver, eventually i have changed the policy of the office, and i put linux in every machine, solving these trouble automagically. To the users that just went with their windows laptop, and asked me how to set up the printer i just pointed them to the arch linux wiki. Of course the users surrendered and started using linux. .

A stupid idea would be to print a brochure explaining with images how to set up the printer, and give it to all the users.

Of course samba provides automatic sharing of printers between windows and linux, but as the wiki says it tends to be error prone,  and it needs some configuration, but it works. Check the wiki for cups. So i think is the SOLUTION you are searching for.

Anyway i'm just digressing, I hope you find a solution, and if you find a solution that doesn't involve samba please share it.

Last edited by hydrosIII (2014-11-06 06:59:56)