Arch Linux

neok

Member

From: Cyprus

Registered: 2003-12-14

Posts: 190

Website

Advice needed on printer set-up

Hi all,

Just completed my ArchLinux installation (took me just a day for installation and nearly a week to config packages!) but I have yet to do the printer setup. I have an HP Laserjet 1200 and in my old Gentoo system I was using a2ps alone to do most of the printing jobs. I installed it in Arch as well but among other dependencies Pacman installed cups as well.

I remember having a lot of difficulties setting up cups and that is why I used a2ps alone, since I only print a few docs and a print queue/scheduler is not really needed. I wonder whether I should try to setup cups since it is installed or try to setup a2ps only. Is cups really needed in a single-user/desktop machine with occasional printing? Pacman says its needed by gimp-print and samba although I have not installed the Gimp or samba.

My thanks in advance!

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Regards

Neoklis ... Ham Radio Call: 5B4AZ

tpowa

Developer

From: Lauingen , Germany

Registered: 2004-04-05

Posts: 2,322

Re: Advice needed on printer set-up

on a single system there should be no problem in setting up cups
there is a nice howto in wiki i think at :
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CUPS setup

the short version i own a laserjet 1200 too:
install the hpijs driver set with pacman
load the usblp module in rc.conf
start cups in rc.conf
now choose your favourit browser
call: http://localhost:631
now choose administration
if you're asked for user type root and password
choose add printer and so on
the rest should be self explanatory

you can also use the kde interface in kcontrol should also work