Printer Settings

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Revision as of 07:50, 24 April 2014 by BertjanH (talk | contribs) (Added info for the new MFP's and WURprinter print queue)
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Using the WURprinter (new MFP's)

The easiest way to print to the WURprinter print queues is by using CUPS.

When adding the printer in the CUPS webinterface (default on localhost:631) select:

 Other Network Printers: 'LPD/LPR Host or Printer'

Note: When the lpd protocol is used you only have to specify your wur account name to get it working. If you should use the smb protocol (SAMBA) you have to provide (store locally) your username and password, which is a security risk and inconvenient.

 Connection: lpd://myname001@scomp5170.wurnet.nl/WURprinter

Add some info for Name:, Description: and Location:.

For the printer driver select:

 Make: generic 
 Model: Generic PCL Laser Printer

This setup works. Maybe a specific Ricoh driver might also work, I haven't tested that (yet). At the moment of this writing Postscript printing is not yet supported bij the MFP's.

About color printing: There is only one type MFP, but most will be configured to only print/copy black. If you have questions about that, contact your facility manager because they make the decision.


Using the department printserver

Using SAMBA

Use samba when your print services have been moved to Win2K by WURNET

The easiest way is to use CUPS for printing. Install both Samba and CUPS on your machine. Get the name of your printer and its hostname (same as used by Windows machines e.g. //sdep0005/psgp3032pcl)

You can test to see whether the printer is up with

 smbclient //sdep0005/psgp3032pcl -U annie001 -W WUR

login with your password and you should see a prompt - it means you have access to the printserver. Good.

Next step is to tell CUPS you want to print through SAMBA. See the short manual at http://mumford1.dyndns.org/~bs7452/linuxhelp/cups.html (basically you have to add a symbolic link so CUPS can find smbspool).

Restart CUPS and access the webinterface at

Add a printer with the URI

 smb://annie001:password@WUR/sdep0005/psgp3032pcl

And you should be able to print through lpr or cups_lpr!

SAMBA graphical interfaces

Yast: Open the printer module and push Add. Select the SMB-networkserver and fill-in the form:

  • Workgroup = WUR
  • Hostname = Name printserver (e.g. sdep0005)
  • Name externe wachtrij = Name of the printer (e.g. psgp3032pcl)
  • Username = Your login name (e.g. annie001)
  • Password = Your password

You can test the SMB-connection. When that is successful continue with filling in the next form (they are for your information only). Select the printer. Now you can test the printer (as well as entering more advanced configuration settings like restrictions). Your printer is ready to use!

Gnome: First install both Samba and CUPS on your system and check whether it is possible to connect to the printer with:

   smbclient //sdep0005/psgp3032pcl -U annie001 

Leave out the -W WUR setting. The Gnome GUI is not able to deal with workgroups. When you cannot reach the printer make sure your samba workgroup is set to WUR. Open the smb.conf file, and find the following lines:

# Change this to the workgroup/NT-domain name your Samba server will part of
 workgroup = WUR

Try it again and make sure that it is able to connect (exit with exit).

Install the printer:

  • System -> Administration -> Printing
  • New Printer
  • Network Printer [Windows Printer (SMB)]
  • Cancel the offered connections (this is really annoying)
  • Computer = sdep0005
  • Printer = psgp3032pcl
  • Username = annie001
  • Password = yourpassword
  • Select the printer model
  • Right click on the new printer -> make it the standard (then lpr will use it too!)
  • Right click on the printer -> properties, to select double-sided printing and to print a test page

Enjoy printing!

Getting a PPD for Postscript

The Postscript Printer Description file NRMPC253.PPD is available on Windows systems in \WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 on systems where this printer is installed.

Install the printer for Direct Printing (e.g. Ubuntu 7.10):

  • System -> Administration -> Printing
  • New Printer
  • Windows Printer via SAMBA
  • smb:// = /scomp0308/P0601300_PS_Color
  • Select Authentication required
  • Username = annie001
  • Password = yourpassword
  • Verify to make sure credentials are accepted -> Forward
  • Provide PPD File (NRMPC253.PPD) -> Forward
  • Leave Installed options as suggested (or adjust if you know options are available)
  • Printer Name, Description and Location -> Apply

At http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=NRG you can check for other driver selections.

Follow me printers

(by Bart de Koning)

To come back to an old topic: I managed to get the FollowMe printers fully functional. Trick is the same: I use GNOME, however the same settings should work also for KDE or directly via CUPS.

Important is to set the workgroup to WUR in the /etc/samba/smb.conf otherwise you get irregular printing behaviour in GNOME:

 [global]
 # Change this to the workgroup/NT-domain name your Samba server will
 part of
    workgroup = WUR

(I tried to use the GNOME printer settings to set the workgroup, however it appears to me that it is not always overruling the global settings)

Another point of importance is that The FollowMe printers are located on the mfc_print server.

So to set the printers in GNOME:

 Choose New in the Print settings
 Network -> Windows via SAMBA

FollowMe_PCL_BW:

 URL: (smb://)mfc_print/FollowMe_PCL_BW

you could scroll through all the printers by typing in mfc_print/ . It will ask for your wur login and password (workgroup should be WUR). Next you can scroll through the printers (an amazing lot). Set authentication with your wur login and password. Check this, it should say that the printer is available. Driver is available in the database (at least on ubuntu 9.04).

 NRG -> MP 4500 -> take the default
 (NRG MP 4500 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.3)

FollowMe_PCL_Color:

 URL: smb://mfc_print/FollowMe_PCL_Color

Set authentication with your wur login and password. Check this, it should say that the printer is available. Driver: was not available in the database yet, however can be found in the openprinting database:

http://openprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=NRG-MP_C3500

NRG MP C3500 , pxlcolor-NRG 20090512 (OpenPrinting LSB 3.2)

Give it a name, a description and a location and you are done