[solved] cups as a print server

jamapii · l33t Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 637

Hello

I'm looking for a way to use cups as a print server or printer server.

So there is a cups box, let's call it printserver, which can (hopefully) print to an existing printer. Now I have a new box which has cups installed, and I'm trying to set the printserver box as a backend so that the local cups can relay the print jobs to the printserver box.

How can this be done?

The problem is that there seems to be no authoritative documentation for this.

First, the local cups server will ask for an URL and suggest a few examples:

ipp://printserver/ipp/service

The /ipp/ part is one where all available documentations disagree. Some say /printer/, some say /printers/, some say just /,... and of course none of these work. The "service" part should be the name of a printer or class, or some alias, right?

Then, what printer driver must be used? There is an "IPP Everywhere" thing, and some others. At least Postscript should work, right?

Anyway, it doesn't seem to work no matter what. I'm aware that cups servers seem to lose their function after some time passes, but this box was never updated, so the rule shouldn't apply.

The weirdest part is right in the middle of the Gentoo cups doc. You are supposed to edit /etc/cups/client.conf to change the ServerName. It is originally a socket file (very weird), should be set to a print server's host name (just what the file system check?) Why would anyone limit their laptop to a single cups server to print? Or what else is that supposed to do?

What is the correct, generic way to do it?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 3:28 pm Post subject:

jamapii,

On your printserver box browse to http://localhost:631/admin/
Under Advanced ▶ on the right hand side, click on

jamapii · l33t Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 637

Hello

I found this old print server can't even print a test page from its own web interface, even with different and new ppd files. So there's no point trying any more.

jamapii · l33t Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 637

I have set up a new cups printserver and printed a test page.

It must have Printer Sharing and Internet Printing enabled. Internet printing just means that incoming jobs from a non-local network are accepted.

To make cups (a different cups installation e.g. on the laptop) use this as a proxy/relay, I add a new printer, select IPP protocol, the URL is ipp://printserver/printers/printer-name, select "Generic" -> Generic IPP Everywhere Printer.

The /printers/ part may or may not be replaceable with /ipp/ or just /. I haven't tried this.