GNU/Linux Desktop Survival Guide by Graham Williams
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Install a Printer

20200213 The basic command to install a printer and enable the queue, given an address for a known printer (F108) on a specific print server (http://vitellius.dcs.ktu.edu:631/printers/F108):

$ lpadmin -p F108 -v http://vitellius.dcs.ktu.edu:631/printers/F108 -E

To find the publicly available broadcasting printers use lpinfo's -v option:

$ lpinfo -v

network http
network lpd
network https
file cups-brf:/
network ipps
network ipp
network beh
network socket
direct usb://HP/Photosmart%20B110%20series?serial=CN13J3S5MQ05J8&interface=1
direct hp:/usb/Photosmart_B110_series?serial=CN13J3S5MQ05J8
direct usb://Brother/HL-3040CN%20series?serial=000J9J16822
network smb
direct hpfax
network dnssd://Photosmart%20B110%20series%20%68C6%5D._pdl-datastream._tcp.local/
network socket://192.168.178.28:9100
network ipp://HP4C68C6.local:631/ipp/printer

This list identifies the discovered printers and their URI. In this example two printers are connected via USB. One is a HP Photosmart B110 and the other is a Brother HL-3040CN. The HP printer is also available as a HP printer device (the entry with the hp: prefix).

The HP printer is also connected to the local network, either by Ethernet or WiFi and the three network entries identify alternative ways to connect to the printer via the network. The dnssd (Domain Name Service Service Discovery) is a mechanism for automatically configuring the discovered printer. The printer is also available directly through it's IP address, and specifcally connecting to port 9100. The ipp protocol is the Internet Printing Protocol which allows print jobs to be sent to the print server running locally here.

Set up the appropriate printer queue with a name of choice (-p) using the device URI identified from above (-v), and enable the printer and allow it to accept print jobs (-E):

$ lpadmin -p HL3040CN -v usb://Brother/HL-3040CN%20series?serial=000J9J168122 -E

The PPD file will be expected to be found in /etc/cups/ppd/HL3040CN.ppd and can be installed using:

$ lpadmin -p lp5 -P Brother-HL-3040CN.PPD

To print a test page:

$ lpr -P HL3040CN /usr/share/cups/data/testprint

To add a printer with descriptive options:

$ lpadmin -p F108 \
          -v dnssd://Brother%20HL-3040CN%20series._pdl-datastream._tcp.local/ \
          -P /opt/brother/Printers/hl3040cn/cupswrapper/brother_hl3040cn_printer_en.ppd \
          -L "Study" \
          -D "Brother HL-3040CN" \
          -E