I need create a linux printserver using CUPS

qwertyiopqwertyiop Member Posts: 725 ■■■□□□□□□□
I need create a linux printserver using CUPS and was wondering what you guys have used or atleast heard of.


Right now im playing around with Zentyal and have been having trouble installing the drivers.

Comments

  • it_consultantit_consultant Member Posts: 1,903
    Half the time I can't find good Windows drivers for MS print servers, I can't imagine doing it in Linux.
  • MentholMooseMentholMoose Member Posts: 1,525 ■■■■■■■■□□
    qwertyiop wrote: »
    I need create a linux printserver using CUPS and was wondering what you guys have used or atleast heard of.


    Right now im playing around with Zentyal and have been having trouble installing the drivers.
    CUPS is included with every Linux distribution so I suggest using a more common distribution that is maintained well. A lot of printer drivers are included with CUPS or CUPS-related packages in official and unofficial package repositories of common distributions. For example, with Fedora, install gutenprint and gutenprint-cups (Canon, Epson, HP, and more), foomatic and foomatic-db (various), foo2hp (HP), foo2qpdl (Samsung), hpijs (HP), and foo2slx (Lexmark), and a very large number of printers (many thousands) will be supported.

    With Linux installing something not included in a package repository should be treated as a last resort. This is especially true for any type of driver. You should install all the drivers available in the repositories before trying to figure out how to download and install a driver from a manufacturer web site.
    Half the time I can't find good Windows drivers for MS print servers, I can't imagine doing it in Linux.
    Keep in mind that not only is CUPS used in Linux, it's also used in OSX, and Apple own CUPS. So printer manufacturers support and contribute printer drivers to CUPS, and it therefore supports a lot of printers on any platform it runs on. I'm not going to claim that the situation is better than Windows, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.
    MentholMoose
    MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
  • qwertyiopqwertyiop Member Posts: 725 ■■■□□□□□□□
    CUPS is included with every Linux distribution so I suggest using a more common distribution that is maintained well. A lot of printer drivers are included with CUPS or CUPS-related packages in official and unofficial package repositories of common distributions. For example, with Fedora, install gutenprint and gutenprint-cups (Canon, Epson, HP, and more), foomatic and foomatic-db (various), foo2hp (HP), foo2qpdl (Samsung), hpijs (HP), and foo2slx (Lexmark), and a very large number of printers (many thousands) will be supported.

    With Linux installing something not included in a package repository should be treated as a last resort. This is especially true for any type of driver. You should install all the drivers available in the repositories before trying to figure out how to download and install a driver from a manufacturer web site.


    Keep in mind that not only is CUPS used in Linux, it's also used in OSX, and Apple own CUPS. So printer manufacturers support and contribute printer drivers to CUPS, and it therefore supports a lot of printers on any platform it runs on. I'm not going to claim that the situation is better than Windows, but I don't think it's as bad as you think.


    I didnt know apple owned it. Anyway im still fighting with this. I got it to recognize all the Win NT drivers but am still working on the W32X*^ drivers.
  • tierstentiersten Member Posts: 4,505
    Half the time I can't find good Windows drivers for MS print servers, I can't imagine doing it in Linux.
    This is why I only buy printers with good support that only do printing so thats generally something like a HP Laserjet. No MFDs.
  • snokerpokersnokerpoker Member Posts: 661 ■■■■□□□□□□
    tiersten wrote: »
    This is why I only buy printers with good support that only do printing so thats generally something like a HP Laserjet. No MFDs.

    I know what ya mean here. I can't stand supporting all the multifunction printers. My boss finally has started to phase them out.
  • it_consultantit_consultant Member Posts: 1,903
    I have the worst luck with the huge Canons, I fought with Vista and a Canon IR 3225 for longer than I would care to admit.
  • tierstentiersten Member Posts: 4,505
    I know what ya mean here. I can't stand supporting all the multifunction printers. My boss finally has started to phase them out.
    Yeah. MFDs look great on paper but you just end up with a mediocre printer with a bad scanner along with bad software/drivers.
  • demonfurbiedemonfurbie Member Posts: 1,819
    Ubuntu makes a great cups server
    wgu undergrad: done ... woot!!
    WGU MS IT Management: done ... double woot :cheers:
  • qwertyiopqwertyiop Member Posts: 725 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Ubuntu makes a great cups server

    FYI Zentyal is based on Ubuntu 10.04
  • MentholMooseMentholMoose Member Posts: 1,525 ■■■■■■■■□□
    I have the worst luck with the huge Canons, I fought with Vista and a Canon IR 3225 for longer than I would care to admit.
    ROFL what a coincidence. We have a couple dozen of that exact model at work and they function just fine with CUPS on Linux (and OSX). icon_lol.gif OK maybe some options are different, but it is the iR3225. You have to download the driver from Canon, but they install just fine. Our desktops are almost all XP and they work fine, too.
    MentholMoose
    MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
  • demonfurbiedemonfurbie Member Posts: 1,819
    qwertyiop wrote: »
    FYI Zentyal is based on Ubuntu 10.04

    i know its still a pain to work with unless you have good printers
    wgu undergrad: done ... woot!!
    WGU MS IT Management: done ... double woot :cheers:
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