Difference between revisions of "Adding Printer to RHEL"

Revision as of 15:58, 21 February 2011

All network printers in the ECE Department must be accessed through our central print server, ECE-PRINT-01.

The following guide explains how to add printers to a RHEL installed machine using the LPD protocol. Please note, you must have sudo access on the machine in order to perform these steps.

If you have any problems adding a printer, printing, or have questions not answered by this page, please contact ecehelp@ncsu.edu.

Step 1 - Starting the Printer Config

Login to the RHEL machine and open a Terminal window. Then run the following command:

sudo system-config-printer

Enter your NCSU password at the prompt and the Printer Configuration will open as shown in Figure 1. From there, click on the Add Printer button to start the wizard.

Figure 1 - RHEL Printer config

On the next page you have input fields for "Printer Name", "Description" and "Location". Enter the name of the printer you intend to add in the "Printer Name" field. This name should be labeled on the printer. The "Description" and "Location" fields are optional. Once you have put in the necessary information, click Forward to proceed.

Step 2 - Configuring the LPD connection

The next page allows you to choose and configure the connection to the printer. Choose the "LPD/LPR Host or Printer" option. This will bring up additional options on the right.

In the "Hostname" blank, enter the department print server as "ece-print-01.ece.ncsu.edu"
In the "Printername" blank, enter the name of the printer you wish to add. This name should be labeled on the printer.
- If you cannot determine the name of the printer, email ecehelp@ncsu.edu for assistance.

Figure 2 - Configuring LPD options

See Figure 2 above. As you can see we have filled in the necessary information to add the printer, HIPPOGRIFF. Once you have entered in the necessary information, click Forward to proceed.

Step 3 - Choosing a driver

The next two screens are for choosing a driver for your printer. The first page requires that you choose a manufacturer, i.e., Dell, HP, Xerox, etc. Please note that while RHEL does contain built-in drivers for printers, there may not be an appropriate driver for the printer model you are trying to add. However, the generic PCL drivers work for almost all models.

To use the generic driver, choose "Generic" under "Makes" and click Forward. This will bring you to the page shown in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 - Choosing Driver

From here, choose "PCL 6/PCL XL Printer" under "Model", and let it use the recommended driver under "Drivers". Then click Forward.

(To check if RHEL has specific drivers for the printer model, follow the same method as choosing a generic driver, but instead choose the appropriate manufacturer under "Makes". Then see if the printer model is listed as an option. If it is not, go back and select Generic and use the generic driver.)

Step 4 - Finishing the config and other options

Once you've chosen a driver, the last page gives a very brief summary. Click Apply to finish the wizard and add the printer. You should now be back at the Printer Configuration as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 - Setting other options

You can see that HIPPOGRIFF now appears in our list of local printers. To set the printer you've added as your default printer in RHEL, click on the Make Default Printer button. You can also print a test page, edit the optional fields, or change the driver that is being used for the printer. If the printer you have added is a color printer, the "Printer Options" field has some additional options you may wish to check.

You can now close the Printer Configuration and use the printer you've added in applications and from the Terminal.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ----
-* ''Starting the tool''
+<br>
+====Step 1 - Starting the Printer Config====
-:* After logging into the machine, run the following command from a terminal/xterm window:
+Login to the RHEL machine and open a Terminal window.  Then run the following command:
-   sudo system-config-printer
+ sudo system-config-printer
-:* This will start the printer config tool.  See ''Figure 1'' below to see what the tool will look like.
+Enter your NCSU password at the prompt and the Printer Configuration will open as shown in ''Figure 1''.  From there, click on the Add Printer button to start the wizard.
-:* Click the NEW button to start the process of adding a printer.  Click FORWARD, then in the next window, input a name for the queue you are creating.  This should be the name of the printer.  You can also add in a description if you want.  When finished, click FORWARD.
-* ''Choosing the queue type''
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:add-printer.jpg|thumb|450px|'''Figure 1 - RHEL Printer config''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
-:* See ''Figure 2''.  Here you are choosing the type of printer queue.  Choose "Networked UNIX (LPD)", then click the FORWARD button.
+On the next page you have input fields for "Printer Name", "Description" and "Location".  Enter the name of the printer you intend to add in the "Printer Name" field.  This name should be labeled on the printer.  The "Description" and "Location" fields are optional.  Once you have put in the necessary information, click '''Forward''' to proceed.
-* ''Setting up the queue''
+====Step 2 - Configuring the LPD connection====
-:* See ''Figure 3''.  You must now designate the print server and queue for the printer you wish to use.
+The next page allows you to choose and configure the connection to the printer.  Choose the "LPD/LPR Host or Printer" option.  This will bring up additional options on the right.
-:** For all printers, enter "ece-print-01.ece.ncsu.edu" as the server.
-:** For the queue, enter the name of the printer.  The printer should be labeled with its name, but if the label is damaged or missing or if your experience problems, ask your administrator.
-:* Once finished, click FORWARD.
-* ''Designating the printer driver''
+* In the "Hostname" blank, enter the department print server as "ece-print-01.ece.ncsu.edu"
+* In the "Printername" blank, enter the name of the printer you wish to add.  This name should be labeled on the printer.
+** If you cannot determine the name of the printer, email [mailto:ecehelp@ncsu.edu ecehelp@ncsu.edu] for assistance.
-:* See ''Figure 4''.  The next window is for choosing the printer driver that the new queue will use
+<table>
-:** Click on the manufacturer line to choose the appropriate manufacturer for the printer you are using.  Then scroll through the list of printers and choose the driver that best suits the printer.
+<TR><TD>[[Image:lpd-settings.jpg|thumb|450px|'''Figure 2 - Configuring LPD options''']]
-:** If you cannot find an appropriate driver, the Postscript driver under Generic (as shown in the figure) will work for most printers.
+</TD></TR>
-:* Once you select a driver, click FORWARD.  You will see a summary screen.  If anything appears incorrect, go back and make the necessary changes, otherwise, click FINISH.
+</table>
-* ''Finish and save''
+See ''Figure 2'' above.  As you can see we have filled in the necessary information to add the printer, HIPPOGRIFF.  Once you have entered in the necessary information, click Forward to proceed.
-:* ''Figure 5'' shows the printer list after you have finished creating a printer queue.  In order to save the changes you have made, you must click the APPLY button.
+====Step 3 - Choosing a driver====
-:* Repeat the process to add more printers if necessary, otherwise close the config tool.  You should now be able to select the queue you created from the print dialog of programs, or use the lpr command.
+The next two screens are for choosing a driver for your printer.  The first page requires that you choose a manufacturer, i.e., Dell, HP, Xerox, etc.  Please note that while RHEL does contain built-in drivers for printers, there may not be an appropriate driver for the printer model you are trying to add.  However, the generic PCL drivers work for almost all models.
-'''Gallery - Click on a picture to see in full-size'''
+To use the generic driver, choose "Generic" under "Makes" and click '''Forward'''.  This will bring you to the page shown in ''Figure 3'' below.
-{| border="1"
-| width="175" |
+<table>
-[[Image:rhel_print1.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig1 - Printer Config Tool]]
+<TR><TD>[[Image:generic-driver.jpg|thumb|450px|'''Figure 3 - Choosing Driver''']]
-| width="175" |
+</TD></TR>
-[[Image:rhel_print2.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig2 - Choosing queue type]]
+</table>
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print3.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig3 - Inputting server and queue]]
+From here, choose "PCL 6/PCL XL Printer" under "Model", and let it use the recommended driver under "Drivers".  Then click '''Forward'''.
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print4.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig4 - Choose Driver]]
+(To check if RHEL has specific drivers for the printer model, follow the same method as choosing a generic driver, but instead choose the appropriate manufacturer under "Makes".  Then see if the printer model is listed as an option.  If it is not, go back and select Generic and use the generic driver.)
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print5.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig5 - Apply Changes]]
+====Step 4 - Finishing the config and other options====
-|}
-[[category:printing]]
+Once you've chosen a driver, the last page gives a very brief summary.  Click '''Apply''' to finish the wizard and add the printer.  You should now be back at the Printer Configuration as shown in ''Figure 4''.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:extra-config.jpg|thumb|450px|'''Figure 4 - Setting other options''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
+You can see that HIPPOGRIFF now appears in our list of local printers.  To set the printer you've added as your default printer in RHEL, click on the '''Make Default Printer''' button.  You can also print a test page, edit the optional fields, or change the driver that is being used for the printer.  If the printer you have added is a color printer, the "Printer Options" field has some additional options you may wish to check.
+You can now close the Printer Configuration and use the printer you've added in applications and from the Terminal.