Difference between revisions of "Adding Printer to RHEL"

Latest revision as of 15:39, 15 June 2018

All network printers in the ECE Department must be accessed through our central print server, ECE-PRINT-03.

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 New button to start the wizard.

Figure 1 - RHEL Printer Configuration

If you see the prompt in the picture below regarding adjusting the firewall, click "Do It Later". (Letting it adjust the firewall has caused network problems for other machines.) You will likely receive this prompt each time you add a printer, so please be sure to click "Do It Later" each time.

Figure 2 - Prompt about Firewall

Step 2 - Configuring the LPD connection

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

In the "Host" blank, enter the department print server as "ece-print-03.ece.ncsu.edu"
In the "Queue" 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 3 - Configuring LPD options

See Figure 3 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.

Figure 4 - Choosing Driver

To use the generic driver, choose "Generic" under "Makes" and click Forward. This will bring you to the page shown in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5 - Choosing Driver

From here, choose "PCL 6/PCL XL Printer" under "Models", 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 and allows you to set the printers Name which should be on the printer, Description and Location. The "Description" and "Location" fields are optional. Click Apply to finish the wizard and add the printer.

Figure 6 - Setting other options

You should now be back at the Printer Configuration as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 - Setting other options

You can see that HIPPOGRIFF now appears in our list of local printers. You can print a test page, edit the optional fields, or change the driver that is being used for the printer by right clicking on it in this window. 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 1: / Line 1: @@
-Adding a printer to a RHEL-installed machine can be done by remote or if you are locally at the machine.  All printers should be added through our Department print server, ECEPRINT.  If you have any problems adding a printer or printing or have questions not answered by this page, please email [mailto:ecehelp@ncsu.edu ecehelp@ncsu.edu].
+__NOTOC__
-'''NOTE:''' The instructions below detail how to add a printer when you are at the machine itself and are logged in via the standard graphical interface.  If you are accessing a machine remotely or if you have trouble with the graphical printer config tool, you can use the text-based tool instead.  Instructions for accessing the text-based tool can be found [[Adding printer to RHEL-TUI|here]].
+All network printers in the ECE Department must be accessed through our central print server, ECE-PRINT-03.
+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 [mailto:ecehelp@ncsu.edu ecehelp@ncsu.edu].
 ----
-* ''Starting the tool''
+<br>
+====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 New button to start the wizard.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL6-printeradd0.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 1 - RHEL Printer Configuration''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
+If you see the prompt in the picture below regarding adjusting the firewall, '''click "Do It Later".'''  (Letting it adjust the firewall has caused network problems for other machines.)  You will likely receive this prompt each time you add a printer, so please be sure to click "Do It Later" each time.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:System-config-printer-firewall.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 2 - Prompt about Firewall ''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
+====Step 2 - Configuring the LPD connection====
+The next page allows you to choose and configure the connection to the printer.  Choose the "Network Printer > LPD/LPR Host or Printer" option.  This will bring up additional options on the right.
+* In the "Host" blank, enter the department print server as "ece-print-03.ece.ncsu.edu"
+* In the "Queue" 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.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL_6-printeradd_1.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 3 - Configuring LPD options''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
+See ''Figure 3'' 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.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL_6_printeradd_2.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 4 - Choosing Driver''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
+To use the generic driver, choose "Generic" under "Makes" and click '''Forward'''.  This will bring you to the page shown in ''Figure 5'' below.
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL_6_printeradd_3.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 5 - Choosing Driver''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
-:* After logging into the machine, run the following command from a terminal/xterm window:
+From here, choose "PCL 6/PCL XL Printer" under "Models", and let it use the recommended driver under "Drivers".  Then click '''Forward'''.
-   sudo system-config-printer
+(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.)
-:* This will start the printer config tool.  See ''Figure 1'' below to see what the tool will look like.
-:* 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''
+====Step 4 - Finishing the config and other options====
-:* See ''Figure 2''.  Here you are choosing the type of printer queue.  Choose "Networked UNIX (LPD)", then click the FORWARD button.
+Once you've chosen a driver, the last page gives a very brief summary and allows you to set the printers Name which should be on the printer, Description and Location. The "Description" and "Location" fields are optional. Click '''Apply''' to finish the wizard and add the printer.
-* ''Setting up the queue''
-:* See ''Figure 3''.  You must now designate the print server and queue for the printer you wish to use.
+<table>
-:** For all printers, enter "eceprint.ece.ncsu.edu" as the server.
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL_6_printeradd_4.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 6 - Setting other options''']]
-:** 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.
+</TD></TR>
-:* Once finished, click FORWARD.
+</table>
-* ''Designating the printer driver''
+You should now be back at the Printer Configuration as shown in ''Figure 7''.
-:* See ''Figure 4''.  The next window is for choosing the printer driver that the new queue will use
-:** 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.
-:** If you cannot find an appropriate driver, the Postscript driver under Generic (as shown in the figure) will work for most printers.
-:* 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.
-* ''Finish and save''
+<table>
+<TR><TD>[[Image:RHEL6_printeradd_7.png|thumb|450px|'''Figure 7 - Setting other options''']]
+</TD></TR>
+</table>
-:* ''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.
-:* 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.
+You can see that HIPPOGRIFF now appears in our list of local printers. You can print a test page, edit the optional fields, or change the driver that is being used for the printer by right clicking on it in this window.  If the printer you have added is a color printer, the "Printer Options" field has some additional options you may wish to check.
-'''Gallery - Click on a picture to see in full-size'''
+You can now close the Printer Configuration and use the printer you've added in applications and from the Terminal.
-{| border="1"
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print1.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig1 - Printer Config Tool]]
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print2.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig2 - Choosing queue type]]
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print3.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig3 - Inputting server and queue]]
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print4.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig4 - Choose Driver]]
-| width="175" |
-[[Image:rhel_print5.jpg|thumb|center|150px|Fig5 - Apply Changes]]
-|}