Configure RHEL to print to Unix print servers

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) client
  • Common Unix Printing System (CUPS)
  • Line Printer Daemon (LPD) protocol
  • Unix (Solaris, HPUX, etc.) print server
  • Windows print server that accepts LPD connections

Issue

  • Are there are alternative ways to set up Linux clients so that they can print to a Sun LPD print server, without the use of cups-lpd?
  • I want to set up my Linux server to be able to send print jobs to my HPUX server and print from there. What do I need to do on my Linux server to accomplish that?
  • We have the requirement to migrate an application from AIX to Linux. We would like to print to our enterprise spooling system, a Macro4 Columbus OM installation. Do you have any suggestions/experience on how to implement such a system? The Marco4 Columbus OM installation accepts print jobs via LPD.
  • We would like to sent jobs to Windows print server, but cannot install the Samba software. How can we send jobs to Windows without using Samba?

Resolution

This Knowledgebase Solution discusses only the LPD (Line Printer Daemon) protocol to send jobs to printers or print servers that accept LPD connections. Before the print job is sent to the printer via LPD, the document must be in a format that the printer understands. To ensure that the correct drivers are used see the Knowledgebase Solutions listed below.

To set up CUPS as an print client that will initiate LPD connections, create a queue using the lpd: device URI scheme. Jobs arriving at that CUPS queue (usually from the local machine) will be forwarded to the LPD server using the LPD protocol. For example:

lpadmin -p thequeue -m the-printer-model.ppd -v lpd://lpdserver/lpdqueue -E

thequeue, the-printer-model, lpdserver, and lpdqueue are all placeholders that need to be filled in with appropriate values. More information about selecting these values and using the lpadmin command can be found in the following Knowledgebase Solutions:

How to setup printers from the command line using lpadmin in RHEL

What printers and print drivers are supported for use with CUPS in RHEL?

If there is a need to set up a RHEL system as a print server that will accept LPD connections (i.e. use a RHEL system to act as an LPD print server), see the Knowledgebase Solution entitled Configuring RHEL to accept LPD connections from Unix clients.

Root Cause

CUPS will initiate LPD connections with no additional software installation necessary.

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