Subject: Re: cups printing problem

> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 18:24:12 +0000
> From: "Pedro M." <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> Cc: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [debian-knoppix] cups printing problem
> 
> [email protected] wrote:
> 
> 
>>>Hello all, 
>>>
>>>I just notest it. 
>>>There seems to be a problem when trying to add a printer via cups 
> (webbased interfase)or gnome-cups-manager. After installing it on 
> the hd I tried to add a printer via the webbased interfase of cups 
> (localhost:631) but when comming to the drivers page there seem to 
> be listed just a few. Although in kde all seems to be ok.

It is a "feature" to save space.

KDEPrint's "kaddprinterwizard" is able to generate PPDs (for
non-PostScript printers) "on the fly" from the "Foomatic"
database of XML files (which are developed and maintained by
Till Kamppeter and others from Linuxprinting.org).

Ready-made PPD (all kinds, PS- and non-PS ones) are normally
deposited in "/usr/share/cups/drivers/", where the web-GUI of
CUPS is also looking for them.

To not also store the complete set of 1000s of PPDs in that
standard PPD directory saves substantial space on the ISO image.

Klaus,

if you want to enable the storing of additional PPDs:
could you create a symlink from a subdir of that dir, say
"/usr/share/cups/drivers/myown-PPDs" to an empty dir in the
RAMdisk? This way users could deposit their PPDs and after a
cupsd restart the CUPS web interface would also see them...

> I then 
> tried the same thing of the live cd. and the problem repeats itself. 
> This does not seem to happen  in gnoppix or kanotix. So is this a 
> bug or there a feature missing?

It is that gnoppix don't have KDEPrint. So the feature is missing
*there*    ;-)

> Am I doing someting wrong? Is cups 
> not wrong configured? 
>>>

All is well.

>>>Nick
>>>
>>>
>>>  
>>>
> 
> See http://am.xs4all.nl/phpwiki/index.php/MorphixHdFaqUsing in the 
> printer section.
> 
> But in any case, we need know how to add postscripts drivers (PPD) files 

As I said: if somehow /usr/share/cups/drivers/ is made writeable and
additionals PPDs are stored there, CUPS will see them.

Otherwise use the "lpadmin" commandline with "-P /path/to/your/PPD"
to add such a printer/PPD combo. Or use "kaddprinterwizard", and
on the "Printer Model Selection" screen klick on "Other..." and
find you way through the filesystem to the place of your PPD....

> to the CUPS webserver ( or perhaps create another more free webserver 

???

> with a button "Add a new driver" ??.
> 

You'd have to do a *lot* of work to create this. And know even more
about printing...

Better file a "bug report" (call it a feature request) at

   http://www.cups.org/str.php

Sometimes CUPS folks are really nice and implement new features
within days... (recently they did it with the new button in
the web interface to "set this printer as default"  :)

> In any case, we need to know how to easily add more drivers manually to 
> CUPS.
> 

Now you should know  ;-)

If you still have questions, ask.

> 
> Regards.

Cheers,
Kurt