Printing under Porteus: summary of problems and solutions

[francois]

Since the introduction of a printing module to porteus the following information in this thread has almost become obsolete. However, as porteus printing module does not attain perfect coverage, it might be helpful for certain specific installations. Particularly if your printer is not covered or if you find the porteus printing module too heavy for your purposes.

Porteus printing and scanning module (development and improvement):
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=2235&start=15

Porteus provides two interfaces for the setup of your printer: print settings (system-config-printer) and CUPS. Print settings available under the panel menu, system submenu is the simplest interface.

Porteus is based on CUPS 1.5 version following the slackware 14.1 scheme of development. As of november 2015, a more advanced version based on pdf printing was available with CUPS 1.6, and CUPS 1.7, these are not available on porteus 3.1, but might be on the next version.

- 32 bit edition:
http://dl.porteus.org/i486/current/modules/
- 64 bit edition:
http://dl.porteus.org/x86_64/current/modules/

Installing a usb printer :
1) On the panel menu:
porteus panel menu > system > printing
will lead you to the system-config-printer gui.
2) in the menu select server > new
3) your printer should appear if it is usb connected, select it and follow the recommendations.

Installing a printer over the network:
viewtopic.php?f=81&t=2411&p=16678#p16678
1 ) start CUPS http://localhost:631/admin/
2 ) add printer
3 ) ipp
4 ) Connection: ipp://hostname (examples: ipp://192.168.20.166 or ipp://192.168.0.107, ipp://192.168.0.108, the ip address to be found in your router administration program)
5 ) Name: The printer name (example: BROTHER-HL2170W or BROTHER-MFC-7860DW-NETWORK)
6 ) Model: The model name (example: Brother-HL-1040 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.6 (en))
7 ) Set Default options: Set Default Options (unless you are more refined than me)

PPD solution:
viewtopic.php?f=61&t=2079&p=48500#p48500

Scanning under porteus.
For most printers porteus should also install the scanning packages:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1336
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=2235&start=15

Scanning only:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1336

BROTHER PRINTERS:
New brother install tool for printer and scanner (provides rpm that you convert into xzm):
Brother print and scan: universal Driver Install Tool
http://support.brother.com/g/b/download ... dlang=true\

Installing a printer with a ppd for a printer not covered by the 007-printing.xzm module of porteus:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=4799

Starting cups in your favorite browser:
http://localhost:631/admin/

Edited as of 01112015. The next post is the old stuff as the edit date attests.

[francois]

Additional pertinent information that was located in the first post is transferred here though outdated. This information should be useful for a better understanding of printing in general.

I would like to get to know your experience in printing under Porteus v. 1.0. Positive as much as negative ones are looked for. A positive experience is being able to print under Porteus. If this is your case, just mention the architecture, that is 32-bit or 64-bit and provide the type of printer you have. If your venture with Porteus was a little more strenuous, let us know how you finally did it or refer to the thread where you have solved the problem.

Here is how CUPS is working, adapted from arch wiki CUPS:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CU ... ter_driver

1) An application sends a .ps file (PostScript, a script language that details how the page will look) to CUPS when 'print' has been selected (this is the case with most programs).
2) CUPS then looks at the printer's PPD file (printer description file) and figures out what filters it needs to use to convert the .ps file to a language that the printer understands (like PJL, PCL), usually GhostScript.
3) GhostScript takes the input and figures out which filters it should use, then applies them and converts the .ps file to a format understood by the printer.
4) Then it is sent to the back-end. For example, if the printer is connected to a USB port, it uses the USB back-end.

If you would need to read a few links about printing related to CUPS:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collabor ... umentation
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CU ... ter_driver

UNIVERSAL PRINTING SOLUTION: GUTENPRINT-GHOSTSCRIPT
[HOW TO] Universal printer solution: gutenprint-ghostscript

CUPS: ADDING LPR AND CUPSWRAPPER DRIVERS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PRINTER
(HOW TO) CUPS: adding lpr and cupswrapper drivers

GENERIC OR PCL DRIVERS:
generic or PCL print drivers: a case the brother MFC-7860dw

HPLIP
HOWTO HP Imaging and Printing Porteus 1.1 (64 bit)
HPPrinting for Porteus V1.0 32-bits

FOOMATIC
The foomatic solution for the hl2170w is described in the following thread of archlinux:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Brother_HL-2170W
http://distro.ibiblio.org/smeserver/con ... -ppds.html
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collabor ... umentation

CUPS-PDF
It could be useful to transform your documents into pdf files thru CUPS. This could be achieved with cups-pdf, see:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=986

OTHER PRINTERS NOT COVERED BY THE ABOVE, SEE PRINTER DRIVERS IN:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CU ... ter_driver

PRINTERS TESTED ON PORTEUS
.32bit v 1.0 porteus edition (tested):
-brother hl2170w (works, selecting brother hl-1040), see:
(SOLVED) Printers: the case of brother hl2170w (bis)
-hp laserjet 3030 (works, I tested it)

.64bit v 1.0 porteus edition (tested):
-Canon MP145 (works)
[solved]print module for X86_64?
-HP Deskjet 930C (works)
[solved]print module for X86_64?
-hp laserjet 3030 (works, I tested it)
-brother hl2170w (works, lpr and cupswrapper drivers necessary, selecting brother hl-1040)
(SOLVED) Printers: the case of brother hl2170w (bis)
-brother dcp-197c (works, see special intallation of beny with another cups version and compat library)
Printers: the case of brother hl2170w

USEFUL LINKS:

CUPS
.OpenPrinting CUPS Quick Start:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collabor ... umentation
.CUPS manual :
http://www.cups.org/doc-1.1/sam.html
.CUPS How to:
..OpenSuse
http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts_printing
..Archlinux
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CU ... nistration
HPlip:
http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/in ... kware.html
HPPrinting for Porteus V1.0 32-bits
Gutenprint - user's manual:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Documentation.php
Ghostscript:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
- old version of ghostscript is called espgs:
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/vi ... espgs.html
.the necessary files for ghostscript are ghostscript-fonts - available in PPM for 64bit edition
Foomatic (from openPrinting.org)
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collabor ... sefoomatic

It would be really great that you share your experience with this gutenprint-ghostscript solution with your own printer.
Thanks.

Edited as of 2011-10-18

[francois]

Updated porteus printing knowledge as of porteus version 3.1.

[francois]

Reorganisation of the information in the two first posts of the thread and centralisation of printing information of the porteus printer threads.

[Ed_P]

Reorganisation of the information in the two first posts of the thread

Apparently a long, long time ago. One shows:

Code: Select all

Last edited by francois on 08 Apr 2012, 06:32

the other shows:

Code: Select all

Edited as of 2011-10-18

Isn't there a mod setting that allows automatic showing of an edit date when you edit a posting?

[aus9]

It would be really great that you share your experience with this gutenprint-ghostscript solution with your own printer
snip another post
I would like to get to know your experience in printing under Porteus v. 1.0
.

I presume you would prefer members to start a new thread, I will shortly give it a go and am on 3.1

[francois]

You are right fellows. Maybe a howto on printing on porteus 3.1 should be written. There are other threads that should be included, I think about this on canon printers amongst others. There are also those printer solutions for printers on kiosk.

[francois]

Changed socket to ipp method in first post.

[francois]

Added the new brother install tool which covers a broad array of brother printers. It works in command line interface and provides .rpm packages that you just have to convert into .xzm then.

[francois]

Link to the brother universal install tool thread on porteus. Real handy.

[joyce22]

Hi guys,

Thanks for sharing this information with us.

But I want to ask you that is there any general printer solution (printer driver savvy) for both 32bit and 64bit Porteus 1.0 versions?

[francois]

Please provide a link for what you call printer saavy. Is this a brand of printer, what model do you have? Does it work under another linux distribution?

Thanks.

[lacquit92]

Hello all

Code: Select all

Changed socket to IPP method in the first post.

but which topic to say, someone, please tell us. & what is this IPP?

[francois]

ipp= internet printing protocol

To install or add a printer did you tried:
porteus panel menu > system > print setting > add

[Robert Whitfield]

Very useful! Thanks!