Adding Printers in Linux

Centrally managed machines and sharp printers

Centrally managed machines can connect to printers using lpd, which we have found to be more reliable than Samba for all printers except SharpHold.

Note: For SharpHold, please use the "Samba" instructions below.

1. Click "System", "Administration", "Printing" or search for "Printing" and choose the settings for this
2. In Ubuntu 18.04 and above, choose "Additional Printer Settings...". This is a button right near the bottom of the Printing settings dialogue.
3. Click "Add"
4. Under "Network Printer", there should be the option "LPD/LPR Host or Printer"
5. Enter the details
   
   1. For sharp printers, host: pcounter2.physics.ox.ac.uk
   2. Queue: Any valid Sharp printer (e.g. CLSharp171New, DWBSharpL6)
6. Click "Forward"
7. For the "choose driver" dialogue, Select "Provide a PPD file"
   
   1. For public printers, the drivers for the printer model will already be available under /etc/cups/ppd/, eg for DWBSharpL^ select /etc/cups/ppd/Sharp-MX-5500N.ppd.
   2. For private or group printers, the appropriate printer drivers should be located and downloaded from the manufacturer website. See the section below.
8. Once the ppd file is selected, Click "Forward"
9. Be sure to set the paper type to A4

Centrally managed machines and other printers

You can add any printer to a Linux machine, but you will need the correct ppd (driver) file from the manufacturers website, connection and authentication details.

If IT have set the printer up, it may be available on either the "PCOUNTER2" server or on "printserverx64" server. On Ubuntu 14.04 (trusty) the printers start disabled. In the printers menu, right click on the icon for the printer and 'enable'. If you find a permanent fix for this, please comment on this article.

Self managed machines/Laptops or the SharpHold queue

The details are nigh on identical to centrally managed machines. The only difference is that step 3 should be "SAMBA" and step 4 should be "pcounter2.physics.ox.ac.uk/SharpHold", for example.

On un-managed machines, you will also need to copy the ppd driver files into place yourself. These files are available from the links below.

The username should be your username in the form physics\username, and the password is your physics password.

There is also IPP, but that does not work well yet. https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/it-services/internet-printing-protocol-ipp... Use SMB or LPD for now.