Cups Print queue Problems.

[Kevin Nikiforuk]

I have been taked to setup a CUPS pring queue on a Linux system running Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES release 4 (Nahant Update 6). The output from uname -a :
Linux lxd004.epcor.ca 2.6.9-67.ELsmp #1 SMP Wed Nov 7 13:58:04 EST 2007 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux.

This print queue will ideally connect to a printer configured to /dev/null on a HP-UX system running 11.23 with Dec 2007 Patch bundles installed.



The Print queue setup on the Linux system as follows:

Print Queue Name: test

Queue Type: Networked UNIX (LPD) (Chosen because I'm printing to a UNIX system)

Server: (Unix Server FQDN)

Queue: lp (Since this is the printing subsystem)

Queue Options: All defualts

Printer Drive: (PostScript Printer) (Since there is a script in place on the Unix System to control printing through the application)

Driver Options: All Defaults

On the HP-UX system, I have configured the spooler by adding a printer in it named vsifax. This printer has been configured as follows:
OPtion chosen through SAM was to "add Local Printer/Plotter/Add printer with NonStandard device File.
Printer Name: vsifax
Printer Model/Interface: dumb
Printer Device File: /dev/null (This is what we need since the script should control the printer.
Default Request Priority: Nothing chosen

Issues:

1) When trying to print a test page, from the Linux system, the job gets queued and can be displayed via lpq -s, but It doesn't do anything. It just sits in the queue.

2) doing an lpstat -t from the Unix system produces the following output:
# lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination set in default file: vsifax
device for vsifax: /dev/null
printer vsifax is idle. enabled since Sep 10 11:17
fence priority : 0
no entries

So as I see it, the job isn't even making it to the Unix System.

Questions:

1) (Linux) Since this is suppose to be a CUPS print queue, should I configure the print queue as a cups print queue, even though the "printer" will reside on a HP-UX system? If so, how would I configure that, and have it work? I did try originally to do it that way, but when I clicked to apply the config changes, the system hung.

2) (Unix) On the HP-UX system, I was told that I don't need to install any cups related software. Is this true? The way I see it, since CUPS uses IPP protocol, I would think I need to install the cups software on the Unix system too. I don't see anywhere in /etc/services where it defines a port for IPP to use.

Please forgive my ignorance concerning this, but I have never configured a printer or print queue on either a Unix or Linux system before, as any other place I have worked, we let the "Windows world" take care of that.

Full points will be given generously if anyone can solve this issue or at least point me to someewhere, where this is documented. I have checked the *cups.org website out but have found very limited information. The same with a Google search. Any assistance you folks can offer will be greatly appreciated as I'm suppose to have this in place by tomorrow, for testing. Thanks in advance and have an awesome day! If you have any questions, let me know, I will be monitoring this post all day.

[Ivan Ferreira]

>> 1) (Linux) Since this is suppose to be a CUPS print queue, should I configure the print queue as a cups print queue, even though the "printer" will reside on a HP-UX system? If so, how would I configure that, and have it work? I did try originally to do it that way, but when I clicked to apply the config changes, the system hung.

You configured correctly the printer, you only need to set the queue as LPD as you did.

Can you print to this remoteq queue from another system or this is the first system that uses it?

>>> 2) (Unix) On the HP-UX system, I was told that I don't need to install any cups related software. Is this true? The way I see it, since CUPS uses IPP protocol, I would think I need to install the cups software on the Unix system too. I don't see anywhere in /etc/services where it defines a port for IPP to use.

You don't need any cups related software. CUPS can use the LPR/LPD protocol.

[Kevin Nikiforuk]

Thanks Ivan.


The issue has been resolved. As it turned out the print queue definition on the Linux system was the problem. Although everything was defined as it should be for some reason or another it didn't work. I deleted the print queue. Then bounced cups, and recreated the pring queue. That seemed to be the fix, as it is now working and the queue now reaches the Unix System. Thanks for your input. This ticket will be closed.

[Kevin Nikiforuk]

Read previous post. Thanks for the quick response. You folks are doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work!