View Full Version : Newbie-friendly "printing in OpenBSD" guide wanted
Shagbag
07-06-2008, 10:28 AM
I have an HP LaserJet 1018. It uses the ZjStream wire protocol - not PCL (like almost all other HP printers), ie. I can't use the standard HP printer drivers. Instead, I have successfully compiled and installed the foo2zjs (http://foo2zjs.rkkda.com/) printer driver. I've installed ghostscript and I have cupsd working. However, this is my first ever attempt at using a printer in OpenBSD and I'm having difficulty knowing just what I need to do to use it.
There doesn't seem to be anything on printing in the OpenBSD FAQ.
I've read the cupsd and cupsd.conf man pages and they're not very helpful.
I couldn't find much googling the internet.
Does anyone have (or can point me to) a newbie-friendly printing guide for OpenBSD they could share with me?
Kind regards
ocicat
07-06-2008, 12:07 PM
Does anyone have (or can point me to) a newbie-friendly printing guide for OpenBSD they could share with me?
Although not OpenBSD specific, you may find the following useful:
http://www.freebsdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15325&highlight=wintellect+printing
nihonto
07-06-2008, 02:43 PM
As far as I know there is no such thing as an "OpenBSD Printing Guide". I suggest you will have to take the stony way like the rest of us;).
When I started asking questions like yours for the first time, the most heard answer was: "Go and buy a postscript-printer".
In fact, after some painfull experiences I bought a HP P2015 Laserjet and now printing is no longer a PITA.
Maybe these two links will give you some advice and explanation:
- Unix Printing Basics (http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/bsd/2004/07/08/FreeBSD_Basics.html) (FreeBSD-centered but a good starter)
- Openprinting.org (http://openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi) (here you can look for your printer and its *nix-support)
I have an HP LaserJet 1018. It uses the ZjStream wire protocol - not PCL (like almost all other HP printers), ie. I can't use the standard HP printer drivers. Instead, I have successfully compiled and installed the foo2zjs (http://foo2zjs.rkkda.com/) printer driver. I've installed ghostscript and I have cupsd working. However, this is my first ever attempt at using a printer in OpenBSD and I'm having difficulty knowing just what I need to do to use it.
There doesn't seem to be anything on printing in the OpenBSD FAQ.
I've read the cupsd and cupsd.conf man pages and they're not very helpful.
I couldn't find much googling the internet.
Does anyone have (or can point me to) a newbie-friendly printing guide for OpenBSD they could share with me?
Kind regards
Since you are using CUPS spooling system except starting CUPS daemon which is described in FAQ, executing a script which will replace LPD with CUPS on OpenBSD (hint read installation message for CUPS) there is nothing OpenBSD specific about printing.
You need to add yourself to CUPS group and change group ownership into _cups on device nodes (/dev/ulpt for USB and /dev/lpt for parallel port printer).
All other questions that you might have are answered in CUPS documentation
user manual
http://www.cups.org/doc-1.1/sum.html#CONTENTS
system administrator manual
http://www.cups.org/doc-1.1/sam.html#CONTENTS
Shagbag
07-07-2008, 01:31 PM
Thanks. I've now read them. It seems (to me, at least) the problem I'm having appears to be non-CUPS related. I'm going to post separately outlining the problem.
nihonto
07-07-2008, 10:26 PM
Here is another thread (http://www.daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=1238) regarding the HP Laserjet 1018 on OpenBSD.
No solution provided, but some more details.
EDIT:
Right now, I've seen, that the thread I've mentioned is started by Shagbag, too! Shagbag, please don't start several threads regarding the same topic!
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