Configuring CUPS On FreeBSD To Use A Windows Printer

  1. Install the CUPS components:

    • The cups-base package/port
    • The cups-lpr package/port
    • The cups-pstoraster package/port
    • The cups-smb-backend package/port

  2. Install the SAMBA package/port

  3. Install the hpijs /package/port

    • This package is appropriate for HP printers. You may need something else for other brands of printer.
    • Make sure foomatic-rip gets installed
    • Make sure the CUPS lp command replacements get installed

  4. Rename /usr/bin/lp* so that the CUPS equivalents in /usr/local/bin will be used

  5. Copy any additionally needed ppd (driver files) to:

    /usr/local/share/cups/model

  6. Start the CUPS scheduler:

    ln -s /usr/local/etc/rc.d/cups.sh.sample /usr/local/etc/rd.d/cups.sh
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/cups.sh start

  7. Point browser to http://localhost:631 to install/configure printers using URIs in the form:

    smb://WORKGROUP/user:password@SERVER/SHARENAME

Notes

Samba only needs to be installed for the smbspool and smbutil programs. If not otherwise needed, it does not have to be running, though it may be necessary to create an empty /usr/local/etc/smb.conf file.

The smbutil can be used to debug connections, verify passwords, etc.

Author

Tim Daneliuk - tundra@tundraware.com

Comments and/or improvements welcome!

Document Revision Information

$Id: CUPS-To-Windows.txt,v 1.104 2006/01/02 05:50:58 root Exp root $