Installing a Printer from SuSE Linux 6.4 to 7.3
Support knowledgebase (jsmeix_print-einrichten-64)
Applies to
SuSE Linux: Versions 6.4 to 7.3
Request:
You want to install and configure the printer using SuSE Linux from 6.4
to SuSE Linux 7.3.
For SuSE Linux 8.0 or newer, proceed as described in the
support database article "Installing a Printer since SuSE Linux 8.0".
Find this article with the keyword "installing".
Regarding SuSE Linux PowerPC, see the article
Installing a Printer for PowerPC
Procedure:
Use YaST2 to configure a printer connected to the parallel port
or the USB port.
Regarding USB printers, see the article
Installing a USB Printer.
The YaST2 printer configuration should be self-explanatory.
YaST (YaST 1) and /var/lib/apsfilter/SETUP
(or lprsetup
) are still available.
Prerequisites for using a printer with SuSE Linux:
Find the prerequisites in the article
Installing a Printer
Printer Configuration with YaST2
-
It is not necessary to configure the printer during the
installation. It is better to do the printer configuration
after the system has been completely rebooted.
Starting YaST2 from the running system:
- Log in as normal user (not as user "root").
- If the X Window System is not running already, start it with
startx
- In the menus, find an entry to launch YaST2.
If there is no such entry:
-
Launch an "xterm":
If you are using the default KDE, press [Alt]+[F2] then enter
xterm
or
xterm -geometry 80x25
-
Either enter
susewmif ROOT_X11 yast2
in the "xterm" window
or switch to the user root using
su
and start YaST2 using
yast2
It may take some time before the YaST2 window opens
and the "Hardware/Printer" module is launched.
- To finish YaST2, always use the YaST2 buttons.
Do not kill YaST2 by just closing the YaST2 window.
-
After the configuration of the first printer,
the default printer queue
lp
and the
printer queue ascii
are available.
To print via the default printer queue, use
lpr file_to_print
or
lpr -Plp file_to_print
The file type (such as ASCII or PostScript) is automatically
determined
To force the file type to ASCII use
lpr -Pascii file_to_print
(for example, to print PostScript source code)
The printer queues lp
and ascii
should be used to get fast monochrome output.
Therefore, the YaST2 defaults are set to fast monochrome printing.
To get high quality colour printouts, set up and configure
additional printer queues.
To do this, just launch YaST2 a second time and select an appropriate
configuration for your printer.
Enter a convenient name (such as "hq" for a high quality
printer queue).
To print via the additional printer queues use
lpr -Phq file_to_print
or
lpr -Phq-ascii file_to_print
provided you set the name to "hq".
-
Not all selectable combinations of printer settings will
work, especially not with high resolutions.
Therefore, you should always do the "Print sample page"
to test whether the printer settings are working.
Normally, you can first stop the sample page printing at the
printer (for example, by removing all the paper) if the printer
prints rubbish (e.g., lots of formfeeds). Afterwards,
click the [Stop] button, but this may cause problems.
Therefore, it is recommended to use the [Stop] button and
wait until printing stops.
-
If your printer is not listed in
"Manufacturer and model of the printer", you should do the following:
- Select a compatible printer or
- select "Generic printers" if neither your printer nor a compatible
printer is listed.
Determine the printer language of your printer
(if it is not shown in the printer manual,
contact the manufacturer) and select an appropriate
generic printer model.
-
In special cases, you may want to use a detailed configuration
of a special Ghostscript device.
There are many possible sources of errors, but by using the
"Print sample page" test all selectable configurations.
If you select a totally wrong configuration, this may lead
to a mechanical overload to your printer and the printer may
be damaged.
We cannot provide installation support for
special configurations like this, because we do not have
all printer models available for testing. On the other hand, we
are very interested to hear if you had success with
a special configuration and we would be very pleased to receive
feedback from you.
If your printer was autodetected by YaST2, only a few proper
useful configurations are shown at "Printer settings".
Make a note of this configuration to get an
overview of the normally useful configurations for your printer.
Then return to the full list of
"Manufacturer and model of the printer".
Now select "Ghostscript devices".
Here, specify a detailed configuration of the Ghostscript
devices.
Find further information regarding the parameter settings
in the file
/usr/share/ghostscript/5.50/doc/Devices.htm
.
-
Until SuSE Linux 7.0, you cannot remove a printer entry using YaST2.
To remove a printer entry, use
lprsetup
.
(See the article
Installing a Printer)
Press [Enter] to get the first menu and choose
DELETE Fast delete an apsfilter entry
.
The existing printer entries are listed and, in particular,
the printer entry name is shown.<
Select a printer entry and [OK] to remove this printer entry.
Special Information:
-
If you configure the printer using YaST 1
or
lprsetup
, the following parameters
are stored in the file /etc/printcap
.
- Ghostscript device
(e.g., hpdj, ljet4, or stcany.upp)
- Paper size
(e.g., a4, a4dj, letter, or letterdj)
- Method
(ascii, auto, or raw)
- Color
(only if the method is not raw: mono or color)
- Resolution
(only if the method is not raw: e.g., 300, 360, 600, 720)
- Queue name
(only if entered using lprsetup)
The printer filter /var/lib/apsfilter/apsfilter
is called via the link in the :if=...
line
in /etc/printcap
.
The parameters above are passed via this link to the filter.
Additional special parameters should be set in one of the
following configuration files:
/etc/apsfilterrc
/etc/apsfilterrc.GHOSTSCRIPT-DEVICE
(Replace GHOSTSCRIPT-DEVICE
with the actual value
of the Ghostscript device.)
These configuration files are read in the given order.
Settings in the second file may overwrite corresponding
settings in the first file.
/etc/apsfilterrc
has many useful comments.
The parameter "Colour" corresponds to the variable COLOR
and the parameter "Queue name" corresponds to the variable
QUEUE
in the configuration files.
Normally only /etc/apsfilterrc.GHOSTSCRIPT-DEVICE
should be used for special settings.
-
If you configure the printer using of YaST2, some of the parameters
mentioned above
are stored in the file
/etc/printcap
,
but the more important Ghostscript parameters are stored in the file
/etc/gs.upp/y2prn_QUEUE-NAME.upp
.
The QUEUE-NAME
is lp
for the standard
printer queues lp
and ascii
.
Otherwise, QUEUE-NAME
is the name set during the
configuration of additional queues (e.g., "hq").
The printer filter /var/lib/apsfilter/apsfilter
is called via the link in the :if=...
line
in /etc/printcap
.
Some parameters are passed via this link to the filter, but
the parameters required for Ghostscript are read from
the /etc/gs.upp/y2prn_QUEUE-NAME.upp
file.
It is possible to set Ghostscript parameters that cannot
be configured using YaST2 directly in this file, but
normally additional special parameters should be set in one of the
following configuration files:
/etc/apsfilterrc
/etc/apsfilterrc.y2prn_QUEUE-NAME.upp
These configuration files are read in the given order (see above).
Normally only /etc/apsfilterrc.y2prn_QUEUE-NAME.upp
should be used for special settings.
See also:
Printer Configuration with SuSE Linux 8.0
Installing a Printer
Purchase of Printers and Compatibility
Installing a USB Printer
Keywords: PRINTING, PRINTER, YAST2, INSTALLING, 64, 6.4
Categories:
Frequently asked Questions
, Documentation
, Printer
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)
SDB-jsmeix_print-einrichten-64, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany
- Version: 23. Mar 2000
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 10. Oct 2002 by jsmeix (sdb_gen 1.40.0)