jump to lpd printing

Steps to take if user cant print:

section link Find out what printing method they use. The 2 most common ones are:

Java Printing, Google Cloud print and LPD printing via windows.

section link

Before anything, make sure they can print a windows test page. Not out of word or excel, it has to be a windows test page. If they cannot print a windows test page, they need to fix it until they can. Next, just try to cupsenable the printer (use texaad and prnaad to find out what printer they are using. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING. You can also use teaad on their screen directly.). These will take care of most issues. If that does not fix it, depending on how they print, do one of the following:

In prnaad: if the System Printer Name starts and ends with a slash, it is Java printing. If it does not, it is using cups.

If you determine it is using cups, run 

lpstat -t | grep <printername>

look at the "device for" line. it should say: 

socket:// <- Network printer
lpd:// <- LPD via windows
gcp:// <- google cloud print

Java Printing:

  1. Run the crecompsw. press stop then start. This will fix 99% of all problems.
  2. Otherwise ask customer to restart the whole computer. There may be a memory leak on the Java code that will affect computers that have a small amount of memory.

Google Cloud print:

  1. Using Chrome on the client's computer go to chrome://devices. Close the browser. (Do NOT click on any button, specially disconnect printers.)

  2. Otherwise on the server they run Control on, run (as root) the following:

    /usr/share/cloudprint-cups/setupcloudprint.py

    Just press enter on everything until you get a numbered list of printers for the company. Choose the printer and specify the correct prefix 

    Add all Google Cloud Print printers from printerbndvic@gmail.com to CUPS (Y/N)?
Not adding printers automatically
1) Warehouse
2) Preston
3) Pakenham
4) Amy
5) Cranbourne
6) Save to Google Drive
7) Anita
8) Brother HL-3170CDW series
9) Brother HL-3170CDW series Printer
10) Brother MFC-L2713DW Printer
11) Brother MFC-L2713DW Printer (Copy 2)
12) Brother PC-FAX v.3.2
13) Brother PC-FAX v.3.2 (Copy 1)
14) Fax
15) Microsoft Print to PDF
16) Microsoft XPS Document Writer
17) Nunawading
18) OKI C301
19) PaperPort Image Printer
20) PaperPort Image Printer
21) Send To OneNote 2016
22) Send To OneNote 2016
23) SmarThru Office PC Fax
Add printer (1-27, 0 to cancel)? 1
Adding Warehouse
Use a prefix for name of printer (Y/N)? y
Prefix ( e.g. GCP- )? bndv-

Added bndv-Warehouse
    Press enter all the way until the prompt is back.

lpd printing

LPD Printing via windows:

  1. From the server they connect to, find out the details of their printer:

    lpstat -t

    Look at the important details (It's the line that starts with device for)

    device for x2x-A2-receipt: lpd://10.14.0.243/CITIZEN CT-S310II (Copy 1)
device for x2x-GC-receipt: lpd://10.14.0.223/CITIZEN CT-S310II
device for x2x-GV-receipt: lpd://10.14.0.251/CITIZEN CT-S310II
device for x2x-HS-receipt: lpd://10.14.0.166/CITIZEN CT-S310

    Then for example if we want to check x2x-A2-receipt

    telnet 10.14.0.243 515
Trying 10.14.0.243...
Connected to 10.14.0.243.
Escape character is '^]'.

    Type Ctrl-] and then close <enter>

  2. If you cannot connect to port 515, it could be one of 3 reasons:
    1. Their VPN is not connected (either openvpn or windows native vpn)
    2. They have a third party firewall that is blocking port 515. In this case, they can temporarily disable their firewall to get printing going, but let them know that this cannot be a permanent solution.
    3. Their LPD service is not running. Right click on their "computer" and choose manage. Go to Services and look for "LPD Printing", "TCP/IP Printing" or "Unix Printing for Windows". They are different names for the same service. Right click on it and go to "properties". Make sure it is set to "Automatic". Click on Stop, and then Start. (if this doesn't work, ask them to restart the computer, as long as it's set to "Automatic" it will automatically run).
  3. If you can connect to port 515, go to their devices and printers (under Control Panel) and verify that the Printer name in your lpstat command above matches what is in their computer. Often, customers don't know that the name has to be the same or they delete a printer thinking it's not needed. Rename it back to what it says in your lpstat command and that should fix it.

4, if printer list was missing from a printer dialogue , popup when press the printer button on the report, its because /etc/printcap is blank,

add a dummy printer using system-config-printer then service cups restart. will fix this.