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Ubuntu Print Servers

Introduction​

A print server acts as a central hub for managing printers on a network, allowing multiple users to share printing resources efficiently. In Ubuntu Server environments, setting up a print server enables you to:

  • Centralize printer management across your network
  • Reduce hardware costs by sharing printers among multiple users
  • Control printer access and monitor usage
  • Create a standardized printing environment

Ubuntu Server uses CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) as its printing architecture, providing a powerful and flexible solution for handling print services. This guide will walk you through setting up, configuring, and managing an Ubuntu print server for your network.

Prerequisites​

Before setting up your Ubuntu print server, ensure you have:

  • Ubuntu Server installed (this guide uses Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS)
  • Administrator (sudo) privileges
  • Network connectivity
  • Printer hardware compatible with Linux (most modern printers)

Installing CUPS Print Server​

Let's start by installing CUPS, the foundation of our print server:

bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install cups cups-pdf

The cups-pdf package also installs a virtual PDF printer that converts print jobs to PDF files.

Basic CUPS Configuration​

After installation, we need to configure CUPS for network access:

  1. Open the CUPS configuration file:
bash
sudo nano /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
  1. Allow network access by editing the following sections:
# Listen on all interfaces
Listen *:631

# Allow remote administration
<Location />
  Order allow,deny
  Allow @LOCAL
</Location>

# Allow remote administration
<Location /admin>
  Order allow,deny
  Allow @LOCAL
</Location>

# Allow remote access to the configuration files...
<Location /admin/conf>
  AuthType Default
  Require valid-user
  Order allow,deny
  Allow @LOCAL
</Location>
  1. Restart CUPS to apply changes:
bash
sudo systemctl restart cups

Configuring Firewall for CUPS​

If you're using UFW (Ubuntu's default firewall), allow CUPS traffic:

bash
sudo ufw allow 631/tcp
sudo ufw allow 631/udp

Adding Printers to CUPS​

You can add printers via:

  1. Web Interface (recommended for beginners):

    • Open a browser and navigate to http://your-server-ip:631
    • Click "Administration" > "Add Printer"
    • Log in with a username that belongs to the lpadmin group
    • Follow the wizard to complete printer setup

  2. Command Line:

    • For a USB printer:
    bash
    sudo lpadmin -p PrinterName -E -v usb://make/model -m ppd-file
    • For a network printer:
    bash
    sudo lpadmin -p PrinterName -E -v socket://printer-ip-address -m ppd-file

Adding Users to the Printing Group​

To allow users to manage printers, add them to the lpadmin group:

bash
sudo usermod -aG lpadmin username

Managing Print Queues​

Here are some common commands for managing print queues:

bash
# List all printers
lpstat -p -d

# View printer status
lpstat -p PrinterName

# Set default printer
lpoptions -d PrinterName

# Check print queue
lpq -P PrinterName

# Remove a job from the print queue
lprm -P PrinterName job-id

# Pause a printer
cupsdisable PrinterName

# Resume a printer
cupsenable PrinterName

Printer Sharing and Discovery​

Enabling Printer Sharing​

  1. Open the CUPS web interface: http://your-server-ip:631
  2. Go to Administration > Server Settings
  3. Check "Share printers connected to this system"
  4. Click "Change Settings"

Configuring Avahi for Printer Discovery​

Install Avahi for automatic printer discovery (Bonjour/mDNS):

bash
sudo apt install avahi-daemon

Edit the CUPS configuration to work with Avahi:

bash
sudo nano /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

Add or modify:

BrowseLocalProtocols dnssd

Restart services:

bash
sudo systemctl restart avahi-daemon
sudo systemctl restart cups

Creating Printer Classes​

Printer classes allow multiple printers to act as a single logical printer, providing load balancing and failover capabilities.

To create a printer class via the command line:

bash
sudo lpadmin -p ClassA -c PrinterOne,PrinterTwo -E

Or through the CUPS web interface:

  1. Go to "Classes" > "Add Class"
  2. Provide a name and select member printers
  3. Click "Add Class"

Viewing Logs​

CUPS logs are typically located in /var/log/cups/:

bash
# View error log
sudo less /var/log/cups/error_log

# View access log
sudo less /var/log/cups/access_log

Setting Up Print Quotas​

For print quotas, you'll need additional software:

bash
sudo apt install printer-driver-cups-pdf quotatool

Configure quotas in /etc/cups/quotas.conf.

CUPS Architecture Diagram​

Here's a diagram showing how CUPS processes print jobs:

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

Printer Not Detected​

If your printer isn't detected:

bash
# Check if printer is recognized by the system
sudo lpinfo -v

# Check for driver availability
sudo lpinfo -m | grep manufacturer

Failed Print Jobs​

For failed print jobs:

  1. Check CUPS error log:
bash
sudo less /var/log/cups/error_log
  1. Verify printer connectivity:
bash
ping printer-ip-address
  1. Check printer status:
bash
lpstat -p -l

Permission Issues​

For permission problems:

bash
# Correct ownership of CUPS config files
sudo chown -R root:lp /etc/cups

# Set appropriate permissions
sudo chmod 640 /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
sudo chmod 640 /etc/cups/printers.conf

Client Configuration​

Connecting Ubuntu Clients​

On Ubuntu desktop clients:

bash
sudo apt install cups-client

# Point to the print server
sudo lpadmin -p RemotePrinter -E -v ipp://print-server:631/printers/PrinterName

Connecting Windows Clients​

For Windows clients:

  1. Go to "Devices and Printers" > "Add a printer"
  2. Select "The printer that I want isn't listed"
  3. Choose "Select a shared printer by name"
  4. Enter: http://print-server:631/printers/PrinterName

Connecting macOS Clients​

For macOS clients:

  1. Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners
  2. Click "+"
  3. Select the printer (should appear automatically via Bonjour/mDNS)
  4. Or add IP Printer: ipp://print-server:631/printers/PrinterName

Practical Print Server Examples​

Example 1: Small Office Setup​

bash
# Install CUPS
sudo apt update && sudo apt install cups cups-pdf

# Configure network access
sudo sed -i 's/Listen localhost:631/Listen *:631/' /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

# Allow access from office subnet
sudo bash -c 'cat >> /etc/cups/cupsd.conf << EOF
<Location />
  Order allow,deny
  Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
  Allow from localhost
</Location>
EOF'

# Restart CUPS
sudo systemctl restart cups

# Add office printer
sudo lpadmin -p OfficePrinter -E -v socket://192.168.1.100 -m everywhere

Example 2: School Lab Environment​

bash
# Create student print queue with quota
sudo lpadmin -p StudentPrinter -E -v socket://192.168.2.10 -m everywhere
sudo lpadmin -p StudentPrinter -o job-quota-period=weekly
sudo lpadmin -p StudentPrinter -o job-page-limit=50

# Create teacher print queue without quota
sudo lpadmin -p TeacherPrinter -E -v socket://192.168.2.10 -o printer-is-shared=false

# Set default paper size and duplex printing
sudo lpadmin -p StudentPrinter -o media=a4 -o sides=two-sided-long-edge

Summary​

In this guide, we've covered how to:

  • Install and configure CUPS as a print server on Ubuntu
  • Add and manage printers and print queues
  • Share printers across a network
  • Monitor and troubleshoot printing issues
  • Connect different client operating systems
  • Implement real-world print server scenarios

A properly configured Ubuntu print server provides a robust, centralized printing solution that can significantly improve resource utilization and simplify printer management in any networked environment.

Additional Resources​

Exercises​

  1. Set up a basic CUPS print server with a PDF virtual printer
  2. Configure a physical printer and share it on your network
  3. Create a printer class with load balancing between two printers
  4. Implement basic print quotas for a group of users
  5. Configure automatic email notifications for print job failures

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)