TCP/IP Network Printers OpenServer 5.0.6

[Bonestein]

How do you install network (TCP/IP) printers with SCO Unix? right now we have a large serial network, and it is just too old and I don't really know a lot about serial networking. I want to get all printers on TCP/IP at least that way I know how to work with them.

 

[apeasecpc]

To set up the SCO end you would do the following:

First, add your printer tcp/ip addresses to the /etc/hosts file.

Next go into scoadmin. Select "Printers", then "Printer Manager".

Choose "Printer", then "Add Remote", then "UNIX".

For "Host" enter the host name you set up in /etc/hosts, and for "Printer" enter the printer name that is used for tcp/ip printing.


Keep in mind that with this method, whatever network device is being used to provide network access for the printer must be compatible with tcp/ip printing. Some versions of windows do not have tcp/ip printing utilities and will require additional software to work with this method.

I personally recommend that you use samba instead of tcp/ip if your printers are attached to windows workstations because samba is compatible with standard windows print sharing. If you are using print server devices, tcp/ip may indeed be the better choice.

 

[Bonestein]

Wow, that was pretty easy, thanks for the direction.
oh, and the printers are stand alone printers. HP laserJets with NIC cards.. so I guess I wouldn't need samba. but I might in the future.


Thanks

 

[PHV]

With HP LaserJet printers you can use the standard hpnp package:
scoadmin > Printers > HP Network Print...


Hope This Help
PH.

 

[MaxKnight]

[tt]
Yeah you need to carefully consider the best option for each printer type and connectivity you're adding.



HP Printers with Jetdirect cards
--------------------------------
1. Add printer name to /etc/hosts

2. Use HP Printer Manager to add the printer.


BSD/LPD Capable Printers
------------------------
1. Add printer name to /etc/hosts

2. Enable "remote printing" from printer managers System menu.

3. Add entry to /etc/printcap (WITHOUT THE :ex: directive!)
NOTE: Bypassing the scoadmin printer manages allows you to
give the printer any local spooler name instead of being
forced to use the remote printer name.

4. Create a /var/spool/lp/<printername> directory as per the
lp= directive in printcap.

5. Extra lpd debugging can be found in /var/adm/syslog by
restarting lpd with the -ld flags.


Serial/Paralell
---------------
Add new local printer in printer manager.


Proprietary Printers (or Print Servers) if they Supply an
Interface/SysV script.
---------------------------------------------------------

1. Get the sysv interface script they supply

2. Add print server name to /etc/hosts

3. Modify sysv interface script if necessary.

4. Copy to /var/spool/lp/model directory and rename to the
name you are going to call your printer.

5. Go into printer manager, create new, local, select the
Model which matches what you called the file, and make the
device /dev/null.


-or-
Sometimes they provide a script which does it all for you,
which you can sometimes get just by ftp'ing into the
print server (like the Axis print servers).


I find most D-Link, Netgear, Intel, Axis etc. print servers
do lpd now, and anything which avoids the messy to maintain
manager is fine by me.


If you HAVE to use a proprietary Interface script which
has to be modified, make sure you make the copy for the
model directory instead of just editing a duplicate in
the Interfaces directory. If you don't, when you upgrade
SCO you might find the source model script overwriting your
modified interface script!
[/tt]