| Author: | Robert van den Aker (robert2 AT dds DOT nl) |
| Version: | 2005.12.18.0 |
There are two types of PDF printers you can add: a raw PDF printer and a filtering PDF printer.
Raw PDF printers only take PostScript as input; you can print to them through PostScript drivers from Windows, Mac OS, and other computers. A filtering PDF printer can take as many types of input, in addition to PostScript, as there are input-to-PostScript converters on the host system. CUPS has built-in converters for plain text, a large variety of image formats, PDF (not very useful in this case), and PostScript (to clean up 'dirty' PostScript). This allows the PDF printer to convert many types of input files to PDF straight from the SME Server's command line, while still being accessible through PostScript drivers from network computers as well.
I recommend the filtering PDF printer because it does everything the raw PDF printer does and then some.
Either type of PDF printer requires the pdfdistiler plugin for CUPS. Install it with yum (this assumes you have added the 'rvandenaker-cups' repository to your yum configuration).
[root@hostname ~]# yum install cups-pdfdistiller
Access the CUPS web interface through the printers panel in the server-manager. Accessing it this way rather than directly has the advantage that you'll already be logged into the server-manager for "synchronizing the printer lists", which you need to do after adding or deleting printers through the CUPS web interface. Log on to the CUPS web interface as "admin".
In the CUPS web interface, choose "Do Administration Tasks", then choose "Add a New Printer".
Pick a name for your printer. "Location" and "Description" are optional. Please note that the "Location" entry is meant for descriptive information about the physical location of your printer, like "Printer room" or "Cupboard upstairs" or even "Honolulu" if you do remote printing. In the case of a PDF printer there is no physical printer location and you can leave this empty.
Press "Continue".
Choose Device "PDF Writing".
Press "Continue".
For "Device URI" enter something like
pdf:/home/e-smith/files/ibays/intranet/files/
This would write the PDF output to the "files" directory of the ibay "intranet".
Press "Continue".
Choose Model/Driver Make "Postscript".
Press "Continue".
Choose Model/Driver Model "Generic color postscript printer (en)".
Press "Continue".
The printer should have been created successfully. You can follow the offered link to the printer page and print a test page if you like. Output will go to your "Device URI" directory.
You may also want to choose "Configure Printer" on the CUPS printer page for your PDF printer and set resolution to the maximum value.
Now click the "Printers" link in the server-manager's left frame. The printer panel should say that your "Printer lists are out of sync". Click the "Synchronize" button to synchronize your printer lists. You should get a screen that says that the printer lists were successfully synchronized. If you now reload the printers panel by clicking "Printers" in the left frame again, the panel should say that your "Printer lists are in sync". This means that the newly added printer is being shared to your network computers through samba and papd. It's also accessible to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) clients on your network.
Access the CUPS web interface through the printers panel in the server-manager. Accessing it this way rather than directly has the advantage that you'll already be logged into the server-manager for "synchronizing the printer lists", which you need to do after adding or deleting printers through the CUPS web interface. Log on to the CUPS web interface as "admin".
In the CUPS web interface, choose "Do Administration Tasks", then choose "Add a New Printer".
Pick a name for your printer. "Location" and "Description" are optional. Please note that the "Location" entry is meant for descriptive information about the physical location of your printer, like "Printer room" or "Cupboard upstairs" or even "Honolulu" if you do remote printing. In the case of a PDF printer there is no physical printer location and you can leave this empty.
Press "Continue".
Choose Device "PDF Writing".
Press "Continue".
For "Device URI" enter something like
pdf:/home/e-smith/files/ibays/intranet/files/
This would write the PDF output to the "files" directory of the ibay "intranet".
Press "Continue".
Choose Model/Driver Make "Raw".
Press "Continue".
Accept Model/Driver Model "Raw Queue (en)".
Press "Continue".
The printer should have been created successfully. You can follow the offered link to the printer page and print a test page if you like. Output will go to your "Device URI" directory.
Now click the "Printers" link in the server-manager's left frame. The printer panel should say that your "Printer lists are out of sync". Click the "Synchronize" button to synchronize your printer lists. You should get a screen that says that the printer lists were successfully synchronized. If you now reload the printers panel by clicking "Printers" in the left frame again, the panel should say that your "Printer lists are in sync". This means that the newly added printer is being shared to your network computers through samba and papd. It's also accessible to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) clients on your network.
This document is Copyright 2003-2005 by Robert van den Aker. It may be freely redistributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice is not removed.