Configuring Ubuntu Linux Printers

Despite preditions of the "paperless" office in the 1980's and 1990's we are still a long way from never having to print anything. It is quite common, therefore, to need to connect a printer to a computer system. With this in mind this chapter will be devoted to covering the the steps required to add printer access to an Ubuntu Linux system. Printers may be connected directly to an Ubuntu Linux system, accessible over a network or attached to a Windows system on the network.

As with many aspects of system administration Ubuntu Linux makes the installation of a printer straightforward and fast.

Installing a Directly Connected Printer

By far the easiest type of printer configuration is when the printer is attached directly to the system via a parallel, serial or USB port. To configure a locally attached printer invoke the Printers dialog by selecting the System desktop menu and choosing Printing from the Administration menu. The resulting dialog will list installed printers, together with a New Printer icon:

Double click on the New Printer icon to invoke the Add a Printer dialog (shown below). The application will scan the system and list any printers it finds. If no printers are detected make sure the cable to the printer is securely connected, and that the printer is switched on. if the printer is still not detected select the port to which the printer is connected using the Use another printer by specifying a port option and selecting the appropriate port.

having selected the detected printer or port click the Forward button to select the appropriate printer driver. On the resulting screen select the printer manufacturer and choose the model from the list. Click on the Forward button to install the appropriate driver for the printer:

Click the Forward button and enter the optional printer description and location information. You should be returned to the Printers dialog where your new printer should be listed.

Once the driver is installed you are ready to try out the printer. In the Printers dialog select your printer, right click with the mouse to pop up the menu and select Properties. Click on Print test page to send a test page to the printer.