Red Hat Linux no longer includes printtool. The
printconf utility has replaced
printtool. The
printconf utility maintains the
/etc/printcap configuration file, print spool
directories, and print filters.
To use printconf, you must be running the X
Window System and have root privileges. To start
printconf, use one of the following methods:
On the GNOME desktop, go to the
(on the Panel) => =>
=>
On the KDE desktop, go to the
(on the Panel) => =>
=> .
Type the command printconf-gui at a shell prompt
(for example, in an XTerm or a GNOME terminal).
[1]
 | Do Not Edit /etc/printcap |
|---|
| | Do not edit the /etc/printcap file. Each time the
printer daemon (lpd) is started or restarted, a new
/etc/printcap file is dynamically created.
|
If you want to add a printer without using
printconf, edit the
/etc/printcap.local file. The entries in
/etc/printcap.local are not displayed in
printconf but are read by the printer daemon.
If you upgrade your system from a previous version of Red Hat Linux, your existing
configuration file is converted to the new format used by
printconf. Each time a new configuration file
is generated by printconf, the old file is
saved as /etc/printcap.old.
Five types of print queues can be configured with
printconf:
— a printer attached
directly to your computer through a parallel or USB port. In the
main printer list as shown in Figure 13-1, the
Queue Type for a local printer is set to
LOCAL.
— a
printer attached to a different UNIX system that can be accessed
over a TCP/IP network (or example, a printer attached to another
Red Hat Linux system on your network). In the main printer list as shown in
Figure 13-1, the Queue Type
for a remote UNIX printer is set to LPD.
— a
printer attached to a different system which is sharing a printer
over a SMB network (for example, a printer attached to a Microsoft
Windows machine). In the main printer list as shown in Figure 13-1, the Queue Type for a
remote Windows printer is set to SMB.
— a
printer attached to a different system which uses Novell's NetWare
network technology. In the main printer list as shown in Figure 13-1, the Queue Type for a
remote Novell printer is set to NCP.
— a printer
connected directly to the network instead of to a computer. In the
main printer list as shown in Figure 13-1, the
Queue Type for a JetDirect printer is set to
JETDIRECT.
| Important |
|---|
| | If you add a new print queue or modify an existing one, you need to
restart the printer daemon (lpd) for the changes to
take effect.
|
Clicking the Apply button saves any changes that
you have made and restarts the printer daemon.
[2]
Alternatively, you can choose => and then choose =>
to save your changes and then
restart the printer daemon.
If a printer appears in the main printer list with the Queue
Type set to INVALID, the printer
configuration is missing options that are required for the printer to
function properly. To remove this printer from the list, select it from
the list and click the Delete button.
To add a local printer such as one attached to the parallel port or USB
port of your computer, click the Add button in
the main printconf window. The window shown
in Figure 13-2 will appear.
Enter a unique name for
the printer in the Queue Name text field. This can
be any descriptive name for your printer. You can also create alias
names for the printer by clicking the Add button
beside the Aliases list. Refer to the section called Creating Printer Aliases for more information about aliases. The
printer name and aliases cannot contain spaces and must begin with a
letter a through z or A through Z. The valid characters are a through z,
A through Z, 0 through 9, -, and _.
Click Queue Type from the left side menu and choose
from the menu. Also enter the printer device in the
Printer Device text field or choose it from the
pulldown menu as shown in Figure 13-3.
Next, select the type of printer that is connected to the system by
clicking Printer Driver from the left side
menu. After choosing the manufacturer and model number of the printer, a
list of drivers will appear. If there is more than one driver for the
printer, choose the preferred driver in the Printer
Driver list. If you are not sure which one to use, do not
change this value. Click the Printer Notes button
to view notes about the printer driver from the Linux Printing Database.
Click Driver Options from the left side menu after
selecting a printer driver. These options will vary depending on the
printer driver that you selected. Typical options include paper size,
print quality, and printer resolution.
Click the OK button. The new printer will appear
in the printer list in the main window. Click the
Apply button in the main window to save your
changes to the /etc/printcap configuration file and
restart the printer daemon (lpd). After applying the
changes, print a test page to ensure the configuration is correct.
Refer to the section called Printing a Test Page for details.
