Printer sharing howto

Contents

  1. Why should I use printer sharing? What is that?
  2. Requirements
  3. Installation
    1. Printers connected via USB
    2. Printers connected via parport (parallel port/LPT)
  4. Configuring the printer daemon
  5. Configuring the printer daemon with custom-user-startup
    1. Advertising the printer via Zeroconf (optional)
  6. Configure the clients for printing
    1. Linux clients
      1. CUPS
      2. kprinter (KDE)
      3. Gnome
    2. OS X
      1. Version 10.4.6
    3. Windows clients
      1. Windows 2000/XP/Vista
  7. Ink level information for inkjet printers
  8. Troubleshooting
  9. Not supported printers
  10. Links

1. Why should I use printer sharing? What is that?

If you want to share printers with other PCs (clients) in your network, then this is the right howto for you. It was written for the small p910nd non-spooling printer server. An alternative would be using the cups package (which is also available) but in my opinion it's too much for the average OpenWrt device (mostly because it needs to cache the print jobs before sending them and because there's not much space for that left without additional storage space).

From the p910nd man page: p910nd is a small printer daemon intended for diskless workstations that does not spool to disk but passes the job directly to the printer. Normally a lpr daemon on a spooling host connects to it with a TCP connection on port 910n (where n=0, 1, or 2 for lp0, 1 and 2 respectively). p910nd is particularly useful for diskless Linux workstations booted via Etherboot that have a printer hanging off them. Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) supports this protocol, it's called the AppSocket protocol and has the scheme socket://. LPRng also supports this protocol and the syntax is lp=remotehost%9100 in /etc/printcap.

2. Requirements

3. Installation

Install the p910nd package: 

ipkg install p910nd

3.1. Printers connected via USB

To use an USB printer you must first add support for USB printers. First follow UsbStorageHowto to install the USB controller modules if you haven't already done so. You don't need usb-storage for the printer to work. You might need both USB 1.1 and 2.0 installed to support both modes.

Additionally, you need the usb-printer module which you can install with ipkg as follows: 

ipkg install kmod-usb-printer

Now plug in the printer, run dmesg and check for the following lines: 

hub.c: new USB ice 01:02.0-1, assigned address 2
printer.c: usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer  2 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04A9 pid 0x1094
usb.c: USB disconnect on ice 01:02.0-1 address 2
hub.c: new USB ice 01:02.0-1, assigned address 3
printer.c: usblp1: USB Bidirectional printer  3 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04A9 pid 0x1094

3.2. Printers connected via parport (parallel port/LPT)

When you are connecting a parport printer you must install the kmod-lp package which installs the modules for parport support. 

ipkg install kmod-lp

Now you've to reboot your Wrt router. 

reboot

When you see the file /dev/printers/0 under linux 2.4 than the installation is done. You can also check the output from dmesg.

4. Configuring the printer daemon

The configuration has been migrated to use UCI and is stored in the /etc/config/p910nd config file. You can run more than one printer at the same time by adding additional sections. The default configuration is (list all configured printers):

Under Linux 2.4, the device name for the printer would be of the form /dev/usb/lpn. Under Linux 2.6, the device name for the printing would be of the form /dev/lpn 

uci show p910nd

uci set p910nd.cfg1=p910nd
uci set p910nd.cfg1.device=/dev/usb/lp0
uci set p910nd.cfg1.port=0
uci set p910nd.cfg1.bidirectional=1
uci set p910nd.cfg1.enabled=1

To add a second printer, do this: 

uci set p910nd.cfg2=p910nd
uci set p910nd.cfg2.device=/dev/usb/lp1
uci set p910nd.cfg2.port=1
uci set p910nd.cfg2.bidirectional=1
uci set p910nd.cfg2.enabled=1
uci commit p910nd
/etc/init.d/p910nd restart

To delete the second printer, do this: 

uci del p910nd.cfg2
uci commit p910nd
/etc/init.d/p910nd restart

Description of the options in the p910nd config file (/etc/config/p910nd):

Option

Value

Default value

Description

device

/dev/usb/lp0

/dev/usb/lp0

The device your printer is connected to (e.g. /dev/usb/lp0, /dev/printers/0 for LPT under Linux 2.4; /dev/lp0 for USB under Linux 2.6)

port

[0-9]

0

The p910nd daemon will listen on TCP port 9100+port

bidirectional

[1|0]

1

1: Turn on bidirectional copying; 0: Turn off bidirectional copying

enabled

[1|0]

0

1: Enable the printer; 0: Disable the printer

To start the p910nd daemon, do this: 

/etc/init.d/p910nd start

To start it up automatically on every boot, do this: 

/etc/init.d/p910nd enable

If your printer (mine hl-2030) spits out garbage after poweron, p910nd might be the cause. Add this to /etc/hotplug.d/usb/20-printer 

#!/bin/sh (-)
# Copyright (C) 2006 OpenWrt.org
if [ "$PRODUCT" = "4f9/27/100" ]
then
case "$ACTION" in
        add)
        echo "`date`: Brother HL-2030 added" >> /tmp/hl-2030
        /etc/init.d/p910nd restart >> /tmp/hl-2030
        echo "Done." >> /tmp/hl-2030
        ;;
        remove)
        echo "`date`: Brother HL-2030 removed" >> /tmp/hl-2030
        /etc/init.d/p910nd stop >> /tmp/hl-2030
        echo "Done." >> /tmp/hl-2030
        ;;
esac
fi

Where "$PRODUCT" = "4f9/27/100" is your printers VendorId/ProductId/BcdVersion(1.00 = 100). Get it with lsusb -v

You might need to add "-INT" to the kill command in /etc/init.d/p910nd to actually have the stop work.

5. Configuring the printer daemon with custom-user-startup

Following (the original guide V2... below) did not work for X-WRT (OpenWrt White Russian 0.9) on Asus WL-500g. I did the "UCI SET" with many typos and re-did it perfectly finally, but it still didn't work. So i did read DD-WRT guide on the daemon, about d910nd and finally got it working.

2. Now create a file into that directory named "usb.startup". In console type "nano" (get nano text edito with package manager or ipkg) to open the nano text editor. Write these lines: (for some reasons striked method worked once after reboot, but not after second reboot.. no idea why)

2. In X-WRT go to System -> Startup and add these lines in the box: (you are now editing a custom startup file.. mine was called "/etc/init.d/S95custom-user-startup"): 

 #brother laser
 /jffs/usr/sbin/p910nd -b -f //usb/lp0 0
 #canon inkjet
 /jffs/usr/sbin/p910nd -b -f //usb/lp1 1

Nano has a menu below. You use CTRL+X where X the character from the menu. Just start saving the file, put in the right filename and exit nano.

NB! correct the usb.startup content to match your setup. -b means bidirectional -f specifices device name The last number can be 0,1 or 2, making the print server listen at port 9100, 9101 and 9102 respectively. And don't forget the " & " mark... read the "custom-user-startup" file comments about that... if there is nothing in your version, then don't bother.

For Asus WL-500g with LaserJet 1020 i used this one, and it works: 

 #LaserJet 1020
 /jffs/usr/sbin/p910nd -b -f //usb/lp0 0

Additional debuging: Check that you have p910nd package installed and there is a file called "p910nd" at "/jffs/usr/sbin/p910nd/" In console check that you have "lp0" listed in "/dev/usb/" dir - if you have something else, use yours. For LPT devices check "/dev/printers/" dir.

Reboot your router and it should work... read below how to set up your printer in the computers. Note: Try removing the '-b' option for p910nd, if it still doesn't work.

5.1. Advertising the printer via Zeroconf (optional)

To avoid having to install the printer on multiple clients, you can advertise it via Zeroconf. The following example uses Avahi.

Apple's Bonjour Printing Specification discusses pretty much what needs to be done to advertise a printer over the network:

e.g. a Brother HL-2040, a "softprinter" (does not support Postscript or PCL, all processing is done on the client) shared via p910nd:

Create the file /etc/avahi/services/printer.service: 

<service-group>
<name replace-wildcards="yes">Brother HL-2040 on %h</name>
<service protocol="any">
<type>_pdl-datastream._tcp.</type>
<host-name></host-name>
<port>9100</port>
<txt-record>product=(HL-2040 series)</txt-record>
<txt-record>pdl=application/vnd.cups-raster</txt-record>
<txt-record>usb_MFG=Brother</txt-record>
<txt-record>usb_MDL=HL-2040 series</txt-record>
<txt-record>note=Study</txt-record>
</service>
</service-group>

6. Configure the clients for printing

Here I would demonstrate you, how to configure the printer driver on your client. It could be that these steps are not exactly the same on your operating system.

NOTE: Remember the ports you configured above. Default is port 9100 for a USB printer on the device /dev/usb/lp0.

You can check the ports on which p910nd is listening on with the command netstat -an executed on the router.




We need your help here!Please update this section with more client configurations. This should include a short list howto configure a client. Please do not use screenshots.Thanks.

6.1. Linux clients

6.1.1. CUPS

Assuming the printer driver is installed locally, it's a simple matter of entering http://localhost:631 in your favorite web-browser, and pressing add printer under the "Printers" pane. Then:

Then you use your new printer like you would a local one.

6.1.2. kprinter (KDE)

6.1.3. Gnome

6.2. OS X

6.2.1. Version 10.4.6

6.3. Windows clients

6.3.1. Windows 2000/XP/Vista

The following instructions should work on all versions of windows from 2000 onwards, and have been tested in both Windows 2000 and Windows Vista.

7. Ink level information for inkjet printers

Most printer drivers cannot access ink level information through the 910nd deamon, so you may not know, which cartridge to change. You can use the attached ink-4.1 package ink_0.4.1-1_mipsel.ipk to obtain the ink levels for most printers in OpenWrt (based on http://libinklevel.sourceforge.net/). If you want to display the inklevels in X-Wrt you may apply the following path to status-usb.sh: 

...
end_form
EOF
?>
<?
usbpr=`ls //usb/lp* 2>//null`
if [ ! -z "$usbpr" ]; then
        inklevel_form=$(
        for p in $usbpr; do
                ink -d $p |  awk -v FS=":" '
                BEGIN
                {
                        line=0
                        print "string|<table style=\"width: 90%; margin-left: 2.
                }
                {
                        if (line==2)
                        {
                                print "string| <tr><td colspan=\"5\"><h3>@TR<<st
                        }
                        if (line >=4)
                        {
                                print "string| <tr><td width=200>" $1 "</td><td>
                                print "progressbar|inklevel||200||" $2 "||"
                                print "string|</td></tr>"
                        }
                        line++
                }
                END
                {
                        print "string|</table>"
                }'
        done;
        )
        display_form <<EOF
        start_form|@TR<<status_usb_printers_inklevels#USB printer inklevels>>
        $inklevel_form
        end_form
EOF
fi;
?>
<div class="settings">
<h3>@TR<<status_usb_Mounted_USB_SCSI#Mounted USB / SCSI ices>></h3>
<div>
...

8. Troubleshooting

9. Not supported printers

Here you should create a list of printers which are not working with the p910nd package. Please include manufacturer, model, interface (USB/Parport), driver working and some short comment.

The combination Windows 2000 with a canon pixma iP4000 seems not to work with bidirectional mode. If your printer dosent work, try disabling bidirectional mode.

Canon Pixma ip3000 and windows xp is not working in bidirectional mode. Disable bidirectional mode.

Please add not working combinations here.

Konica Minolta PagePro 1300W doesn't seem to work in bidirectional mode under win xp.

Canon i560 is not working in bidirectional mode. Remove the -b option on the router and disable bidirectional mode and the Canon Status Monitor in Windows. Make sure that the uhci kernel module is loaded since it seems to be usb 1.1.

Canon MP600 does not work in bidirectional mode on Windows XP using p910nd v0.7. Remove -b from line in /etc/defaults/p910nd and kill/restart the p910nd process. Uses the ehci-hcd module (USB 2.0).

10. Links

- http://etherboot.sourceforge.net/p910nd/
- http://wl500g.dyndns.org/printing/
- http://wl500g.dyndns.org/

PrinterSharingHowto (last edited 2008-07-05 17:20:26 by bernddj)

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