Configuring a Linux Secondary Print Server

Configuring a Linux Secondary Print Server
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This section describes the process of setting up a secondary print server on a Linux system. The primary Application Server may either be a Windows, Mac or a Linux based system. PaperCut NG has full support for "mixed" or heterogeneous printing environments.

Step 1 - Ensure primary server is set up correctly

Before installing a secondary server you should take some time to ensure the primary server (central Application Server) is set up and running correctly. If it is not running fine now, adding an extra server will only "add an extra variable to the equation" and complicate troubleshooting. Take some time now to verify that the primary server is functioning correctly. For example, verify that:

Printers on this server are being tracked.
Users are allowed user login to user pages from their workstations.
Administrators can access the system.

Step 2 - Ensure firewall software is set to allow access to port 9191

Secondary server needs to communicate (initiate a TCP connection) on port 9191. Administrators should ensure that any firewall software on the primary Application Server is not set to block any incoming local network traffic on this port.

Step 3 - Account setup

On the secondary server, create a user account called papercut. The papercut user's home directory should be set to the desired install location. This is normally /home/papercut.

Step 4 - Install the Print Provider

Install the Print Provider software onto the secondary server by copying all files and directories from the primary Application Server's directory:

    [app_dir]/providers/print/linux-i686/*

To the location:

    /home/papercut/providers/print/linux-i686/

on the secondary server. Perform the copy operation as the papercut so files are owned by the papercut user. This process can be summarized with the following commands:

    shell> su - papercut
    shell> mkdir -p providers/print
    shell> scp -r primary.server:/home/papercut/providers/print/linux-i686/ \
        providers/print/

After the copy operation is performed, execute the setperms and roottasks scripts as root:

    shell> sh providers/print/linux-i686/setperms
    shell> sh providers/print/linux-i686/roottasks

so all permissions are set up correctly.

Step 5 - Configuration

The Print Provider on the secondary server needs to know where the primary server is installed.

Open the file:

    /home/papercut/providers/print/linux-i686/print-provider.conf

in a text editor.

Locate the line starting with ApplicationServer= and change localhost to the name or IP address of the primary server.

The binaries copied in step 4 now need to be integrated into the CUPS or Samba print queues. This process is detailed in the section called “Linux Print Queue Integration”.

Step 6 - Test

The secondary server should now be configured. Perform some test printing on all of this secondary server's printers. Log into the system as "admin" and verify that the printers are now listed under the Printers section. Perform a multi-page test print on each printer and verify that print jobs are tracked correctly.

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Configuring a Macintosh Secondary Print Server	Home	Print Monitoring Architecture