Printing

Contents

Printer Names
Setting the Default Printer
Using LPR print commands
    Starting Print Jobs
    Viewing Print Jobs
    Deleting Print Jobs
    Single Sided Printing with Duplex Printers
    Changing Media Type
    Disabling Banner Pages
    Multiple Pages per Printed Sheet
Printing From the Notebook Network
Defining MacOS Printers

Overview

Printers are located on each floor of Vincent Hall.  A list of printer names and locations is provided by the CUPS print server. 

The default printer depends on computer and account settings and can be checked with lpq and set with lpoptions -dprinter.  The curious may want to read An Overview of the Common UNIX Printing System.

CUPS User Manual
Pdf version of CUPS User Manual

Classic LPR commands are provided by CUPS.

Printer Names

Setting the Default Printer

Command Line for Linux/Mac

Run lpoptions -d printername, or add export PRINTER=printername to your ~/.bash_profile and restart any shells (or run the export printer command in them).

Linux Gnome desktop

1. Click on the following menu entries... > System > Preferences > Hardware > Default Printer
2. Select a printer from the list.

Mac desktop

1. Go to the Apple menu in the top left, select the "Systems Preferences" menu entry and a new window should open up.
2. Click on the "Printers & Faxes" icon to get to the Printers configuration panel.
3. You may need to enter a password to make changes.

Windows

1. Locate the new name for your daily usage printer. If you used cone, your new printer name will be vinp270d for instance.
2. Open the printer list. Determine which version of windows you are running, then follow these instructions:

   For Windows XP: Click Start, then Printers and Faxes.

   For Windows 2000: Click Start, then Settings, then Printers.

3. Locate the printer in the list. Right click on the printer and click "Set as Default Printer". A black checkbox should appear in the printer icon if you did it correctly.

Run lpq at a shell prompt to find what the default printer is set to.  Set a default for your account with lpoptions -dprinter. 

To print something use the following command from the shell prompt:

lpr sample.txt

This will print the file 'sample.txt' on the default printer.

To print a file on a specific printer use the following command from the shell prompt:

lpr -Pvinp270d sample.txt

Replace vinp270d with the printer you would like to print to and 'sample.txt' with the file to be printed.

To view the printer's job list use the following command from the shell prompt:

lpq

To view the print jobs on a specific printer use the following command from the shell prompt:

lpq -Pvinp314

Replace mani with the printer you would like to view the print job list on.

To cancel a print job use the following command from the shell prompt:

lprm jobnumber

Replace jobnumber with the integer of the print job you would like to cancel.

To delete a print job on a specific printer use the following command from the shell prompt:

lprm -Pvinp005 jobnumber

Replace vinp005 with the printer that is processing the print job. Replace jobnumber with the integer of the print job on printer queue you want to cancel.

To stop a banner page from printing, set the job-sheets option to none.

lpr -o job-sheets=none example.ps

The banner page can also be labeled with these types: classified, unclassified, confidential, secret and topsecret.

Banner Options from the "CUPS Software Users Manual" has more details.

To print four pages on a single sheet, use the number-up option for lpr.

lpr -o number-up=4 foobar.ps

N-Up Printing from the "CUPS Software Users Manual" has more details.

Printing from the notebook network

Wireless connections don't have access to our print server, but wired laptop connections can print.

1. Copy a printer's link from the list of printers. For example, to use the printers in VinH 270d, copy the link for vinp270d which looks similar to http://samus.math.umn.edu:631/printers/vinp270d
2. Add a new printer on your laptop. Details differ between OS versions.

   Linux/Unix and Mac OS X

   1. Log in to your laptop's print server at http://localhost:631 with an administrator account.
   2. Click the "Add Printer" button.
   3. Add the name, location, and description.
   4. Select a Internet Printing Protocol (ipp) device.
   5. Paste the device URI for the printer (it was copied in the first step) and change the protocol from "http" to "ipp".
   6. Select the make of the printer.
   7. Select the printer model.
   8. Try to print a test page to see if everything is working.

   Windows

   1. Click "Start > Settings > Printers & Faxes".
   2. Click on "Add a Printer".
   3. Select "Network Printer".
   4. Select "Connect to this printer on the internet" and paste the device URI for the printer (it was copied in the first step).
   5. Select the make and model of the printer.
   6. Tell windows if you want the printer to be the default.

3. The printer should now be added.

Defining MacOS Printers with LPR

Mac OS X

1. Run the Printer Center program which resides in /Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Choose 'Add Printer' from the Printers menu.
3. Select 'IP printing' in the top pull down box of the window that step 2 opened.
4. Enter samus.math.umn.edu in the Printer's Address box.
5. Uncheck the 'Use default queue on server' check box.
6. Enter the name of the printer (see above) in the Queue Name box.
7. Choose the printer model (see above) in the bottom pull down box.
8. Click on 'Add'.
9. Note which printer is the default printer. You may want to change the choice.

Other Mac OS Printing Resources

Setting up Apple computers with OS 9 for printing and OS X for printing.

www.math.umn.edu/systems_guide/printing/ Last Modified July 25, 2008 Contact the School of Mathematics The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. © 2008, The Regents of the University of Minnesota

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