Available in PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF.

Using the PaperCut NG/MF LPD service

Install the PaperCut NG/MF LPD service

After installing the Microsoft Windows version of PaperCut’s Primary, Secondary, or Site ServerSite Servers take over the role of a Primary Application Server in the event of network outages. Key roles taken over include authentication, copy and print tracking and Find-Me printing. Site Servers ensure continuous availability of printing resources to support key business functions over unreliable network links or during unplanned network disruptions. software, the PaperCut LPDThe Line Printer Daemon protocol (LPD) is a network protocol for submitting print jobs to a remote printer. A server for the LPD/LPR protocol listens for requests on TCP port 515. A request begins with a byte containing the request code, followed by the arguments to the request, and is terminated by an ASCII LF character. An LPD printer is identified by the IP address of the server machine and the queue name on that machine. Many different queue names may exist in one LPD server, with each queue having unique settings. The LPD software is stored on the printer or print server. Service Setup Wizard style installer is available under [appath]\providers\lpd\win\pc-lpd-installer.exe

LPD Servers listen on port 515 by default, so Administrators must ensure that this port is open to requests from clients (check that the port is not blocked by your firewall). The installation wizard also checks for previous versions of the Windows LPD Server, and disables these to ensure there is no port conflict.

It’s important at this point to consider how the print jobs are being tracked. The print jobs are sent with the username from the client system; e.g. the Unix, Linux, or Mac username associated with the print job. If the username is not consistent with the Windows username you want to associate with the job, consider additional PaperCut features like:

NOTE

Connect to an LPD Service

Most operating systems, including Windows, support connecting to an LPD Service via the LPR printing protocol. You need the following information:

  • The address of the server running the PaperCut LPD Service.

  • The name of the queue: either share name or queue name.

NOTE

Some print systems (e.g. CUPSCommon User Printing System (CUPS) is a printing system for Unix operating systems that allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs from client computers, process them, and send them to the appropriate printer.) do not allow spaces in queue names, so a share or queue name that does not include spaces improves the likelihood of connection.

An example using Mac OS X System Preferences

  1. Select System Preferences.

  2. Select Printers & Scanners.

  3. Click + to add a new printer.

  4. Click the IP tab at the top toolbar.

  5. From the Protocol list, select Line Printer Daemon - LPD.

  6. In Address, enter the IP address of the server hosting the printers.

  7. In Queue, enter the printer's share name.

  8. In Name, define a user friendly name; then select the printer type.

  9. Select the driver or printer model from the list; then click Add.

An example using the CUPS Admin web interface

This example assumes you are using the CUPS web based Admin web interface. Other methods are also available (e.g. GNOME printer manager in GNU/Linux)

  1. Log in to the CUPS Administration UI.

  2. Click Administration > Add Printer.

  3. Scroll to Other Network Printers; then select LPD/LPR Host or Printer.

  4. Enter in the Connection string using the example format on the page. i.e.

    • lpd://hostname/queue

    • lpd://10.100.65.38/Global

  5. Queue Name — either the share name or print queueA print queue displays information about documents that are waiting to be printed, such as the printing status, document owner, and number of pages to print. You can use the print queue to view, pause, resume, restart, and cancel print jobs. name on the print serverA print server is a system responsible for hosting print queues and sharing printer resources to desktops. Users submit print jobs to a print server rather then directly to the printer itself. A print server can be a dedicated server but on many networks this server also performs other tasks, such as file serving. For CUPS the queue name cannot contain spaces.

  6. Create the CUPS queue by entering in the rest of the required information, such as Name, Description, Location etc.

  7. Choose the driver; then click Add Printer.

Print jobs are accepted by LPD into the Windows printing system.