Install/configure new printer without internet access

Ask Fedora
,
1

I have next to none experience with configuring printers with Linux/Fedora. My current printer is connected through the network and “just worked”, so I didn’t have to configure anything.

I will have to connect to a printer that I have never used with my laptop, but at the location where I am going to do that, I won’t have internet access.

What steps do I need to do before that, in order to have everything in place to get the printer working when I plug it in?

I know the model (Lexmark CS410) and I have already downloaded the corresponding ppd file from https://www.openprinting.org. But am unsure where to put the file, in order for the computer to detect the printer when I plug it in.

I found a recommendation to copy it to /usr/share/cups/model/ but I can’t see my the printer that is currently connected to my laptop there, so I am unsure if that is the correct place.

2

supports Apple AirPrint, which so far (e.g., until Apple changes AirPrint) is compatible with IPP driverless printing. Printing should just work with Fedora Workstation assuming the laptop and printer are on the same intranet. Concerns would be that the printer is running outdated firmware or wants to “call home” (vendors increasingly collect usage data, track or block use of 3rd party ink and toner, etc.).

3

You already have most of the stuff that openprinting offers in the foomatic* and gutenprint* packages.

When running lpinfo -m |grep -i cs410
I get

foomatic:Lexmark-CS410-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410 Foomatic/Postscript
foomatic-db-ppds/Lexmark/Lexmark_CS410_Series.ppd.gz Lexmark CS410 Series
foomatic:Lexmark-CS410dn-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410dn Foomatic/Postscript
foomatic:Lexmark-CS410n-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410n Foomatic/Postscript

where at least one of these drivers should work.

4

I will connect the printer through USB

5

Thanks, unfortunately that returns nothing. I ran lpinfo -m | grep -i lexmark and that returned a bunch of entries, but none of them being the CS410

6

Install the foomatic packages then it should show the drivers for that printer.
I also only had lexmark printers showing and all were from the gutenprint package.
I installed the foomatic packages sudo dnf install foomatic* then the drivers for the cs410 were shown

$ lpinfo -m | grep -i cs410
foomatic:Lexmark-CS410-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410 Foomatic/Postscript
foomatic-db-ppds/Lexmark/Lexmark_CS410_Series.ppd.gz Lexmark CS410 Series
foomatic:Lexmark-CS410dn-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410dn Foomatic/Postscript
foomatic:Lexmark-CS410n-Postscript.ppd Lexmark CS410n Foomatic/Postscript

The clue is that every line there (and as shown by @vekruse above) begins with foomatic.

7

There is USB support for AirPrint/IPP. Fedora has an ipp-usb package.

8

Thanks for the tip.

It will a couple of weeks until I can try that though.

9

Also make sure that the printer itself doesn’t disable Postscript Printing.

10

Connecting the printer worked without any problems. I assume, installing the foomatic drivers beforehand was the part that made it flawless.

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