In environments with multiple printers, one can use the CUPS print server to handle and manage print jobs. CUPS supports printing, queueing, network printing (using IPP), supports for a large range of printers, network printers auto-detection, web administration, and more. For businesses and individuals looking for affordable print servers, CUPS should be considered especially when large printers are involved. And if you need help installing and configuring CUPS, the steps below will show you how to do that. Also, for students and new users learning Linux, the easiest place to start learning is Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is the modern, open-source Linux operating system for desktops, servers, and other devices. To get started with installing and configuring CUPS on Ubuntu Linux, follow the steps below.
How to install CUPS on Ubuntu Linux
As mentioned above, CUPS can turn any Unix-like operating system, including Ubuntu into a print server. CUPS packages are included in Ubuntu repositories by default, and the installation is pretty straightforward. To install CUPS on Ubuntu, run the commands below. Once CUPS is installed, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable CUPS service to automatically start up when the server boots. To verify that CUPS is installed and running, run the commands below. You should then see similar output as below:
How to configure CUPS on Ubuntu Linux
After installing CUPS above, you can configure CUPS its web interface at http://localhost:631/admin. If you prefer to use the command line interface, the CUPS configuration file is located at /etc/cups/cupsd.conf. When using the command line to configure CUPS, run the commands below to create a backup copy of the configuration file. Then run the commands below to open the CUPS configuration file. You can then begin configuring settings that suit your environment. By default, CUPS listens on port 631. You can also make sure browsing is enabled to allow CUPS to make shared printers available on the network. Set the directive below to dnsd protocol (that supports Bonjour), by default it is enabled. CUPS also restricts access to the printer server web interface and admin pages using the directives below. You can add Allow @LOCAL to allow computers from the local network to access the CUPS web interface. If you prefer to configure using the CUPS web interface, it’s recommended to use either root or a user authenticated in the lpadmin group. To add a user to lpadmin group, type: Replace the username with the account you want to add to the lpadmin group. When you’re done, run the commands below to restart CUPS.
How to install printer drivers on Ubuntu Linux
Most HP printers support Linux systems, including Ubuntu. However, installing HP’s Linux Imaging and Printing software (HPLIP) won’t hurt. Run the commands below to install hplip on Ubuntu. For CUPS to publish a shared printer, you may need to install avahi-daemon. avahi-daemon is a Bonjour server that will broadcast your computer’s information on the network. If you have a firewall enabled, you also need to allow CUPS traffic through the firewall. You can run the commands below to enable CUPS through the Ubuntu firewall.
How to add a printer on Ubuntu Linux
Now that CUPS is installed and configured, log on to your Ubuntu machine and browse the CUPS print server, and access any shared printers. Below we showed you how to install printers on Ubuntu Linux. Reference the post below to learn how to add a printer to Ubuntu. How to add printers to Ubuntu Linux That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to install and configure CUPS on Ubuntu Linux. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
