[CentOS] Setting up a printer without having one

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 1 Jun 2010 19:07:35 +0200 CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:

> 
> Hi folks! :-)
> 
> I am supposed to configure this fresh install of CentOS 5.5 to work
> nicely with the HP 1010 printer, once it gets connected to the
> computer (probably via usb, but I cannot be sure). The problem is that
> I will not be anywhere near the machine when the printer actually gets
> plugged in, and hp-setup refuses to do anything until that happens.

Unless you can work your way though the foomatic printer database and
know what ppd file(s) to copy to /etc/cups/ppd and know the exact
incatation that needs to be in /etc/printers.conf, you pretty much have
to have the print itself on hand.

Is the HP 1010 printer a *laser* printer or an *inkjet*?  If it is a
laser printer it is easy, since it is likely a PostScript printer.  You
can pretty much dispense with hp-setup and just hand edit the config
files with a generic postscript ppd file.  It is even better if the
printer is a networked printer.

CUPS is not easy to configure without going though the point-and-click
interface and that interface only really works if the printer is itself
attached to the system.  You can't 'cheat' and configure things 'in
advance'. 

> 
> So how does one configure a to-be-used-in-the-future printer, without
> actually having one plugged in? People who are going to use the
> machine are noobs, and unlikely to be able to set up the printer
> themselves, so it would be a good idea if I could do it in advance.

You probably won't be able to.  You will be able to be present when the
printer arrives and thus be there when it is plugged in the first time? 
If so, you'll probably just have to perform the magic on the spot.

> 
> I haven't done anything like this before, and would be grateful for
> any pointers.
> 
> TIA! :-)
> Marko
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>                            

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