Printing: Difference between revisions

Printing in NixOS is done via the <code>services.printing</code> module, to configure the local printing services which is provided by the software [https://openprinting.github.io/projects/00-cups CUPS]. Setting up physical printer devices is done using <code>hardware.printers</code> option.

=== Enable autodiscovery of network printers ===

Most printers manufactured after 2013 support the [https://www.pwg.org/ipp/everywhere.html IPP Everywhere] protocol, i.e. printing without installing drivers. This is notably the case of all WiFi printers marketed as Apple-compatible ([https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201311 list]).

Beside manually adding printers with client tools, it is possible to permanently add printers to your system configuration (but be aware of [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/78535 this bug] that sometimes expect the printer to be plugged in your system). The following example configures a network printer called <code>Dell_1250c</code> to your local system, reachable via IPP at <code>http://192.168.178.2:631/printers/Dell_1250c</code>

hardware.printers = {

  ensurePrinters = [

    {

      name = "Dell_1250c";

      location = "Home";

      deviceUri = "usb://Dell/1250c%20Color%20Printer?serial=YNP023240";

      model = "Dell-1250c.ppd.gz";

      ppdOptions = {

        PageSize = "A4";

      };

    }

  ];

};

To add a printer over the smb protocol, [[Samba]] needs to be enabled:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

hardware.printers.ensurePrinters = [{

   }];

 

Some local or network printers might need additional drivers. You can add them using the <code>drivers</code> option

* <tt>pkgs.brgenml1lpr</tt> and <tt>pkgs.brgenml1cupswrapper</tt> &mdash; Generic drivers for more Brother printers [https://support.brother.com/g/s/id/linux/en/instruction_prn1a.html]

The <code>model</code> string is the first column. For example, for the Samsung SCX-4300 series, set <code>model = "samsung/SCX-4300.ppd";</code>

Enable network sharing of the default local printer, also known as "AirPrinting". Note that <code>listenAddresses = [ "*:631" ];</code>, <code>allowFrom = [ "all" ];</code> and <code>openFirewall = true;</code> will enable anonymous access to your printer on all interfaces, you might want to restrict this.

Once printer sharing is enabled, it could be additionally advertised in the home network via the Samba protocol, [[Samba#Printer_sharing|see]].

Depending on your desktop environment, there are several graphical tools available which will connect to this backend service and allow you a more convenient printer management, for example <code>system-config-printer</code>.

# lpstat -p

# lp -o job-sheets=standard,none -d HP-LaserJet-1020 /dev/null

# lpstat

# cancel 1

If no driver is found for your printer, even when <code>services.printing.drivers</code> is correctly populated (see above),

you can try to give cups a PPD file.  

Described in: [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/23993 Github issue 23993]<br />

Either we can help cups to get ssl keys, or we can tell it to not use https at all.<br />

First make sure the directory /etc/cups/ssl exists:<br />

<code>sudo mkdir -p /etc/cups/ssl</code><br />

Try restarting cups and using the web interface again. This might be enough to get it working.<br />

If this didn't help, then check if cups has generated ssl keys in /etc/cups/ssl<br />

<code><pre>services.printing.extraConf = ''

    DefaultEncryption Never

  '';</pre></code>

When printing, cups will report an error: Unable to launch Ghostscript: gs: No such file or directory<br />

Cups will look for the binary path in it's config file: cupsd.conf<br />

You could try to manually fix the path variable in /var/lib/cups/cupsd.conf<br />

But, later you may experience an error like '''"/nix/store/.../lib/cups/filter/pstospl not available: No such file or directory"'''.  

Add to <code>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</code>

<pre>

</pre>

<syntaxhighlight lang=console>

$ journalctl --follow --unit=cups

<syntaxhighlight lang=console>

$ journalctl --follow --unit=cups | grep -C10 --color=always -i -e 'No such file or directory' -e 'error:'

Use <code>NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix-shell -p hplipWithPlugin --run 'sudo -E hp-setup'</code> to add the printer.