Printers

Setting up Virtual Follow-Me Printer via LPD protocol#

If your Linux username is the same as VUW staff, you can directly send your printing jobs to Follow-Me printer, then come to any printer around, login there and release job from queue. That’s quite convenient for securing your print and able to print your documents any place in the campus.

Get original drivers (From Fuji-Xerox) here:

 scp linuxusername@sgees001.geo.vuw.ac.nz:/Volumes/GeoPhysics_07/users-data/PPD/fxlinuxprint_1.1.1-1_amd64.deb .
 sudo dpkg -i fxlinuxprint_1.1.1-1_amd64.deb

Start the printer configuration applet:system-config-printer

  • Add-> Network Printer -> LPD/LPR Host or Printer ->
  • Device URI: vuwwincostaprn2.vuw.ac.nz
  • Print queue: Follow-Me
  • Forward-> Choose Driver -> FX -> FX Printer Driver for Linux [en] (recommended) ->
  • Give it a meaningful name ->
  • Apply

Setting up Network Printers using SMB protocol via staff domain account#

Please ensure you’ve got relevant samba packages installed:

 sudo apt install smbclient python3-smbc

Get original drivers (From Fuji-Xerox) here:

 scp linuxusername@sgees001.geo.vuw.ac.nz:/Volumes/GeoPhysics_07/users-data/PPD/fxlinuxprint_1.1.1-1_amd64.deb .
 sudo dpkg -i fxlinuxprint_1.1.1-1_amd64.deb

With new configuration of printing system (with virtual ‘Follow-Me’ printer) you only need to have a local root (sudo) permissions on your computer (for installing drivers), or be in ‘‘‘lpadmin’’’ group.

Start the printer configuration applet:

system-config-printer

Do not use Gnome shell Printer applet. It just doesn’t have all required options.

Select Network Printer -> Windows Printer via Samba

Type in the text field for printer address :

 vuwwincostaprn2.vuw.ac.nz/Follow-Me

Check radio button “Set authentication details now” and input your staff password and login in form “staff\username”.

When asked for drivers, select the option Select Printer from database => FX => Forward => FX Printer Driver for Linux.

Next give it some meaningful name and press Apply to finish.

When you send a printing job to this virtual device, it will be held until you walk to any printer around the campus, login there (either with staff login/password, or your VUW ID card) and release the job.

Troubleshooting#

Indeed, a particular printer might be offline or overloaded with jobs, or have other issues (no paper or paper jam). Please check if it’s in working condition, and add paper to tray or remove jammed sheets if necessary.

If printer was inaccessible due to maintenance or any other reason (but now is working for other people), it might be disabled with your Linux print sub-system as unavailable. Just start ‘‘system-config-printer’’ (or System Configuration->Printers), click with right mouse button on printer icon and check if it’s enabled.

Expired STAFF password for SMB printer#

When you change your staff password, the printer driver stops working because it still has using your old password for authorization in Windows domain. Start printer configuration, select the printer => Properties => Device URI: => Change => Current device => Set authentication details now

and update your credentials.