Datasheet
“main” (Installation and Administration) — 2004/6/25 — 13:29 — page 302 — #328
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used with one of the included generic PPD files. Normally, PPD files are
available on the driver CDs for Windows or MacOS. If the syntax is correct,
these files can also be used in Linux. Some printer manufacturers also offer
PPD files on the Internet.
New PPD files can be stored in the directory /usr/share/cups/model/.
However, the preferred approach is to add them to the print system with
YaST (see Section 2.4.3 on page 70). Subsequently, the PPD file can be se-
lected during the installation.
Be careful if a printer manufacturer wants you to install entire software
packages. First, this kind of installation would result in the loss of the sup-
port provided by SUSE LINUX and, secondly, print commands may work
differently and the system may no longer be able to address devices of
other manufacturers. For this reason, the installation of manufacturer soft-
ware is not recommended.
13.5 Configuring the Printer
After connecting the printer to the computer and installing the software,
the printer must be installed in the system. If possible, this should be done
with the tools delivered with SUSE LINUX, not with any other tools. As
SUSE LINUX puts great emphasis on security, third-party tools often have
difficulties with the security restrictions and end up causing more compli-
cations than benefits.
13.5.1 Local Printers
If your local printer is detected as not yet configured when you log in, a
YaST module starts for configuring it (see Section 2.4.3 on page 69). To con-
figure the printer with command-line tools, you need a device URI, such
as parallel:/dev/lp0 (printer connected to the first parallel port) or
usb:/dev/usb/lp1 (first detected printer connected to the USB port).
13.5.2 Network Printers
A network printer can support various protocols, some of them even con-
currently. Although most of the supported protocols are standardized,
some manufacturers expand (modify) the standard because they test sys-
tems that have not implemented the standard correctly or because they
302 13.5. Configuring the Printer