SLED10 - Did I install network printer correctly?

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop SLED Configure-Administer
1

Greetings,

Here at work, we are using SLED 10 w/ KDE 3.5 (dated October 2008).

Several times I have asked our IT "help"desk if and how I, as a regular
user with a bit of Linux experience, can install a network printer
myself. But since they are always too busy (sic), I try it myself (…If
you want something done right… I’m sure some people know the
drill…)

I seem to be able to install a printer myself as a limited user, and it
seems to work, but I am not certain that I choose the correct settings.
As I long ago once installed a network printer incorrectly back in
Windows 2000 (I wasn’t aware that a network printer isn’t a “network
printer” in Windows 2000… Microsoft logic, I assume), I now hesitate
to try out things myself without the proper knowledge on a system that
is not my own :slight_smile:

Therefor, I like to ask for help to install a network printer in SLED10
w/ KDE 3.5.

After installing a network printer, I get this:

-snip-

Type: Local Printer
Description: LEXMARK T644 (Lexmark does not provide Linux printer
drivers, but the T644 seems to work well for a T654dn - at least the
test page came out fine).
URI-address: ipp://tckh197-has:631/printers/T65dn_DOES-THIS-WORK
Station: ipp://10.111.39.58:80
Model: Lexmark T644 (English)

-snap-

During the install, I chose “CUPS server (IPP/HTTP)” as “Backend
selection” (whatever this exactly means).

Also available is:

  • LPD (something)
  • Network printer (TCP)
  • Network printer w/IPP (IPP/HTTP)

Is “CUPS server (IPP/HTTP)” the (a) right way to install the/any
printer?

For the record: I do not know the Administrator password (the
"help"desk refuses to tell me, of course).

Can anyone give me some advice? Much obliged, and thanks in advance,

  • Highlander

–
Highlander185

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2

It’s difficult to comment on whether you chose ‘correct’ settings
without knowing exactly how the printer you’re trying to print to is set
up or what the conventions/policies are in your organisation, but if you
are table to print a test page then you can’t have chosen settings which
are completely wrong. :slight_smile:

I don’t give any of the people who use machines I set up the root
password. I do make sure they can print to all networked printers that
in their vicinity.

Out of curiosity, where is it dated ‘October 2008’? You can find out
which version of SLED you are using with

Code:

$ cat /etc/novell-release

–
mikewillis

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3

mikewillis;2143934 Wrote:[color=blue]

It’s difficult to comment on whether you chose ‘correct’ settings
without knowing exactly how the printer you’re trying to print to is set
up or what the conventions/policies are in your organisation, but if you
are table to print a test page then you can’t have chosen settings which
are completely wrong. :)[/color]

It is a Lexmark “T654dn” network printer here at the office.

mikewillis;2143934 Wrote:[color=blue]

I don’t give any of the people who use machines I set up the root
password. I do make sure they can print to all networked printers that
in their vicinity.[/color]
I don’t want to talk bad of the IT "help"desk… but when I, as the
local system administrator, call them for tiny problems that I could
solve myself in 1 minute if I knew the Admininistrator password, then we
have to wait days, even weeks, before they call me back…

It really shouldn’t take days - weeks - to install a printer or to
create a new user account, should it?..

So, I try to do things myself.

What is the use of me being a local system admin, if all I (can) do is
call the IT Helpdesk for every single, tiny weenie problem?

But I am ranting :slight_smile:

mikewillis;2143934 Wrote:[color=blue]

Out of curiosity, where is it dated ‘October 2008’? You can find out
which version of SLED you are using with[color=green]

[/color][/color]
Code:
--------------------[color=blue][color=green]
$ cat /etc/novell-release[/color][/color]
--------------------[color=blue][color=green]
[/color][/color]
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (i586)
VERSION = 10

My apologies: Our desktop PC’s with SLED were delivered in October
2008, replacing antique PC’s running Windows 2000.

(Rumours have it they will be replaced with new PC running Windows and
MS Office again… Mozilla Thunderbird already replaced by “Microsoft
Outlook Web Crap”, pardon me, I mean “Web App”. So much for Belgium
going Open Source… We are talking Belgian federal government here.)

I once installed a network printer under Windows 2000 as “network
printer”. I caused the network to clog up, when I was printing a large
PDF. Did I know that a network printer is not a network printer under
Windows 2000?

I only want to avoid choosing the logically correct way to install a
network printer myself and causing a total network system meltdown here
:slight_smile:

–
Highlander185

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4

Oh, today, for some reason, three of my colleagues can no longer print
from within Mozilla Firefox. One after the other… The [Print] button
is greyed out. Printing from withing Konqueror does work, though.

I’ve already called the IT "Help"desk. They will call me back…
When?
I dunno.
I guess I’ll see.
This is how working with the government goes, I suppose.
But again I am ranting :slight_smile:

It is just very frustrating, when you could do things yourself
(better), but you can’t because of a “stupid” security policy (which
isn’t “stupid”, of course; but I am the local sysadmin and yet I can
do nothing but call the "help"desk.)

–
Highlander185

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5

Highlander185;2144059 Wrote:[color=blue]

What is the use of me being a local system admin, if all I (can) do is
call the IT Helpdesk for every single, tiny weenie problem?
[/color]
Very little I guess. But this is a problem with the way your
organisation works. Can’t help you with that :slight_smile:

Highlander185;2144059 Wrote:[color=blue]

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (i586)
VERSION = 10
[/color]
That’s not the whole contents of the file, or at least it shouldn’t be.
There should be a line that contains PATCHLEVEL. Hopefully it’s 3 or 4.

Highlander185;2144059 Wrote:[color=blue]

We are talking Belgian federal government here.[/color]
Have you checked that the government is installed? Last I heard it was
450 days after the elections and still no one had managed to install the
new government for Belgium. If you are working for the government but
you don’t have a government installed, that might be why you’re
experiencing poor IT support. If the government isn’t installed, try
installing it and see if that resolves your problems. If you experience
difficulty whilst installing the government, try turning your parliament
off and then on again.

Highlander185;2144059 Wrote:[color=blue]

I only want to avoid choosing the logically correct way to install a
network printer myself and causing a total network system meltdown here
:-)[/color]
If you can send a job to the printer and it prints, I really wouldn’t
worry about it.

–
mikewillis

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