Adding Network Kubuntu Printer to Mac OS X

Try this:
On Ubuntu, use Firefox and go to http://localhost:631 (CUPS admin page on that computer). Go to Printers, and write down the queue name(s) of the printers - the queue name is in slightly enlarged text on the far left of each printer listing.

Now, on the Mac, in Print & Fax, click + and select IP > IPP protocol. enter the queue name, IP address and for driver, select generic postscript.

Try it.

This solution is not working for me, despite surprise from many on the Ubuntu forums. I have CUPS set up, set up for internet sharing of printers (properly configured via the Port 631 CUPS web admin utility). When I type the "lpq" command in my Ubuntu sever, it says "Brother_HL-5140 is ready".

When I try to add the printer in the OSX System Preferences, I select IPP in the IP printer browser. I put in the IP address of my Ubuntu server (192.168.1.98), and type in Brother_HL-5140 for the printer. However, when I try to print, it keeps Pausing the printer. When I reopen System Preferences, it says the queue is named " 192_168_198" and the device URI is ipp://192.168.1.98/Brother_HL-5140 both of which are WRONG. This is definately part of the problem.

Troubleshooting: When I hook up my MacBook to the same LAN segment as my Ubuntu server, the Brother Printer is automatically as a Bonjour shared printer and everything works great. When I hook it up as normal (one router between the MacBook and the server) I get no printing ability. Note that every other port works (I can use ssh/ftp/http/samba) I just cannot get my printer added. I have a firewall exception for Port 631 for all of the network segments I need. Still nothing. Also note that I can print to the printer fine using Windows or Linux PC's, it seems that only my OSX computers are having trouble finding the printer.

Is there any way to manually specifiy the printer URI like there is in Linux, or is the semi-automatic OSX Printer-Add window the only way? Is there a way I can use shell commands on my MacBook to fix this?

It only took me 65 minutes to fully install and set up my Ubuntu server (web hosting, mail hosting, samba, print server), but I have spent over 7 hours trying to get my printer to work. So, any help is greatly appreciated.

Message was edited by: ktritty1

Use the CUPS built-in web page to add the printer - that works the same on Ubuntu and Mac OS X.

Okay, I'm getting warmer. I go to http://localhost:631 on my MacBook and get the CUPS web utility. I try to add the printer, but I can't figure out what device URI to use. I cannot use the same one as the Ubuntu server, since it is a USB printer. I have tried ipp://192.168.1.98/printers/Brother_HL-5140 but it does not work. The manual states to use ipp://IP.Address/printers/queue.name which is what I just tried. Ideas? Thanks.

My MacBook has the driver I need readily available but, my iMac does not have any Brother Drivers available in the CUPS web admin menu. I try to go to the driver download site, but the link goes to a place where there are several Brother Drivers, but none for my family of printer. (http://www.cups.org/ppd.php). When I try to use the Driver CD that came with the printer, I have no idea where the wizard puts the ppd. So, I can't point CUPS to the right driver. The sad part is that my iMac had this exact printer hooked up to it via USB for over a year.

After being installed, the drivers should automatically "show up" for protocols that the driver supports. For example, a USB-only driver won't show up for IPP. Brother usually has "CUPS" drivers available, which work for all protocols.

You haven't told me enough about your "two network segments" to help more. More details, please. Are there two routers, for example?

Yes, I have 2 routers. The reasoning is complicated, but one of the main ones is because I am supposed to help setup a new network at my place of work, and there will be 2 routers so I am learning all about kinks like this one.

The Ubuntu server is hooked up to one router, along with the WAN side of router #2. the LAN side of router 2 includes both of my Macintoshes. Remember that ssh, ftp, http, all work fine (I am having a bit of trouble with Samba though). There is no firewall enabled on the second router.

I am used to Windows XP which seems to work very smoothly for stuff like this (I type in the IP address of the Ubuntu server, and the rest auto-fills correctly and it finds the right driver) and I am assuming that Leopard should work every bit as well. I am having lots of trouble getting my MacBook to find pretty much anything though. I am also having loads of trouble trying to set up a shortcut to a folder on the Ubuntu Server on my MacBook Desktop. Again, a task that is as easy as "add new network place" on Win XP. I am not a fan of Windows at all (I much prefer OSX) but I am losing a lot of time on OSX when it comes to networking issues.

So, my question for now is, where do I get the CUPS driver for the Brother HL-5140? And when I install it, where do I browse for it in case the CUPS web interface does not find it automatically?

PPDs (printer description files) are installed in /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/en.lproj, And,
/usr/share/cups/model.

But browsing to any of those won't usually work, because OS X already knows about them and knows whether they will work with a particular protocol.

It's sometimes helpful to reset printing system to force OS X to restart CUPS, because it gathers info on available drivers then.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1341

Looks like to get a CUPS driver, you need to get the PPD here:
http://openprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Brother-HL-5140

and foomatic/ghostscript here:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/foomatic

I'm sure you know this already, but the routers aren't designed to operate like that. Turning off DHCP server #2 and having all devices in the same LAN (getting their IP addresses from #1) would probably solve your issue.

(I believe requests from behind #2 are being routed to the internet instead of to the other subnet. You may be able to use custom settings on router #1 to let it know it includes subnet #2.)

Re: Router Settings-
I have routers which allow me to manually add to the routing tables so the two subnets can work together. I am solving this issue by deploying a new configuration for my network, which will allow me to have the Macintoshs and the Printer on the same subnet. There is nothing for me to learn at this point, I could only lose who knowns how much more time butting heads with the current deployment. The fact is, I will only be using network ready printers at the workplace moving forward, and I won't have this goofy CUPS issue, since those printers will be able to share themselves via LPD to whatever IP address ranges I specify, and that will work seamlessly for Ubuntu, and should work fine with OSX as well, based on my experimentation so far with internet LPD printing from my MacBook.

I will consider my issue solved, and thank you very much for your thoughts (helpful learning for sure).