How to configure AIX to print through a CUPS print server

How To

Summary

In some environments, it is required to print from several print clients through a remote printer server with a printer attached to it.

Environment

AIX

Steps

First, make sure you have an existing print queue on CUPS server that is configured to accept LPD print jobs from AIX:

Note: if any assistance is required with configuring a print queue or enabling lpd on CUPS, please contact your Linux vendor.

CUPS-lpd - receive print jobs and report printer status to lpd clients. CUPS-lpd supports legacy client systems that use the LPD protocol, like AIX.

To enable CUPS-lpd on Linux:
https://www.cups.org/doc/man-cups-lpd.html

If you are using the newer xinetd(8) daemon, create a file named /etc/xinetd.d/cups containing the following lines:

service printer
    {
        socket_type = stream
        protocol = tcp
        wait = no
        user = lp
    group = sys
    passenv =
        server = /usr/lib/cups/daemon/cups-lpd
    server_args = -o document-format=application/octet-stream
    }

Next, create a print queue on AIX that is supposed to forward print requests to CUPS:

# smitty spooler
> Add a Print Queue
> remote Printer Attached to Remote Host

On the next screen you have 3 options, most common of them are:

> Standard processing: Remote formatting sends the data to the remote server without doing any filtering or formatting of the file and without adding any printer setup commands.

> Local filtering before sending to print server: Local formatting allows a virtual printer to be set up on the local system that will send the data to the remote system with local headers and printer setup information attached.

In most cases, Standard processing is used to benefit from the added functions of the remote CUPS server. This depends on the CUPS server configuration.

On the final smitty screen:

* Name of QUEUE to add                              [AIXQ] >>> Add AIX queue name here
* HOSTNAME of remote server                         [Cups.server]
* Name of QUEUE on remote server                    [CupsQ] >>> Add the name of an existing lpd queue on cups server
TYPE of print spooler on remote server             BSD    +

AIX must be able to resolve the hostname of the Remote server. You can verify like this:
# host <hostname>

Finally, make sure the firewall allows traffic on port 515.

Document Location

Worldwide

[{"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Product":{"code":"SWG10","label":"AIX"},"Component":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"}],"Version":"All Versions","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB08","label":"Cognitive Systems"}}]

Was this topic helpful?

Document Information

More support for:
AIX

Software version:
All Versions

Operating system(s):
AIX

Document number:
966993

Modified date:
13 August 2019

UID

ibm10966993

IBM Support

Tips