system-config-printer

This page is about the printer administration tool system-config-printer, which first appeared in Fedora (as part of my work at Red Hat), and later Ubuntu and other operating systems.

The purpose of the tool is to configure a CUPS server (often the local machine) using the CUPS API. The tool is written in Python, using pygtk for the graphical parts and with some Python bindings (pycups) for the CUPS API.

It is largely the same as using the CUPS web interface for configuring printers, but has the advantage of being a native application rather than a web page. It appears in the Fedora menu under System ▸ Administration ▸ Printing.

As a result of using the CUPS API the tool is able to configure remote CUPS instances and is not limited to configuring CUPS on the local machine. The CUPS library providing the API uses HTTP and IPP to communicate with the CUPS server.

Please note that I no longer maintain system-config-printer. Please visit its new home at GitHub.

Download

Download older tarball releases from:
http://cyberelk.net/tim/data/system-config-printer/

You will also require pycups from:
http://cyberelk.net/tim/software/pycups/

Source Code

The git repository is available at GitHub.

Translations

Language translations should be submitted through Zanata.

Reporting bugs

If you have found a bug in system-config-printer, please report it. If system-config-printer came with your operating system, report the bug to the operating system vendor:

  • Packagers, or people who have installed system-config-printer from source themselves, should report the bug at GitHub.  This is the “upstream” bug tracker.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora users should use Red Hat Bugzilla
  • Ubuntu users should use launchpad
  • Mandriva users should use Mandriva Bugzilla

Comments

363 responses to “system-config-printer”

  1. Mike avatar
    Mike

    I can’t get my Canon BJC-1000 to print the hole page, it only prints microscopic
    page in the right corner of the A4-paper,OK I know my printer is from “stone
    age”, but it has been working over 10 years and I’ve no money to buy a new one!

    Reply
    1. tim avatar
      tim

      Check the page size is set correctly. Perhaps it’s set to a very small page size?

      Reply
  2. Alfredo avatar
    Alfredo

    Tim,

    Has Mike ever achieved a normal printout with this Canon printer ?

    []’s

    Alfredo

    Reply
  3. Juho avatar
    Juho

    Hi..

    I’m having a following problem (and I recall having encountered similar issue while still using Windows, but don’t remember what solved it then): system recognizes my HP LaserJet P1005 and everything seems fine, but when I try to print anything (a file, testpage etc) it just simply doesn’t print anything. The queue shows all the files and claims they’ve been printed. Any easy solution at hand? Thanks..!

    Reply
    1. tim avatar
      tim

      I’m pretty sure you need the proprietary HP plugin for HPLIP for that model. Run ‘hp-plugin’.

      Reply
  4. kel avatar
    kel

    Ubuntu recognizes HP 6500 printer for printing but seems to have disabled the scan feature on its own. Keeps saying to refer to device documentation Any suggestions?

    Reply
  5. Alfredo avatar
    Alfredo

    I’m having trouble with the scan feature of my HP Photosmart 2610 All-in -One with Ubuntu 12.04.
    I downloaded drivers for that printer to work with Ubuntu, printing is OK, but scanning is inactive.

    any idea ?

    Thanks

    Alfredo

    Reply
  6. koza avatar
    koza

    after compile that, what must I do? I have epson t13

    Reply
  7. David Inskeep avatar
    David Inskeep

    I have UBUNTU 12.10 I am able to print to HP all in one 3050 wireless but not the next model up, the HP all in one 3510. The program spends a great deal more time looking for a driver and then seems to find a driver somewhere but it noes not work. I have gone to the HP website for a driver but they don;t work.

    Please advise if you have time.

    TNX

    David Inskeep

    Reply
  8. coleman avatar
    coleman

    i not HP 1505 drivers downlaod!
    plase help me!

    Reply
  9. Kurt Barbee avatar
    Kurt Barbee

    I am new to linux and am using Replacement for windows. I hav a Brother HL-5250 DN printer connected through a usb port. When I select the printer properties I get Option ‘( Resolution has value’ ‘(unknown IPP tag)’ and cannot be edited. What does that mean and what do I do?

    Thanks

    Reply
  10. Judd Smith avatar
    Judd Smith

    I’m having the same problem as Juho except with a HP 1505….II am trying to communicate with the printer through a WiFi/network connection ROUTER>UPSTAIRS DESKTOP>PRINTER. That UPSTAIRS DESKTOP is a windows machine…and the HP 1505 IS CONFIGURED TO IT by “windows” plug-in downloaded from HP. So I understand the need for THAT HP Plugin. D’u-all think that I need to download a separate Linux HP Plugin for this remote (desktop) machine?

    It’d be neat if you’d reply directly to my e-mail: js1589@berkeley.edu

    Judd

    Reply
  11. Alberto avatar
    Alberto

    Hello Tim, I open a bug in Ubuntu about the system-config-printer and my printer. It’s a wrong recommendation of printer from the aplication but it has solution 🙂

    “I use Ubuntu 13.04 and a printer Brother HL-2135W.

    Before in Ubuntu 12.10, it worked fine. In a new computer, I installed the last version of Ubuntu and I tried to install printer again with system-config-printer aplication. It recommend to me to install drivers for printer HL-2140, but when I tried to print one page, it printed a lot of white pages. I tried to change the printer and if I use the drivers for the printer Brother HL-2035, it works.”

    Reply
  12. Jaromir avatar
    Jaromir

    Hi
    How can I create shortcut in Linux Mint and place it to workplace ?

    I have to svittch to terminal, next Alt F2 and type system-config-printer, but easier way have to exist.

    Thank you for answer

    Jaromir

    Reply
    1. Tim avatar
      Tim

      system-config-printer provides a freedesktop.org-style .desktop file for launching.

      Reply
  13. Software Libre y ético: | the blogger

    […] -system-config-printer: configuración de impresoras. […]

    Reply
  14. Myra Nelson avatar
    Myra Nelson

    System-config-printer v 1.4.1 worked great until cups was updated to 1.6.3 then

    I get a error message from the applet
    “There was an error during CUPS operation: ‘server error version not supported’”

    and the applet won’t run.

    cli version:

    [myra@gandalf ~]$ system-config-printer –debug
    +
    Connected as user myra
    +
    : Operation += ‘obtaining queue details’
    Authentication pass: 1
    Authentication: password callback set
    1283: server-error-version-not-supported
    : Operation ended
    +
    refresh
    Created subscription 127, events=[‘printer-added’, ‘printer-deleted’, ‘printer-state-changed’]
    Next notifications fetch in 1s
    update_jobs

    I’ve googled this, been digging through cups documentation, various bug reports from different distros with little success.

    If I downgrade cups to 1.6.2-3 system-config-printer works fine. Since there were no bug reports for version 1.4 I thought I would ask here first.

    Reply
    1. Tim avatar
      Tim

      client.conf points to a remote CUPS server, one that’s a bit older?

      Try adding “/version=1.1” to the end of the server name, to force IPP/1.1 instead of the upstream default IPP/2.0.

      Reply
  15. trusktr avatar
    trusktr

    Hi, there’s an IPP printer in my network, and I have the CUPS client libraries installed (no server libraries). How can I connect to the printer?

    Reply
  16. trusktr avatar
    trusktr

    I meant how can I *print* to the printer? Do I just add a line like
    “ServerName 50.116.4.56:631” to /etc/cups/client.conf?

    Reply
    1. Tim avatar
      Tim

      In general you can’t do this without a CUPS server currently.

      Reply
  17. Margie avatar
    Margie

    I have ubuntu 12.0.4. Printer is kodak esp 3250. The print part works but the scanner does not with my ubuntu 12.0.4. If I go to upgrade drivers my only options are windows or mac OS. Please advise.

    Reply
  18. Claude avatar
    Claude

    hello
    I use system-config-printer with UP7 LMDE and cinnamon when I get to choose the driver I can not go forward, nothing is displayed and the “next” box is not active! Whatever the driver does not appears on the left in the drivers column.
    Is it a bug? I have used the version 1.3.12.21 and with this it’s ok ?

    thank you for

    Reply
    1. Tim avatar
      Tim

      Claude: sounds like a bug somewhere, but it isn’t clear where. I suggest you report a bug to your Linux distribution for further analysis.

      Reply
  19. Hareesh avatar
    Hareesh

    Canon LBP 2900B printer not support to linux software

    Reply
  20. Chris avatar
    Chris

    The central printer config GUI is handy, but I think it needs to move into the Print dialogue.
    Use case, which I find my self in often these days, You arrive in a new location and need to print a document on their network printer, you select file print and select “New Printer” and it scans returning the found printers , sets them up and lets you print, offering you buttons:
    “Print”,
    “Print and Make permanent personal printer” to store in your profile forever and,
    “Print and make permanent system printer” with a small padlock to show that it will require elevated rights to configure.

    Reply
    1. Tim avatar
      Tim

      Chris: I agree with you that printing to a network printer should be simple, and in fact I don’t think it should even need special privilege:
      http://cyberelk.net/tim/2012/03/08/session-printing/

      Reply
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