[Samba] Printer pooling with samba / CUPS pool 2 printers with one logical "queue"

[Kurt Pfeifle]

Bryan Fetzer wrote:

> I have one printer queue that needs to be "pooled" as
> in , I have 2 physical hp 4100 series printers that
> need to share the load. 
> 
> I have read the docs and realize this can't be done in
> Samba, but I am pretty sure it can be done in CUPS.
> How do I do it though. CUPS documentation seems pretty
> sketchy as to how I need to go about doing this. Can
> anyone point me in the right direction, I am pretty
> sure this should be a simple fix. 
> 
> example for one printer the printer port is as
> follows:
> DeviceURI socket://192.168.5.13:9100
> 
> would I simply add another deviceURI socket statement?
> 
> Thanks for your help everyone

Install both printers on CUPS (as root):

#  lpadmin -p hp4100_1 -E -v socket://192.168.5.13:9100 -P /path/to/PPD-file
#  lpadmin -p hp4100_2 -E -v socket://192.168.5.14:9100 -P /path/to/PPD-file

Create a CUPS class for the 2 printers:

#  lpadmin -p hp4100_1 -c hp_class
#  lpadmin -p hp4100_2 -c hp_class

Put a share for this class manually into smb.conf:

#  [hp_class]
#     comment = CUPS-"class" of printers
#     browseable = yes
#     printable = yes
#     public = yes
#     read only = yes
#     create mode = 0700
#     directory = /tmp

Restart smbd.

You should now be able to "see" the class now like a normal printer in the
network neighbourhood. You can't directly download a driver for it from the
CUPS server (as with normal printers). You need to install a driver through
one of the other means. If you print to this printer class, the jobs get
alternately printed by one of the members (round-robin) as long as they are
both alive. If one is down, the other does the whole lot. Works also with
bigger classes.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Kurt   [not yet subscribed to the Samba-Mailing list... use e-Mail address
        for replies...]

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