INSTALL PRINTOMAT ON LINUX

To install the Printomat service on a Linux machine (Ubuntu will be used as an example in the instructions below), you need to go through three steps:

  1. Make sure you are connected to the SU network.

  2. Install the printomat driver on your computer.

  3. The first time you print to the printomat, you need to authenticate with your Stockholm University username and password. If you save your credentials you only need to do this once.
The printomat service only works if your computer is connected to a Stockholm University network

At Nordita this means that your computer needs to be connected either:

  • over a wired network connection; there are network cables at every office desk at Nordita,

or

  • over a wireless network together with VPN

Original instructions

Downloadable files:


1. Make sure you are connected to the SU network

The printomat service only works if your computer is connected to a Stockholm University network. Unfortunately the wireless network in the Nordita buildings is a part of the KTH network, so in order to print on a Printomat, you need to either connect your computer via a cable that goes to a SU network port, or use a wireless connection together with SU VPN.

2. Install the Printomat Driver

There have been reports that the installation procedure described below (using samba) does not work properly on some Linux distributions. One example where this may happen is Ubuntu 16.04 with the KDE desktop environment (while Gnome, and any desktop with 15.04 and 15.10 should work). If you have tried the standard install procedure and can't get it to work, ask Hans for an alternative installation procedure (which uses ipp). Note that the alternative installation is experimental and unsupported, and may be discontinued without notice.

  • You need to have a samba client installed on your computer. If it isn't, use your packet manager to install it. On Ubuntu the command would be:

    sudo apt-get install smbclient

  • Then go to the page Add Printomat to personal computer (Linux / Ubuntu / Gnome) on the SU web site and download the file

    Printomat2.ppd

    Place the file wherever you want, for instance in your Downloads folder or in /tmp. During installation (see below) the file will be copied to wherever PPD files are stored in your system. (Common places for PPD files are /etc/cups/ppd or /usr/share/ppd.)

  • Go to "System Settings" and open the "Printers" panel. Click the [Add] button.

  • In the "Devices" column, open "Network Printer" and select the option "Windows Printer via SAMBA". In the field "SMB Printer", type:

    printomat.su.se/printomat2

    Under "Authentication" select "Prompt user if authentication is required". Confirm with [Forward]. (Note that you should not set authentication details now!)

  • In the "Choose Driver" dialogue window, select "Provide PPD file". Click the file browser icon at the bottom of the window.

  • In the file browser, locate the PPD file you had downloaded earlier. Confirm with [Open] and continue with [Forward].

  • In the "Installable Options" window, select:

    "Option Tray" = "Lower Paper Trays"
    "Large Capacity Tray" = "Installed"
    "Finisher" = "SR3000"

    Confirm with [Forward].

  • In the "Describe Printer" window, you can set "Printer Name" to "Printomat2", or any other name you prefer (no blanks in this name). Complete the printer installation by clicking [Apply].

  • The printer "Printomat2" (ow whichever name you chose) should now be shown in the "Printer" configuration panel.

  • Consider making the Printomat your default printer (from right-click contextual menu on icon of the printer).
  • The default setting for colour handling is black/white printing for all types of document. To enable colour printing, double-click the icon of the printer; the window 'Printer Properties' opens; select 'Printer Options' in the menu; set 'Color Mode' to 'Color'; confirm with [OK].
  • Finally, you need to authenticate at first printout, as described in the next section.

3. Authenticate for your First Printout

When you login to a printomat with your University card, you only see your own print jobs. How does the printomat system know who is printing from your computer? This is done by authenticating with your Stockholm University username and password the first time you send a print job to the printomat queue.

  • Open any application, like a web browser or document viewer, select a document and hit [Ctrl-P] to print it, as usual.

  • Select the "Printomat2" queue as the destination and confirm that you want to print, and confirm with [Print].

  • Now one of two things may happen: either a dialogue window "Authentication" for entering your username and password does open automatically, as soon as you (for the first time after installation) press [Print], or the dialogue window does not open. The latter will most likely be the case in Ubuntu 16.04 or later. If you do get a dialogue window, proceed to the next step below. If not, do the following:

    Note: This procedure has been reported to work only for the Gnome desktop environment. If you use KDE and the procedure does not work as expected, please contact Hans.
    • Open the "Print" configuration panel.

    • Right-click on the icon for your newly installed "Printomat2" and select View Printer Queue from the pop-up menu (or press [Ctrl]-[F]).

    • A window "Document Print Status (Printomat2)" opens. Here the print job you just submitted should be shown, with the comment "Held for authentication" at the end of the line.

    • Right-click on the line with the print job, and select "Authenticate" from the pop-up menu.

    • Now the "Authentication" dialogue window should open. Proceed to the next step below.

  • In the "Authentication" dialogue window, fill in your Stockholm University username in the following form:

    winadsu\yourusername

    So if your username is nbohr, you should type

    winadsu\nbohr

    The password is your usual Stockholm University password.

    Important! Make sure you check "Remember password". If you don't check this option, you will have to authenticate every time you print a document. Finally confirm with [OK].

  • Your document will now be sent to the printomat queue, and you can have it printed by going to the nearest printomat, logging in and selecting the document from the list of print jobs. (If the authentication doesn't work the first time, just repeat resuming and authenticating until the document is sent to the printer.)

This page was printed on 2025-01-07 from old.nordita.org/handbook/computing/printing_help/install_printomat/install_printomat_linux