Printer connections
Select the connection in the wizard or Expert configuration dialog. The supported controls and URI formats depend on the OS and selected spooler.
| Connection | Information needed | Typical URI / path |
|---|---|---|
| USB | Device path; USB support is available on Linux/Solaris | usb:/dev/usb/lp0 |
| Parallel | Device path | parallel:/dev/lp0 |
| Serial | Device, baud, parity, bits and flow control | serial:/dev/ttyS0?... |
| Print to file | Absolute file destination | file:/tmp/output.ps |
| Remote LPD | Server and remote queue | lpd://printer.example/print |
| IPP | Host, port, resource, optional authentication | ipp://printer.example/printers/office |
| Socket / JetDirect | Host, port (often 9100) | socket://printer.example:9100 |
| SMB/CIFS | Server, shared printer, optional authentication | smb://server/share |
Local devices
Section titled “Local devices”
Expert Connection tab for a parallel printer with a device path field.
Expert Connection tab for a USB printer with a device path field.
Expert Connection tab for serial printing with device, baud rate, data bits, parity, and flow control fields.
The remote queue name matters; common queue names include print, lp, direct, and hold. Some non-CUPS setups expose banner, reserved-port or data/control-file ordering options.
Expert Connection tab for Remote LPD with host, queue, and non-CUPS options.
The default IPP port is 631. Supply the resource path required by the print service and any required login credentials. Confirm the connection uses the transport and encryption settings required by your network.
Expert Connection tab for IPP with host, port, resource, and empty authentication fields.
Socket / JetDirect
Section titled “Socket / JetDirect”Direct raw TCP printing generally uses port 9100. It may bypass authentication and job control provided by a print server, so prefer a restricted network.
Expert Connection tab for socket printing with host and port fields.
SMB/CIFS
Section titled “SMB/CIFS”SMB printing requires a working Samba smbclient program and a server/share name. Avoid embedding real passwords in command history or configuration that others can read.
Expert Connection tab for Samba printing with server, resource, and empty authentication fields.
File devices
Section titled “File devices”CUPS file printing may be disabled by default. Do not change server settings without reviewing local security policy; some print systems append to output files instead of truncating them.
Expert Connection tab for printing to a file with an empty destination path.
For shell examples see configure queues by protocol.