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SLY
Asked: 2011-09-09 13:15:20 +0800 CST

Getting an iPad to print on a corporate windows network

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My users want to use an iPad to print to our network printers. The printers are shared using a Windows 2008 R2 Server. I've looked into getting AirPrint to work but haven't had any success.

I would consider a Mac OS X VM or maybe a mac mini on the network.

printing windows-server-2008-r2 ipad

2 Answers

  1. There are AirPrint home-made daemons you can use (same as there are home-made AirPlay daemons as well), but I think you'll have trouble getting a sysadmin agreeing to install and support them on your print servers.

    These solutions all involve installing iTunes and then using its Bonjour service to share the printer. I haven't actually had success on getting it to work (at home, not at work), but others have.

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  2. Best Answer

    OK. I was successfully able to use AirPrint on my corporate network (I am the sysadmin). I was unable to print to severs shared using SMB Shares. I was only able to successully print to printers with print servers built into them, using their IP Address on port 9100.

    1) Install a VM with Ubuntu 11.11 beta Oneiric Ocelot. Update your packages. 

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

    2) Add the printer using these instructions

    1. On your computer start system-config-printer via System -> Administration -> Printing (GNOME Classic) or via Turn-off-button at the upper right -> System Settings -> Hardware -> Printing (Unity Natty) or via the command line (all systems including Unity Oneiric).

    2. In system-config-printer choose Server -> Settings and activate "Published shared printers connected to this system". Click OK and then right-click on the icon of your print queue and choose Properties in the pop-up menu. In the Policies section of the dialog make sure that "Shared" is activated.

    YOU MUST ADD THE PRINTER USING HP/APP SOCKET.

    3) Get the AirPrint Generate script from github here. (More info)

    ./airprint-generate.py

    This will generate PRINTER.servicefiles.

    cp PRINTER.service /etc/avahi/services/

    4) edit /etc/cups/cups.conf add a line

    ServerAlias * under the line Port 631

    5) Restart avahi and cups

    NOTE: To debug use avahi-browse.

    avahi-browse --terminate --resolve _ipp._tcp

    Sources:

    http://digitizor.com/2011/06/29/ubuntu-apple-airprint/

    http://www.atxconsulting.com/blog/tjfontaine/2010/11/21/automatically-generate-airprint-avahi-service-files-cups-printers/

    http://www.finnie.org/2010/11/13/airprint-and-linux/

    https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2011-June/033611.html

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