Getting Started With Solaris Print Manager

Solaris Print Manager is a Java-based graphical user interface that enables you to manage local and remote printer configuration. This tool can be used in the following naming service environments: LDAP, NIS, NIS+, and files. You must be logged in as superuser to use this tool.

Use Solaris Print Manager to set up print servers and print clients (Add Access to Printer). An attached printer is a printer that is physically cabled to the print server. A network-attached printer is physically attached to the network. Adding access to a printer, or adding remote access to a printer, is the process of giving print clients (all those machines that are not the server) access to the printer. For more information about printing terms, see Glossary.

Solaris 10 5/08: The print system can use and recognize localhost as the host name in the print system databases. Previously, /bin/hostname was used to generate the print host name. These improvements were made to enable print servers to maintain the same print host name, independent of the machine host name. For more information, see How to Add a Print Queue With localhost Specified as the Host Name (Solaris Print Manager).

How to Start Solaris Print Manager

1. Before you start Solaris Print Manager, verify that the following prerequisites are met:

   • You must have a bitmapped display monitor, such as the standard display monitor that comes with an Oracle workstation. Solaris Print Manager can be used only on a system with a console that is a bitmapped screen.

   • You must be running an X Window System, such as the GNOME Desktop Environment, or be using the remote display feature on a system running an xhost environment.

   • You must be logged in as superuser or assume an equivalent role on the print server.

   • You must have the required access privileges for managing the LDAP, NIS, and NIS+ databases.

     If your naming service is LDAP, you must have the following items:

     • The distinguished name (DN) of a printer administrator and password in the directory.

     • The name or IP address of an LDAP server hosting the administered domain. This information is usually displayed and selected automatically.

     If your naming service is NIS, you must have the root password for the NIS master.

   • If you naming service is NIS+, you might need to complete the following steps.

     1. Log in to the NIS+ master as superuser.

     2. Identify the group that owns the printers table.

        # niscat -o printers.org_dir.domain-name.com
                    .
                    .
                    .
                 Group        : "admin.domain-name.com"

     3. If necessary, add the system that runs Solaris Print Manager to the NIS+ admin group authorized to update the printers.org_dir.<domain> file.

        # nisgrpadm -a admin.domain-name.com hostname

     4. As superuser, log in to the system that runs Solaris Print Manager. Your NIS+ configuration might make it necessary to run the /usr/bin/keylogin command. For more information, see the keylogin(1) man page.

   • Have the SUNWppm package installed.

     # pkginfo | grep SUNWppm
     system      SUNWppm        Solaris Print Manager

2. Start Solaris Print Manager by using one of the following methods:

   • Select Add/Remove Printer in the GNOME Desktop.

     Launch -> Preferences -> System Preferences -> Add/Remove Printer

     You are prompted for the root password.

   • Type the following command:

     # /usr/sbin/printmgr &

     ---

     Note - You can also start Solaris Print Manager by using the original path of the printmgr command:

     # /usr/sadm/admin/bin/printmgr &

     ---

     The Select Naming Service window overlays the Solaris Print Manager main window.

   If Solaris Print Manager fails to start from the GNOME Desktop menu or from the command line, check the following:

   • Superuser (root) might not have permission to connect to the X-server process on the local system or the remote system. In this case, type the following:

     $ ssh -Xhostname
     $ su
     (Enter root's password)
     # /usr/sbin/printmgr &

     Replace hostname with either the local system name or the remote system name before restarting Solaris Print Manager.

   • Verify that the SUNWppm package is installed on the local system or the remote system.

     $ pkginfo | grep SUNWppm

3. Select the naming service that is used in your network from the Select Naming Service window. The choices are: LDAP, NIS, NIS+, or files.
4. Check that the domain name is correct.

   The Solaris Print Manager main menu is displayed after the naming service is loaded successfully.