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Use a Raspberry PI Zero W as a Wireless Print Server - Jetdirect now - Port 9100 - Raw queue

feiticeir0

Hi all.

This is an updated version of my previous blog post - Use a Raspberry PI Zero W as a Wireless Print Server

One problem of old printers is that they don't have network connectivity and or can't be shares with more users - unless the computer where they are connected shares them.

This way, we can add the printer to any Operating System using the 9100 port - just like jet direct.

It uses the xinetd super-server daemon to open the 9100 port

Hardware

There's only a few requirements needed with a Raspberry PI Zero W (or Zero 2 W or any other model)

  • USB OTG cable - to connect the printer
  • Printer with USB interface (so, not to old printers)
  • Power the RPI W with a power adapter, not a computer USB port
    • If the printer has a USB port, you can power it from that

STEPS

There are the steps we're going to take - simple and few

  1. We're going to install Raspbian OS Lite
  2. Configure CUPS and install a printer

Each step is easy and the configurations are very straightforward and fast.

Raspberry PI

First, let's install the Raspberry PI Zero W .

A 8GB SD CARD is enough. I use the Raspberry PI Imager. It's fast and there's no need to download the img file. Also, it downloads the latest version available.

image

For this, the Raspberry PI OS Lite is enough. We don't need a graphical environment.

Let's choose it. Choose "Raspberry Pi OS (other)" and then "Raspberry PI OS Lite".

imageimage

Choose the SD CARD

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Before Write, press the little cogwheel . We'll customize the installation. If we don't do this now, latter we need to connect the Raspberry PI to a monitor and keyboard to personalize the installation. The OS won't fully boot until some information is filled in . Better to do this now.

image

Set the hostname and importantly enable SSH or you'll still need to connect a monitor and keyboard (or just create an empty file named ssh on the boot partition).

image

Set the username and password, along with the WiFi details - if you're going to use WiFi

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Finally, set the WiFi country (if you configured WiFi) and locale.

image

Save and press Write.

Software

After the PI boots and you know it's IP address, lets access it using ssh and update the software

Update

Let's update the software

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Reboot

 

After the reboot, let's install cups and xinetd

Install and Configure CUPS

Let's install cups

sudo apt install cups

First, let's configure CUPS to allow us to access the Web Interface and use the DNS name instead of just the IP address.

Note: Make a backup of the file first, just in case

sudo vi /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

We just need to comment two lines and add 3 new ones

Comment the following lines (just add a # at the beginning of the line):

#Listen localhost:631
#Listen /run/cups/cups.sock

and add

Listen 631

This will allow us to access CUPS web Interface from another computer.

Next, just before the first <Location /> tag, , add the following line:

 

ServerAlias *

This will allow us to also use DNS instead of just the IP address

 

Now, inside the <Location /> and <Location /admin> blocks, add the following line, just after Order allow, deny

Allow <your_computer_ip_address>

Or, if you want to loosen up a bit, you can use a network range or just all:

Allow 172.100.0.0/24

or

Allow All

 

This will stay like:

<Location />
    Order allow,deny
    Allow 10.11.23.1
</Location>


<Location /admin>
    Order allow,deny
    Allow 10.11.23.1
</Location>

where 10.11.23.1 is my IP address

 

lpadmin group

Let's add the PI user to the lpadmin group

sudo gpasswd -a pi lpadmin

Although gpasswd will require to login again for the changes to take effect, we don't need it because it will be the cups service that will get restarted and thus, we don't need the group in the current session . But feel free .

This will allow the pi user to add, remove and configure printers

 

Now, let's enable cups and start it (or restart it)

sudo systemctl enable cups
Synchronizing state of cups.service with SysV service script with /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable cups

sudo systemctl start cups

Add a printer to cups

This is the normal procedure - add a printer to cups on any Linux, using the CUPS Web Interface.

 

Open your browser of choice and head to:

https://<your_pi_address/name>:631 and you will land at CUPS web

image

On CUPS Administration, press the "Add Printer" button

image

On the Printers list, we want the Local Printers - connected to USB. Choose the one you're connecting. In my case, a HP LajserJet 1022 - old, I know.

image

Fill in all the details. The name is specially important, since it's by it we will reach the printer. My advice is DO NOT USE SPACES.

Don't forget to tick the "Share This Printer" box.

image

Xinetd super-daemon

Let's now configure the xinetd to create a 9100 port and print anything that gets to it.

First edit the services file in /etc to add the 9100 port.

sudo vi /etc/services

This file contains "all" the network services and ports used.

add the following line to the end of the file

jetdirect <tab> <tab until aligned> 9100/tcp

save and quit

xinetd will look for any configuration files that are present at /etc/xinetd.d/ directory and load them .

Create a file in that directory. I'm going to call it jetdirect - the same name of the service above

sudo vi /etc/xinetd.d/jetdirect

Add the following lines:

# Jetdirect emulation
service jetdirect
{
        socket_type = stream
        protocol = tcp
        wait = no
        user = root
        # server = /usr/bin/lpr
        server = /usr/bin/lp
        server_args = -d HPLaserJet1022 -o raw
        groups = yes
        disable = no
}

Now, two lines you need to edit server and server_args

server can be lpr or lp . I have lp, so the argument to specify the printer name (in server_args) is -d . If you choose lpr, the argument is -P . Just change it according your preferences. Don't forget to change HPLaserJet1022 to your printer name.

server_args are the arguments you would normally pass to the lp command.

I also have -o raw . Just play with that option. If you're trying to print and see nothing or code, remove the -o raw argument and try again. Just play with it.

Let's enable the xinetd service and start it.

systemctl enable xinetd

It may give a warning saying it's not a native service.

image

After that, just restart it (it may already be started).

systemctl restart xinetd

That's it. Now we have a 9100 print queue on the Raspberry PI and can be added to a computer like a networked printer using RAW 9100.

Raspberry PI Zero 2 W RPI Zero 2 W

A nmap command:

image

References

https://tzlee.com/blog/2017/11/raspberry-pi-print-server-with-no-server-side-driver/