Sharing Linux printer with Mac

Question

P4 with Debian Etch (testing), kernel 2.6.12-1-686,
Gnome desktop and USB attached printer and scanner
PMac G5 running OS X Tiger (10.4.4)
I've got my AppleTalk/zeroconf LAN setup working for file sharing - with netatalk and task-howl on the Linux box.
When I had my printer connected to my Mac I could print to it from the Linux box with just CUPS whether the Mac AppleTalk connection with the Linux box was active or not. Then I decided I wanted more desk space around my Mac and moved the printer to my Linux box. Now I can print from my Linux box, but I can't seem to figure out how to print to it from my Mac :-P
For once I'm finding the printer setup on my Mac the more difficult I've tried it outside the AppleTalk connection by simply supplying an address of 192.168.2.69:631 and though the printer definition is accepted, actual printing says the printer is busy. I've also tried it with the AppleTalk connection up, again supplying the same address, with the same results. I've also tried variations of addresses without success.
I'm sure I'm tripping over the obvious but what??? Is there a way to specify the Linux printer from my Mac outside AppleTalk? Or if I need to through AppleTalk, do I need to further edit my Linux netatalk setup - maybe the papd.conf???
If I do need to (somehow) use the Linux printer with AppleTalk, there is another lesser question. How do I ensure that the howl tools (mDNSResponder for advertising) start at login like afpd and atalkd. Following is the mDNSBrowse info if it's any help.
I'm keeping notes on the detail steps in order to share the setup with anyone else they might help, so if you want to see the detail steps I've taken so far I can send along the text file or put it up on my dotMac account for download.
Thanks,
Lee C
debian1:/home/leec# /etc/init.d/mdnsresponder restart
Stopping Rendezvous service discovery responder daemon: mDNSResponder.
Starting Rendezvous service discovery responder daemon: mDNSResponder.
debian1:/home/leec# mDNSBrowse afpovertcp.tcp
browse reply: Add Service debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local.
browse reply: Add Service debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local.
resolve reply: debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 169.254.103.69 548
resolve reply: debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 169.254.103.69 548
resolve reply: debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 169.254.103.69 548
resolve reply: debian1 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 169.254.103.69 548
browse reply: Add Service slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local.
browse reply: Add Service slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local.
resolve reply: slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 192.168.2.14 548
resolve reply: slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 192.168.2.14 548
resolve reply: slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 192.168.2.14 548
resolve reply: slpmacg5 afpovertcp.tcp. local. 192.168.2.14 548

Answer 1

Hi Lee,
   Of course I don't mind your sharing my instructions; the more testing we have the better. Did you not have to do any configuration of netatalk and the howl-tools? I know it's zeroconf but I've never dealt with an app that didn't require some configuration. Well, maybe the dream is true...
   In theory my instructions are symmetric. The Mac's /etc/cups/client.conf file has a ServerName line. Of course, whether or not Apple's print mechanism will honor it is another matter. I can't test it but I would think it worth a try. I would think that getting printing to work from Mac to Linux would require that the Linux server be setup to share its printer via CUPS as I described.
   Once the Linux box is sharing its printer via CUPS, here is how I would guess you should add it to the Mac via the Printer Setup Utility.
In the "Printers" menu, select "Add Printer...". The Printer Browser dialog will open. Click on the "IP Printer" button, the second button at the top left. Beside "Protocol:" select "Internet Printing Protocol - IPP". That is the protocol CUPS uses and points to port 631 which is what you want for a printer shared via CUPS. In the address line naturally you want to put the local address of Linux box. Under "Queue:" you can put the name you chose when you setup the Linux printer to work with CUPS. However, assuming that you only have one print queue, it should work to leave that blank.
Below that is another group of fields to fill in. I'm not sure how important they are. I am guessing here since I haven't tested it but I would guess that "Name:" and "Location:" are for display purposes only and that what you put there doesn't really matter. The "Print Using:" menu is another matter. I'm sure that the driver resides on the machine to which the printer is attached so specifying a driver on the client doesn't really make sense to me if you're using IPP. I know that in a purely Linux environment, all I have to specify is the ServerName so no driver should be necessary. I would think that "Auto Select" would be the best choice if you have to make one but I would try not doing anything with it if you can. If neither of those work, try selecting the actual make of the printer. Since you had it connected to the Mac once, I assume that you actually do have a driver. I just don't see why you would need it.
   Setting up the printer to work with CUPS was the only thing that I really had to research when setting up our Linux lab and server. I think the only important decision was the driver. The printer that our Linux server uses is itself a JetDirect network printer so the Device URI was actually important as well but the printer currently connected to my Mac (OS X configured CUPS automatically) has a Device URI of file:///dev/null so it can't be very important for a local printer. However, if the Linux box has a device file for the local printer, you may have to use that as the Device URI. (with file:// in front of it)
   If you've set the cups.conf file as I described in my instructions, (allow the Mac access to <Location />) you can actually configure the CUPS queue via the web from the Mac. Just aim your browser to http://<Linux_IP>:631/printers and click on the "Add Printer" link at the bottom left if it isn't already listed. If it is already listed then maybe Linux configures local printers automatically too. Otherwise you may have to click on the "Configure Printer" link.
Gary
~~~~
   You may be right, I may be crazy,
   But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for!
         -- Billy Joel