Wireless Printer Setup BrainyPi

Now as every device is getting wireless why we are using old boring traditional style printers? Wait you don't have to buy a new printer. You can use your old printer wirelessly in fact not only from one device but can access it through multiple devices, sound interesting right? So let's convert our old boring Printer into an interesting one. You just need a brainy pi and software(CUPS). The software allows you to move the printer to wherever you want and have it accessible by multiple computers rather than having it connected straight into a single computer.

It’s also a great way to share a printer without needing a costly tower computer running all the time.

Printer

Brainy pi

Ethernet/Wi-Fi

Sd card

It is very important to update the software before installing any new software

To update use the command

sudo apt update 

To upgrade use the command

sudo apt upgrade

CUPS software manages printers connected via USB or over the network, and it has the bonus of providing a management interface that you can view over the internet.

1. Install CUPS by the command

sudo apt install cups

2. After installing the first thing to do is add the pi user to the lpadmin group.

sudo usermod -a -G lpadmin pi

3. To ensure that it runs well on the home network and that is to make CUPS accessible across your whole network. Use the command

sudo cupsctl --remote-any
sudo systemctl restart cups

4. Now you can access Cups printer server by searching

http://Brainy PI IP ADDRESS

you will get the IP address by the command

hostname -I

If you want to use your print server with Windows, then setting up SAMBA correctly is very imp.

1. We will need to install SAMBA and make a few changes to its configuration to ensure that it runs correctly and utilizes the CUPS print drivers.

To install SAMBA use the command

sudo apt install samba

2. Now open the file with the nano text editor by using the command

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Now to the bottom and add or change the following lines

# CUPS printing.
[printers]
comment = All Printers
browseable = no
path = /var/spool/samba
printable = yes
guest ok = yes
read only = yes
create mask = 0700

# Windows clients look for this share name as a source of downloadable
# printer drivers
[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
browseable = yes
read only = no
guest ok = no

Save the file by pressing CTRL + X and then pressing Y and then ENTER.

3. Now restart SAMBA to get it to load in our new configuration by using command.

sudo systemctl restart smbd

You can access the web interface by searching.

https://BRAINYPI IPADDRESS

The home page will open, now you have to click on the Administration

After this, you have to click on the add printer. It will scan the printer and you can add the printer form there make sure you connect the printer with briany pi via USB also

Now you can see the added printer on the printer sections

Now you can print anything directly from the Brainy Pi as it is connected to the printer wirelessly you can access it through multiple Linux devices also.Wait for part 2 where we will access same printer from windows device