Hi!

I have setup ScanServJS which is an awesome web page that access your scanner and let you scan and download the scanned pages from your self hosted web server. I have the scanner configured via sane locally on the server and now I can scan via web from whatever device (phone, laptop, tablet, whatever) with the same consistent web interface for everyone. No need to configure drivers anywhere else.

I want to do the same with printing. On my server, the printer is already configured using CUPS, and I can print from Linux laptops via shared cups printer. But that require a setup anyway, and while I could make it work for phones and tablets, I want to avoid that

I would like to setup a nice web page, like for the scanner, where the users no matter the device they use, can upload files and print them. Without installing nor configuring anything on their devices.

Is there anything that I can self-host to this end?

  • just_another_person@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Gotta say, this question and the process explained threw me for a loop.

    You have a network print server where it’s advertising an available printer, but instead of the native printer system on a client device, you want to NOT use the CUPS server to print? That’s what it’s there for. I’m confused on why you have it then.

    If your goal is just to have clients print as directly as possible to a printer…you already have that with CUPS running. I guess I’m not getting why submitting via web form is useful in this case.

    • Shimitar@feddit.itOPEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      I want to print from a web page: upload the file, hit print button.

      In this way I can print from whatever device I want even without any driver installed or configuration.

        • Shimitar@feddit.itOPEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          I known cups can share printers and queues.

          What is unclear?

          I don’t want to pull drivers or install cups on devices. I want to print from anywhere just uploading a file to a web page.

          If I have lots of devices or just want to let somebody print from his phone/tablet without installing or configuring anything…

          With cups I still need to touch the system or the device somehow to let it print.

          • lemmyvore@feddit.nlEnglish
            2·
            2 months ago

            You don’t have to install drivers or CUPS on client devices. Linux and Android support IPP out of the box. Just make sure your CUPS on the server is multicasting to the LAN.

            You may need to install Avahi on the server if it’s not already (that’s what does the actual multicasting). The printer(s) should then auto magically appear in the print dialogs on apps on Linux clients and in the printer service on Android.

            On Linux it may take a few seconds to appear after you turn it on and may not appear when it’s off. On Android it shows up anyways as long as the CUPS server is on.

          • just_another_person@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            2 months ago

            I am saying that CUPS requires zero drivers or anything else from clients. It advertises the printer on the network, a device sees it, and submits a job. That’s it. Exactly what you are describing doing with a web form, except CUPS already does all of this.

            Sounds like you’re not sure how it works.

            • Shimitar@feddit.itOPEnglish
              1·
              2 months ago

              It still requires the device to be capable to print…

              And the user to find the printer select it and so on. And must expose more ports on the network beside 443…

              So, indeed cups is a great solution, but not to the problem I want to solve.

              I do use cups in fact for the trusted part of the network, driverless printing for windows and Linux. Android doesn’t even need cups since it picks up the printer directly from the printer itself (AirPrint or whatevee that’s called).