Step-by-step – AirPrint Ubuntu 18.04 Installation

GNU/Linux Ubuntu 18.04 Installing AirPrint – QuickStart Guide

Hi! This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on How to Install AirPrint Service and Add Network Printer in Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic LTS GNU/Linux Desktop.

The AirPrint Server was devised by Apple Inc to enable an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod Touch or a Mac, to print without having to Install Drivers on the Client Device.

Here are some key points about AirPrint:

• Wireless Printing: AirPrint allows users to print documents, photos, emails, and web pages from their iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Mac without the need for additional drivers or software.
• Compatibility: AirPrint is compatible with a wide range of printers from various manufacturers. However, not all printers support AirPrint, so it’s essential to check the compatibility of your printer before attempting to use this feature.
• Ease of Use: Printing with AirPrint is straightforward. Users simply need to select the content they want to print and choose the AirPrint-enabled printer from the list of available devices. There’s no need for cables or complicated setup processes.
• Security: AirPrint uses industry-standard encryption to secure print jobs, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected during transmission.
• Expanding Functionality: Over the years, Apple has continued to enhance AirPrint’s functionality, adding features such as the ability to print to shared printers on a network and support for advanced printing options like duplex printing.
• Third-Party Apps: Some third-party apps also leverage AirPrint functionality to provide additional printing capabilities or to enable printing from non-Apple devices.

Overall, AirPrint simplifies the printing process for Apple device users, offering a convenient and hassle-free way to print documents and photos wirelessly.

More and more new Printers come with Firmware to support AirPrint. In fact, it would be unusual nowadays for a network-aware printer not to provide AirPrint support.

Especially relevant, there are two Technologies required to use the AirPrint facility on a Printer:

• The Printer must be advertised with Bonjour broadcasting.

• The printer must communicate with the client using the IPP Protocol.

Moreover, the IPP Protocol is supported from most Network Printers and the Zeroconf Bonjour Avahi Linux Service implementation is available on most GNU/Linux Systems.

Finally, as a mandatory for the AirPrint Setup follow instructions to check if the Printer is correctly Installed on the GNU/Linux System.

1. 1. Launching Terminal

   Open a Terminal Shell Emulator Window:
   (Press “Enter” to Execute Commands)

   
   In case first see: Terminal QuickStart Guide.
   

2. 2. Installing CUPS

   And to Install CUPS in Ubuntu Linux
   Simply run:

   sudo apt install cups cups-client cups-filters cups-ipp-utils

   Authenticate with the User Admin Pass.
   If Got “User is Not in Sudoers file” then see: How to Enable sudo.

3. 3. Running CUPS

   Then to Start CUPS Service
   Execute:

   sudo service cups start

   And to Enable it at Boot:

   sudo systemctl enable cups