In this wiki, I will describe how to install an Epson CX-5400 Multi-function Inkjet printer on 1.6 Final using the Common Unix Printing System CUPS.

An introduction to the CUPS system can be found atWikipedia and the CUPS home page

If you are using an existing printer, I recommend you check the Open Printing printer database to see how well your printer is supported.

If you are looking to buy a new printer, the Open Printing site has recommended printers here

In DesktopBSD 1.6 Final, the required printer packages are already installed. The only setup required is to add your printer and allowed users in the CUPS printer tab. This allows printing from documents and PDF files.

Please jump to the “Web Browser Setup Interface” section below.

If you do have a problem, check the following steps below in “Add Packages” and “Configuration” sections.

First, open the DesktopBSD Package Manager and update your package list using the package manager “Update list” feature.

Then, under Packages / Settings select “Binary Packages whenever possible” This allows the package manager to build from ports if a package is not available.

Now install the following packages from the /print packages section:

- cups-base
- cups-pstoraster
- ghostscript-gpl
- gutenprint
- gutenprint-base
- gutenprint-cups
- gutenprint-ijs
- libijs

Next set up some system configuration files. You will be using the Easy Editor (ee) program started from the command line in the shell “Konsole”.

From the Kmenu at the bottom left corner of your desktop, navigate to “System” > “Konsole”.

At the shell “Konsole” prompt, edit the file /etc/devfs.rules. After “su”, you will be asked for the system root password.

su
ee /etc/devfs.rules

and add the following lines. An easy way to do this is to highlight the text on this page, copy, and paste it into the file.

# Printers
add path lpt[0-9]* mode 0660 group cups 
add path ulpt[0-9]* mode 0660 group cups 
add path unlpt[0-9]* mode 0660 group cups

In /var/log/messages you should find lines similar to these:

Oct 3 17:37:30 root kernel: ulpt0: EPSON USB MFP, rev 1.10/1.00, addr 2, iclass 255/255 Oct 3 17:37:30 root kernel: ulpt0: using bi-directional mode

Using the device name, (“ulpt0” in my case), add the following to /etc/devfs.conf:

su
ee /etc/devfs.conf

Add the following:

own     ulpt0   root:cups
perm    ulpt0   0660

Next, open /etc/group and look near the bottom for group “cups”

su
ee /etc/group

Add to /etc/group:

cups:*:193:root,<your_user_name>

Close all your programs and restart DesktopBSD with the printer left on.

Finally, in your favorite web browser (ie. Firefox, Konqueror), type in “localhost:631” to open the CUPS setup interface.

If prompted for your user name and password, use “root” and the root password.

Select “Add printer”, fill in the information fields, click “Continue”

In Device, I selected “USB Printer #1”, then “Continue” The system will now take a short time to load the printer list for the next step.

In “Make”, I selected “Epson”, then “Continue” The system will now take a short time to load the printer drivers for the next step.

In “Model”, I selected “Epson Stylus CX5400 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.1.3 (en), then “Add Printer”

You will now be in the Printer tab and can set allowed users.

Click the “Set Allowed Users” button, and add root and other users seperated by a comma as shown.

You can click the “Set as Default” button to make this the default printer.

I then selected the “Printer” tab, clicked the “Print test page”, and successfully printed a test page.

Clicking the “Set print options” button allows you to select paper sizes and other printer options.

— updated by tippekanu 2008/1/19 15:26

It's fairly simple, if you know how to do it. At first you have to install Xsane, this is a frontend to the widely known Sane project. If you are willing to buy new scanner hardware, have a look at the Sane database, if not, you will certainly regret it

install graphics/xsane, according to those instructions:

Installing Software

If you are ready, you have to give users some permissions or root only can use the scanner hardware.

Edit or create the file rc.local

#su
#ee /etc/rc.local

and add the following lines,

devfs ruleset 100
devfs rule add path ugen* mode 0666
devfs rule add path uscanner* mode 0666
devfs rule applyset

You can read more about it via,

man devfs

I saw this functional solution, after struggling with the devices, at CrashMail.

This will set the permissions for ugen and uscanner for users in the system. After a restart, you can start and use Xsane as user too. You see ugen and uscanner above, most scanner hardware will be detected as ugen, but this is no problem because if sane knows them, it's okay. The proper detection would be as uscanner, so I added both of them, just in case. By the way, this works with Webcam with DesktopBSD and digital cameras too (ugen).