Google Cloud Print + Papercut

[RLR]

Just found out about Google Cloud Print + Papercut. This enables you to publish printers to the web and print from most internet connected devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, Android and more. It only took about 15 mins to setup:

 

Google Cloud Print

 

You can also setup Google Cloud Print without Papercut if you'd prefer.

[FN-GM]

I set this up last week, works really well. Apart from when you have multiple accounts to charge the print to. You have to go to a web interface only accessible internally and select the account you want to charge.

 

You are limited with iPads though, unless you print from the Chrome browser or use third party addons.

[localzuk]

Note: Requires some faffing with firewall rules/port opening.

[FN-GM]

Note: Requires some faffing with firewall rules/port opening.

 

It does indeed. TCP 5222 (Outbound) - only needed from the Papercut print server.

[CyberNerd]

I set this up last week, works really well. Apart from when you have multiple accounts to charge the print to. You have to go to a web interface only accessible internally and select the account you want to charge.

 

This is a bit of a faff but I can't see how it would work any other way. We decided to make the papercut server web accessible.

[FN-GM]

This is a bit of a faff but I can't see how it would work any other way. We decided to make the papercut server web accessible.

 

I would have concerns about doing this personally without some kind of proxy to protect the server.

[CyberNerd]

we used a simple reverse proxy. I'm pretty sure you could install papercut as a secondary server if you wanted.

[CHR1S]

Been doing this for the best part of a year now, its not ideal, you cant bulk "anything" in Google, adding users to printers etc, approving accounts in PC cant be bulk done (that I know of). L2ICT have a habit of losing our firewall settings so it just randomly stops working from time to time.

[CyberNerd]

Been doing this for the best part of a year now, its not ideal, you cant bulk "anything" in Google, adding users to printers etc, approving accounts in PC cant be bulk done (that I know of). L2ICT have a habit of losing our firewall settings so it just randomly stops working from time to time.

 

here are many ways to bulk add things, either using API, scripts or third party tools such as GAM

for printers see: https://github.com/jay0lee/GAM/wiki/Managing-CloudPrint-Printers

you don't need to builk add the printers if you install it to chrome(book) devices

 

 

Sharing A Printer

 

Syntax

 

gam printer add USER|MANAGER

Share the given printer with the given Google user or group. A USER is able to print to the printer. A MANAGER is able to print to the printer as well as share the printer with additional users/groups. If the printer owner is not an owner of the Google Group, an owner of the group will need to manually accept the printer on the group's behalf.

 

Note, to make a printer public, use the update printer command above.

 

Examples

 

This example shares the printer with the group [email protected].

 

gam printer 86bee4bb-c43e-8fd4-f06e-e7b8564a1c53 add USER [email protected]

this example gives [email protected] manager access to the printer.

 

gam printer 86bee4bb-c43e-8fd4-f06e-e7b8564a1c53 add MANAGER [email protected]

[FN-GM]

here are many ways to bulk add things, either using API, scripts or third party tools such as GAM

for printers see: https://github.com/jay0lee/GAM/wiki/Managing-CloudPrint-Printers

you don't need to builk add the printers if you install it to chrome(book) devices

 

This is what we use. If you share a printer with GAM it doesn't send an email, this could be seen good or bad I suppose.

[CyberNerd]

This is what we use. If you share a printer with GAM it doesn't send an email, this could be seen good or bad I suppose.

 

No, but since you have the mail address already it wouldn't be a huge leap to have the script mail your users if you wanted to!

[SpaceInvader83]

You can share a printer with a Group, that's what we do and it just shares the printer without sending them an email. We've been using it for around a year with no problems.

[j224]

Anyone else had issues with Cloud Print on Chromebooks? A class were using them the other day and only had 'Save to PDF' listed in their printer options. I logged in 15 mins later with one of the student accounts and find both of our printers listed. I'm the only ICT Technician in the school and I hadn't changed any settings in those 15 mins.

 

I suppose it's still a beta product so these things should be expected, but it's annoying!

[FN-GM]

No, but since you have the mail address already it wouldn't be a huge leap to have the script mail your users if you wanted to!

 

 

No defiantly not. I prefer not to have the share email. They can confirm the share on the print dialogue on the Chromebook or via the web interface. Saves spamming the users!

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

You can share a printer with a Group, that's what we do and it just shares the printer without sending them an email. We've been using it for around a year with no problems.

 

The problem with this it doesn't include new users who where added to the group after you shared with the printer. So the script will help in this case.

[SpaceInvader83]

Good point, I'll have a look into this, we deployed it all in one go and very little has had to change but it will in September.

[MatthewL]

For those who use accounts you can set it to bypass accounts for Google Cloud Print jobs, there is a script you can apply off the top of my head as I looked at this last week.

[CHR1S]

If you could share it that would be great. Thanks

[Bobby_Moore]

Do you need to open port 5222 to do the cost centre selection?

 

If anyone has got any guidance on this, that would also be helpful.

 

Best wishes,

Bobby

[FN-GM]

Do you need to open port 5222 to do the cost centre selection?

 

If anyone has got any guidance on this, that would also be helpful.

 

Best wishes,

Bobby

 

That port is required to connect Papercut and Google Cloud Print. Its not used for the cost centre.

[MatthewL]

For the cost centre selection are you meaning if you are using a device and printing to google cloud print printer you need to be able to access the web page to select the account? You will need 5222 to be able to communicate to talk.google.com but you will also need to open up your print server so you can go to http://server:9191/client and select it there. Hope this makes sense.

[Bobby_Moore]

So what i've discovered is you either present the server publicly and use the paper cut web clip/app (which does cost centre selection)

Google print doesn't provide this, and automatically charges the personal 'purse' - i think we are only going to be able to provide google print to students

 

Am I correct?

[MatthewL]

You can script certain printers (i.e. Google Cloud Print ones) to avoid the account selection screen when using GCP if that helps.

[CyberNerd]

The account selection screen works with Cloud print if the user is logged into the papercut web interface

[MatthewL]

Yes but only if you open that up to the relevant network weather it be your BYOD, LAN or external.