Can't get a Slackware Airprint server working
 

Hi,

I'm trying to make a Slackware 14.1 box working as a wireless print server with airprint support for iPads.

I tried to follow the Tutorial https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/blog/rod3775-407266/building-a-cups-server-for-a-network-with-slackware-37415, but my server box has only wlan0 connected to the local network and I'm not sure how to set up hostapd or if I need it at all. Do I really need to set up a new network?

I installed hostapd, libdaemon, avahi and nss-mdns from SBo, rebuilt and installed the cups package with avahi and mdns enabled, edited /etc/cups/cupsd.conf, replaced the gstoraster bin with the perl script (in /usr/lib/cups/filter/), created the mime files, and ran airprint-generate script, all according to the tutorial. Also I read the Linux magazine article linked in the tutorial.

Now the iPad finds the remote printer and if it prints, a processing dialog window appears and disappears after one or two seconds, so I think it's sending the data to the server, but cups doesn't recognize anything. There's no print out and no log file entry.

Here is what my /etc/hosts entry looks like: (I replaced the real host name, domain and IP)

For the network connection I use wicd.

In /etc/cups/cupsd.conf I tested using "ServerAlias *" as well as "ServerAlias <hostname>.local <hostname>.<domain>" but that doesn't seem to change anything.
Also I tested rebuilding and installing cups 2.1.4 and 2.2.8, but that also made no difference.

Remote printing from other Slackware systems using ipp works fine.

Can anybody give me a hint what I'm doing wrong please? How can I make it work?

Did you create the user "avahi" ?

Yes.
The avahi.Slackbuild script requires to create the avahi group and user before building the package.
Avahi is installed and running. With "avahi-browse -a" I can see that.
Also the iPad sees the printer. But no printing job reaches cups. The cups log files don't show any event when a job is sent from the iPad.

I also made the entries in /etc/rc.d/rc.M to start /etc/rc.d/rc.hostapd, /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidaemon, /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidnsconfd and /etc/rc.d/rc.cups in the order described in the tutorial, and I tested putting mdns to /etc/nsswitch.conf in the line "hosts:...", and after every change in /etc/hosts I made a reboot of the system.

But still no success. :(

perhaps you need an explicit "allow" directive in the location part of cupsd.conf...

Sorry I didn't reply, but now I have no iPad to test it with. As soon as I can test it I'll give a response.

Is there way to check if avahi is working correctly by using GNU/Linux system instead of an iPad?

As I already mentioned, CUPS is working from remote Slackware machines using ipp.

Now I tested printing from an Android phone and two iPhones and all work fine. Also printing from a newer iPad works. It's an older iPad that doesn't work and I couldn't find the reason why, but now it's a minor issue.

Thanks for your support.