Applications vary enormously in the quality of their interface into the print system:
Programs with the most advanced print control, such as OpenOffice.org, load the list of queues from CUPS, including each queue's capabilities. They also let you set print optionssuch as duplexing, ink mode, paper type, and resolutionusing the Properties button in the print dialog.
Other applications,
such as Firefox and Evince, load the queue list but don't permit full control over print options. You can select the queue from a drop-down list in the print dialog.
Many other programs such as xpdf simply allow you to specify the lpr command to be used; queue selection is performed using lpr 's -P option.
The printer icon in the GNOME panel's notification area is provided by the eggcups program.
2.5.3. What About...
2.5.3.1. ...creating a group of similar printers that are accessed on a first-available-printer basis?
2.5.3.2. ...setting up more than one queue for a printer?
For example, I have a color inkjet printer, which is used in text mode with plain paper and in a photo mode with photo paper. I have created three separate queues: color0-draft for fast, low-quality printing that saves ink; color0 for regular printing; and color0-photo for photo printing. The appropriate driver options have been set for each. Although it is possible to create just one queue and set the resolution and paper type within some applications, not all applications are capable of setting those options, and it's simply faster and more convenient to have preconfigured queues. Similarly, I have single- and double-sided queues for my laser printer.
Printer queues are created with default driver options. To adjust the driver options, create the queue, and then use the Printer Options tab to access the driver settings.
2.5.3.3. ...making a PDF instead of printing?
ps2pdfFor example, you could "print" from Firefox to the file bankstatement.ps and then convert bankstatement.ps to bankstatement.pdf with this command:
$ ps2pdf bankstatement.ps
The resulting PDF file can be viewed with Evince, xpdf, or Adobe Acrobat Reader (not installed by default).
2.5.3.4. ...using an HP multifunction printer?
hplip2.5.4. Where Can I Learn More?
lpr lpq lprmLinuxPrinting.org (home of Foomatic and compatibility reports for hundreds of different printers): http://www.linuxprinting.org
CUPS web site: http://www.cups.org
Ghostscript web site: http://www.ghostscript.com
Configuring your firewall to permit remote access to CUPS printers: "Preventing Unwanted Connections"
Configuring the print service to start automatically (or not to start): Lab 4.5, "Using Runlevels "
Sharing printers using Microsoft Windows
File & Print sharing: "Configuring Samba to Share Files with Windows"
2.6. Configuring Sound
2.6.1. How Do I Do That?
To access the Soundcard Detection tool, select SystemAdministrationSoundcard Detection (or AdministrationSoundcard Detection in KDE). The window shown in Figure 2-21 will appear.
Figure 2-21. Soundcard Detection window
This window offers a minimal set of options: basically, you can select the default device to be used, and you can play a test sound.
To test your sound card, make sure that your speakers are plugged in and turned on, then click the Play button. You should hear a guitar chord played on the right, then the left, and then the right+left channels. If you don't, try selecting different device tabs (on the left side of the window) and PCM Device settings (at the bottom of the window) until you find a combination that works. Your system may have multiple sound cards (e.g., both a motherboard and PCI sound card), or there may be sound devices on your sound card that are not connected to a sound path that goes to your speakers; they may instead go to a modem, headphone jack, or thin air.
If you still don't hear anything, then it's time to break out the Volume Control/Mixer. In GNOME, you can do this either by right-clicking on the volume-control panel applet (the icon that looks like a speaker, shown way back in Figure 2-2) and selecting Open Volume Control, or by selecting the menu option SystemPreferencesVolume Control; the window shown on the right in Figure 2-22 will appear. In KDE, select Sound and VideoKMix or, if there's a volume-control icon in your panel, right-click it and select Show Mixer Window. The KMix window is shown on the left in Figure 2-22.
Figure 2-22. KDE KMix (left) and GNOME Volume Control (right)
To change which sound device is being configured, click FileChange Device and select the device from the list (in KMix, select the device using the "Current mixer" control).
Make sure the sound device you are configuring with the Volume Control/Mixer is the same device you are testing with the Soundcard Detection tool!
To change the configuration of the Volume Control, select its menu option EditPreferences. The small checkbox list shown in Figure 2-22 will appear. Until you know which control does what, I'd recommend enabling all of the controls.