Allow Non Admin Users to Add Printers At Home

[ferriterj1]

Hey!

I work in a school district where we have given teachers MacBooks. We have restricted the teachers from adding printers because we would really like to cut down on the insane amount of printing that they were doing. Before we had done this, a lot of the teachers had brought their own personal computers and added our IP base network printers. So we were thinking that they would do the same with their new district issued MacBooks and blocked the addition of printers behind admin credentials.

We have given them the option to all print to the district's Xerox machines and that's it. However, a lot of these users would like to add their own personal printers. I was wondering if there was a way to allow the users to add their own personal home printers while still restricting them from adding a IP based network printer?

I've seen some scripts that would add the user to a specific group that would allow them to add printers, but I am nervous that this would allow them to start adding printers here within the district?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[jcarr]

Adding the users to the lpadmin group should do the trick.

[ferriterj1]

I was reading about the lpadmin group, but could use some clarification.
This would allow them to add a printer from home but not allow them to enter ip addresses for network printers? Is there more to it than that?

Also, I appreciate the response!

Thanks!

[bse_college]

Check this...

https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/8666/unlockaddprinter-sh

[rqomsiya]

I'm not sure you can limit the user to adding printers without IP. Most home/personal use printers are Wi-Fi based and the easiest way to set those up is via IP.

On another note, this is what we use in house...

#!/bin/bash

# Allow staff to add printers and manage print queue without administrative rights
/usr/sbin/dseditgroup -o edit -a everyone -t group lpadmin

exit 0

[SirDewalt]

This worked great for me, Thanks

[dsavageED]

We use -

#!/bin/bash
# Workaround as shown in https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/19050/add-wifi-networks-without-admin-privileges
# Allows non-admin users to add printers and manage their WiFi configuration.

#For WiFi

/usr/bin/security authorizationdb write system.preferences.network allow
/usr/bin/security authorizationdb write system.services.systemconfiguration.network allow

#For printing

/usr/bin/security authorizationdb write system.preferences.printing allow
/usr/bin/security authorizationdb write system.print.operator allow
/usr/sbin/dseditgroup -o edit -n /Local/Default -a everyone -t group lpadmin
/usr/sbin/dseditgroup -o edit -n /Local/Default -a everyone -t group _lpadmin

exit 0;

[Mac_User_]

Perfect solution, Thanks @dsavageED !

[boblauterbach]

All the suggestions don't work on Ventura, and probably Monterey and Big Sur.

I'm running MacOS Ventura and Jamf 10.45.1, and there is a solution.

In Jamf Configuration Policies, under Printing, click Allow user to modify printer list, AND Allow printers that connect directly to the user's computer.

After checking those two boxes and making sure the affected computers have picked up the new profiles, the standard and mobile users are now able to add printers.

[BL-ay]

Is there any other solution for macOS Sonoma version 14.4 and higher?
Since version 14.4. our users get the admin prompt again...
We use the same profile settings, @boblauterbach provided.

[karengarner]

Has anyone been able to get this to work on Sonoma 14.4 and higher. We are being asked for admin rights..

[dstranathan]

I tested the script and the profile posted above by @dsavageED and @boblauterbach 

 and neither option works on my Sonoma 14.4 test Macs.

[JBPiper]

This microsoft guide might work, havent tried yet...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/universal-print/macos/universal-print-macos-guide-remove-admin-req...

By default, installing printers on macOS requires users to be administrators. This default is controlled by the policy settings in /etc/cups/cupsd.conf and can be changed.

1. Update the <Limit> directive on line 59 to add CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer. This tag is the default access group with no Require clause, so making this change allows any user to install/delete/modify printers.
2. Update the <Limit> directive on line 75 to remove CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer. This access group requires @system permissions, so we want to remove that requirement.

[RKilburn1]

Yep- the Jamf Configuration Profile worked for us on Sonoma...  Create a new Config Profile and edit the printing option...

[RKilburn1]

The Jamf Configuration Profile worked for us on Sonoma...

[RKilburn1]

One note- it's a Configuration Profile- not a Policy.  But it >is< in there- thanks!!

[RKilburn1]

Oh, and it worked for us on Sonoma.

[karengarner]

I have this setup on my system as a configuration profile, however it is still asking for administrators name to allow adding a printer

[RKilburn1]

Weird- you sure it is scoped to your test device?  I had the same issue to solve today and it's working on two machines.  If you can't get it to work, I'd open a support ticket with JAMF