Deploying printer drivers that are normally downloaded from Apple updates

[medwards98020]

Hello, folks - Trying to set up some HP printers on new or re-wiped computer installs - in this case, HP5200 DTNs and an HP p3015. Also, in our environment, we are using DNS names via IP printers - LPD. Not sure what the best way to go about this is, but here's what I've tried:
1) Snapshot an install and update of the printer, then deploy this as the driver, followed by printer captured by admin. Errors out.

2) Install driver package from Apple (https://support.apple.com/kb/dl907?locale=en_US), followed by printer captured by admin. Complains that printer is installed incorrectly, requires download to fix it, but then works. But, the idea is to have it work out of the gate.

3) Checked for drivers from HP - nope, they are handled by Apple update.

Rather than continue to spin my wheels, I thought I'd check in and see what folks are doing for print drivers that are handled via Apple updates.

[stevewood · Accepted solution]

Hey there @medwards98020

When I deploy HP printers, I will install the driver that comes from Apple and then deploy the printer via a script. I do not capture printers with Casper anymore.

So to deploy a p3015 with a DNS name of p3015.mydomain.com, I would use the following via script:

lpadmin -p p3015 -L "Location of Printer" -E -o printer-is-shared=false -v lpd://p3015.mydomain.com -P /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/HP LaserJet P3010 Series.gz

I have had a lot of luck using this method rather than capturing the printer.

[stevewood · Accepted solution]

Hey there @medwards98020

When I deploy HP printers, I will install the driver that comes from Apple and then deploy the printer via a script. I do not capture printers with Casper anymore.

So to deploy a p3015 with a DNS name of p3015.mydomain.com, I would use the following via script:

lpadmin -p p3015 -L "Location of Printer" -E -o printer-is-shared=false -v lpd://p3015.mydomain.com -P /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/HP LaserJet P3010 Series.gz

I have had a lot of luck using this method rather than capturing the printer.

[timlarsen]

We ran into a similar issue when we were first developing our 10.10 image... Anytime I tried to use a network printer I would get the same errors you did. Ultimately, we just download Apple's HP and Canon PKG's (I believe they also provide an Epson package) directly off their support page and drop it into Casper Admin (similar to you snapshot packaging resulted in problematic results). We set them to install during the imaging process, but also include a Repair Disk Permissions script (diskutil repairPermissions /) to run "At Reboot". This seems to do the trick for us consistently. For some reason if you Repair Disk Permissions in the UI after manually installing Apple's package you also need to "Reset Printing System" and reboot. As something to try maybe add the printers using CUPS (see lpadmin man page) instead of Casper capturing? Likely, though your issues are with driver permissions and not the PPDs. Good luck!

[medwards98020]

Hmmm. I may try and snapshot the Apple install disk (as opposed to trying to snapshot the update process, which is what I was doing previously) as just dropping the HP PKG into Casper Admin generates a package that mounts, then unmounts, but doesn't actually install anything.

That is, I can see it mounting and unmounting in the console of the target machine, but no PDDs get installed. Running it locally works fine.

[stevewood · Accepted solution]

I go to the Apple support pages, find the latest driver DMG, download that file, mount the DMG, and then drag and drop the PKG file that is in the DMG into Casper Admin. I've had no problems with that method. I do not capture the driver using Composer or anything like that.

[stevewood]

I just looked up the link to download and came up with this:

Apple Support

[medwards98020]

Nah, I was just realizing that I was an idiot just now - dragged the dmg instead of the pkg into Admin while trying the Apple package. Re-imaging and trying again.

[atrivas]

In my environment we send print jobs to an AD Print Server. I install the Apple HP 3.0 driver on a base image. Install the printer with the DNS Name of the print server and queue exactly as queue name on print server. I select the driver that was previously installed for the HP model printer. I then move printer to JSS with Casper Admin.

My image workflow includes the Apple HP 3.0 driver to be installed on boot drive after imaging. A policy later only has the printer mapping when it senses correct network segment/building.

This works pretty darn good however I have one continued issue that I don't think has to do with my workflow. Over time something changes on the client machine, the driver get's dis-associated with the printer object on the machine. JSS shows printer (NO PPD) If I build the printer object in a policy and unmap old remap new it finds the driver existing on the client and works fine. If anyone has seen this or has ideas let me know. If I ever figure it out I'll update.

[medwards98020]

That worked for me (putting the Apple downloaded pkg into Casper, pushing that out, and then configuring the printer via lpadmin).