Self Service printers

donmontalvo
Esteemed Contributor III

We have a request to provide printers to Mac users. Users OS ranges from 10.3/4/5/6. Printers are set up with IP reservation (no Appletalk; not printing through any Windows printer servers). I remember reading posts on this lists regarding providing printers via Self Service, and how it may have been necessary to publish each printer for each of the user OS'es. Is this still necessary with 7.21? How many of you are publishing printers via Self Service? How are you doing it? Is it working well for you?

Thanks,
Don

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https://donmontalvo.com
2 REPLIES 2

ernstcs
Contributor III

The issue with doing printers per OS is not an issue of the JSS, it's a driver difference issue from one major OS release to another, like 10.4 to 10.5 for example. I'm sure the issue is similar with 10.6, but perhaps less with the driver downloads through ASUS.

Craig Ernst

donmontalvo
Esteemed Contributor III

Hi Craig,

Sorry to see you're working this weekend. I'm just logging on to catch up on emails (OK, I guess that's working too <g>).

Our plan includes a once-per-computer push of the combined printer pkg for that brand. Example, HP:

10.6: http://support.apple.com/kb/dl907 10.5: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/hpprinterdriver111.html

This way we can ensure all computers have the latest drivers for the printers they're pulling down. We'll need to test to see if this will "break" any other printer of that brand that may already exist on the Mac. My guess (premature) is that the OS will remap to the correct updated printer. We'll need to confirm of course.

So we'll have a policy that'll scope to 10.5 and one for 10.6. Policy checks for receipt for requisite printer driver pkg (above). If not present, install the drivers, then configure the printer. If present, skip driver install and configure the printer. Will post back after we've tested.

For now, 10.3/4 users will be excluded from all this...at least until we can iron out the details and test on those OS'es.

Thanks,
Don

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https://donmontalvo.com