Today's Linux Nugget

I've been using Linux almost exclusively for quite a few months now and I have been avoiding setting up my printer until I needed it because it is connected via a USB to parallel port adapter and it didn't work out of the box. Linux seems to have no idea it is there.

Well, today I needed it. I rolled up my sleeves and got ready for frustration, but it wasn't that bad. Contrary to what I thought, there is no driver that I needed to install for the USB to parallel adapter. In fact, it was already installed.

~$ ls /dev/u*
/dev/urandom  /dev/usblp0  /dev/usbmon0  /dev/usbmon1  /dev/usbmon2

It is right there as /dev/usblp0. But the printing system in Gnome seems to know nothing about it. So how do I add my printer?

Assuming you are running Ubuntu 10.04 as I am: Select System > Administration > Printing, click the Add button, then select Other in the devices list. Now enter the magical device URI:

parallel:/dev/usblp0

Add your printer using the built-in Linux driver and voila!