Installing The Software - Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE SERVER 10 SP2 - INSTALLATION AND ADMINISTRATION Installation Manual

these platforms, printing is only possible over the network. The cabling for network
printers must be installed according to the instructions of the printer manufacturer. ◄
WARNING: Changing Cable Connections in a Running System
When connecting the printer to the machine, do not forget that only USB de-
vices can be plugged in or unplugged during operation. To avoid damaging
your system or printer, shut down the system before changing any connections
that are not USB.

23.3 Installing the Software

PPD (PostScript printer description) is the computer language that describes the prop-
erties, like resolution, and options, such as the availability of a duplex unit. These de-
scriptions are required for using various printer options in CUPS. Without a PPD file,
the print data would be forwarded to the printer in a "raw" state, which is usually not
desired. During the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise, many PPD files are prein-
stalled to enable even printers without PostScript support to be used.
To configure a PostScript printer, the best approach is to get a suitable PPD file. Many
PPD files are available in the package manufacturer-PPDs, which is automatically
installed within the scope of the standard installation. See Section 23.8.3, "PPD Files
in Various Packages" (page 452) and Section 23.9.2, "No Suitable PPD File Available
for a PostScript Printer" (page 456).
New PPD files can be stored in the directory /usr/share/cups/model/ or added
to the print system with YaST (as described in Section "Adding PPD Files with YaST"
(page 446)). Subsequently, the PPD file can be selected during the installation.
Be careful if a printer manufacturer wants you to install entire software packages in
addition to modifying configuration files. First, this kind of installation would result in
the loss of the support provided by SUSE Linux Enterprise and, second, print commands
may work differently and the system may no longer be able to address devices of other
manufacturers. For this reason, the installation of manufacturer software is not recom-
mended.
442 Installation and Administration