Print from Linux app on Chromebook

The Linux apps in your Chromebook cannot use the printer you've installed in Chrome. To be able to print from linux apps, you need to install a printer in the Linux container itself.

First, you'll need to make sure you've tracked down a good Linux driver for your printer. This could be distributed as a .ppd file or a Debian .deb package (or an instal script or something else), depending on the printer. If it's a .deb file, go ahead and install it first before doing anything else:

sudo apt-get install ./driver_package.deb

If it is a instal script, run it from the folder you extracted it in

sudo ./install.sh Or whatever the script is called

If it's a .ppd then you should be able to just point to it later on in the process.

Once you've got the driver, install CUPS and the printer configuration tool:

sudo apt-get install cups system-config-printer

That will load up the dependencies at the same time.

When it's done, you'll sometimes need to allow access to the X Server instance:

sudo xhost +

(If that gives an error, just continue) and then launch the printer configurator:

sudo system-config-printer

There, click Add > Network Printer > Find Network Printer, enter your printer's local IP address, and click Find. If you've already installed the driver, the printer's model should show up in the list. Select it, click through a confirmation screen or two, then print a test page - success! Otherwise you'll be prompted to select the printer's make/model/driver, at which point you can select to Provide PPD file. Again, click through confirmations and successfully print a test page.