USB Printing in VE

This howto tries to cover the "device" configuration for printing with a USB printer in a Container. Please refer to your specific distro for required printing packages. Please note that ownership/permission/devices are referred to my system and you have to adapt to YOUR configuration: they are reported only as an EXAMPLE.

• Install usbutils in both HN and VE.
• In a shell on HN type lsusb and you'll get the list fo the usb devices on your system:

 Bus 002 Device 006: ID 0dda:2026 Integrated Circuit Solution, Inc. USB2.0 Card Reader
 Bus 002 Device 005: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
 Bus 002 Device 003: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002  
 Bus 008 Device 005: ID 04b8:0005 Seiko Epson Corp. Stylus Printer
 Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  
 Bus 007 Device 002: ID 046d:c044 Logitech, Inc. 
 Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  
 Bus 006 Device 002: ID 051d:0002 American Power Conversion Uninterruptible Power Supply 
 Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002  
 Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 

• Now examine the output of your command and you'll see two important lines: one for your printer and one for the usb port at which is attached, in my case:

 Bus 008 Device 005: ID 04b8:0005 Seiko Epson Corp. Stylus Printer
 Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001

• In /dev directory in HN you should have:
  • a symlink to your usb printer: lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Nov 28 14:14 usblp0 -> usb/lp0
  • a usb directory
  • a printer inside the /dev/usb directory: crw-rw---- 1 root lp 180, 0 Nov 28 14:14 lp0
  • a bus/usb directory
  • many directories in bus/usb: named with the bus number that you got with the first lsusb command. In this example the relevant one is 008
  • in the numbered subdirectory 1 file for every usb device attached to this bus, the first one is the usb port:
    • crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 896 Nov 24 16:16 001
    • crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 900 Nov 28 14:14 005
• Now that you have an idea of the general structure of your usb devices you have to replicate them on your VE.
  • enter your VE: vzctl enter VE_NUMBER
  • create in /dev (if not present) the usb directory
  • create in /dev/usb the printer device typing: mknod lp0 c 180 0
    • give the correct ownership/permission to the new created device typing:
      • chown root:lp lp0
      • chmod 660 lp0
      • check with ls -l lp0 if the new device is IDENTICAL to the one in HN --> crw-rw---- 1 root lp 180, 0 Nov 27 13:51 lp0
  • go back to /dev and create a symlink to the printer device: ln -s /dev/usb/lp0 /dev/usblp0
  • create all the needed directories:
    • mkdir /dev/bus
    • mkdir /dev/bus/usb
    • mkdir /dev/bus/usb/008
  • switch to /dev/bus/usb/008 directory and create there the needed devices: one for the usb port and one for the printer
    • mknod 001 c 189 896
    • mknod 005 c 189 900
  • assign ownership/permissions:
    • chown root:usb *
    • chmod 664 *
    • check everything: ls -l should give the same results as in HN:
    • crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 896 Nov 27 13:29 001
    • crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 900 Nov 27 13:30 005
• Doublecheck everything!
• Now edit your VE_NUMBER.conf adding this line: DEVICES="c:180:0:rw c:189:896:rw c:189:900:rw"
  • These are the devices replicated in the VE with mknod.
• Almost there: restart your VE and enter it.
• In VE type: lsusb and you should see the two devices created before:

 Bus 008 Device 005: ID 04b8:0005 Seiko Epson Corp. Stylus Printer
 Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001

• If not RECHECK everything.
• Start cups and access it via your browser
• You should be able to see the printer attached to the usb port