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What to put on a Raspberry Pi 3 to act as an intermediary for classic Mac OS to print to a modern Laser printer
- Thread starter LaPorta
- Start date
I think there are other solutions now but I run Debian on a VM with a hacked version of Netatalk 2.2.6 (because 2.2.6 needed some patching) and CUPS (and have had this setup for years). That allows my Macs and IIgs to see my network printers as postscript printers (whether they speak postscript or not).
I use my PI 1 with the TashTalk hat to interface my localtalk macs to my Brother printer. You basically setup the printer in Linux on the PI using CUPS then Netatalk 2.4 with cups enabled will pick it up automatically and show it over appletalk. On my macs I use the generic PPD and it works very well.
I also like to call out that we distribute ready-to-use Docker images over at Docker Hub. As an added boon, we automatically prepend the "cupsautoadd" line to papd.conf in the entry point script which enables CUPS printing out of the box.
It has never been easier to get started with a fresh AFP file server and AppleTalk goodness.
It has never been easier to get started with a fresh AFP file server and AppleTalk goodness.
Thank you! Is there any way that I can get it to just do AppleTalk/Printing and not be a "server"?I also like to call out that we distribute ready-to-use Docker images over at Docker Hub. As an added boon, we automatically prepend the "cupsautoadd" line to papd.conf in the entry point script which enables CUPS printing out of the box.
It has never been easier to get started with a fresh AFP file server and AppleTalk goodness.
With the Docker image right now? No. But if you file a feature request I can make it happen in the next release.
https://github.com/Netatalk/netatalk/issues/new/choose
In fact, I’m hard at work packaging netatalk4 for Debian right now. And one of my goals is to construct atomic packages for each netatalk component that lets you do what you’re asking for here.
If my package gets approved, you would do something like: “apt install libatalk atalkd papd”
This will get you the AppleTalk network controller daemon and the PAP printing daemon, without the AFP file server.
Curious, what's the downside of the AFP server functionality? Do you have another solution for that or just prefer sneaker net?
Years ago I setup a Raspberry Pi sever running MacIPRpi (which has many useful features) and quickly found it to be instrumental in how I work with my retro Macs on my home network (based on the last version of Apple AirPort Extreme APs and Ethernet to LocalTalk bridges). It's a bit dated now (author is working on a new version, thanks @mactjaap !) but having a low power universal file server I can just leave running has been awesome. Note I have an AppleTalk only LaserWriter 4/600 PS that I use for my old Macs and use the Pi server to allow my modern computers with just TCP/IP to print to it (the reverse of what I think you are looking for), pretty sure I could get my old Macs printing to my modern Inkjet too, just haven't had the need yet.
I also get a lot of utility out of the AFP server so I always leave it running, too. But if you don’t need it, you can save computing resources and reduce the attack surface of your server by disabling it.
No downside at all. I was just wondering. I have a G4 Mac Mini running 10.4 with AppleTalk enabled that hosts all of the vintage files that I need to my old Macs over the network, so I don't necessarily need another server providing a redundant function. If I may ask, are there other features other than just file serving that you get from it, that I may be overlooking?
I've tried to create a feature matrix at https://netatalk.io/ that might help give you an idea what Netatalk can do.
The primary argument for running Netatalk instead is that you can have a low-powered Raspberry Pi (for example) doing file server duty rather than a gas guzzler of a G4.
