I’m surprised I didn’t see yet a component to turn an USB printer into a network printer… Or did I miss something?
This iss completely off-topic for this forum. You likely need something like this.
Why would that be off topic ?
There’s a component for 3D printers.
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You either need a hardware component or something functioning as a print server. Neither are remotely related to home automation. I suspect any printer component is just for monitoring printer status & supplies. HA does not control the printer, AFAIK.
There’s software called cups that does what you’re after. There’s zero point in making a component though IMO.
Correct. That is a print server. If they wanted it shared over the network for Windows machines, they would need Samba too.
Again, that has as much to do with Home Assistant as the desktop wallpaper on a system does. In other words. absolutely none.
If you say so… You’re probably right, but your argumentation is weird.
If you said to me : “It needs a server, the server will use a lot of memory and slow down Home Assistant a lot so it’s a no go” or some similar understandable explaination, I would get it and say ok.
Here It just looks like I asked a forbidden question in a religious community.
That’s non sense all these efforts on turning HA into a very noob friendly thing with all that time spent on UI porn for tablets on one hand and that kind of “a printer server in home assistant that’s a so stupid idea I won’t explain why” attitude and added to that the UI for automation conditions that still has so limited possibilities I often have to edit the automations file manually.
I will stop answering to that topic & I pre-thank the cool guy that will come with some understandable argumentation.
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Bosborne’s point is that this is a community about home automation, not general network services. Things such as running a print server don’t fit into Home Assistant. You’ll note that most components are about interacting with things that already exist, not embedding entire services into Home Assistant.
So yes, there’s going to be a natural push back on things like this. Think of it like suggesting that your pedal bike should have a trailer hitch so you can pull a cargo container. While it’s technically possible, it just doesn’t make sense when you look at the purpose of that bike.
I have a spare Pi running Raspbian with CUPS installed with an old Epson USB printer attached. Printer is reachable via any computer/tablet or phone on the network. There is even a CUPS component in HA to show the printer status.
CUPS is a 1 line install on the Pi but you do need to modify the config file after to get it working. There are guides online on how to do this.
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I understand that reasoning. However, I would still be interested in a component for creating a sensor for HP Printer xml information for a printer that is connected to a computer on the network via USB and not directly connected to internet.
We’re using like 5% of our processing power on our pi, and nearly none of the space for a typical install, but certainly adding *one more integration at this point is too much! /tinkerer
We have integrations for all methods of non-home automation things, if I knew what I was doing, I’d write up a rough hacs integration to prove the point.
Ability to fairly easily add ‘normal’ services to the OS is something I find frustratingly difficult to to find information about when it comes to HA.
e.g. My wife recently replaced our USB printer with a plant… so now the printer cable does not reach my OpenWRT router which had CUPS on it for all the family printing needs…
But… I’ve just done a std SD card HA install on an RPI3, so thought, ok, I should just able able to run CUPS there, and put the raspberry near the printer.
But it seems it’s taboo to discuss HA OS aspects? Surely this is about the only place where HA OS aspects could get answered? (I’ll report back here if/when I find a way 
).
I could give an example on why a printer server can be part of Home Automation.
I don’t have a printer, I have a full copier machine (it was cheaper buying a used then a new printer). My copier uses a lot of power, and because of that, I keep off most of the time.
I did add a wi-fi outlet that I can control via HA. However, I have to always remember to turn on the copier and then send something to print.
If I could use HA as a small print server, I could probably detect activity in the Print Server (somebody sent something to be printed), call a HA script to turn on the copier, and after 5 minutes (for example) turn off the copier.
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excellent scenario. Remotely turn on the printer before sending the print.
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I have my printer connected to my macbook and it shows up as IPP printer. surely this should be something in scope of Home Assistant to enable AirPrint for my IPP printer.
It makes no sense to use another Pi to do the job. This is a legitimate ask and I’d love to see an integration for that (or HACS)
no need for another RPI, if you can install cups in docker Setting up local USB printer with CUPS via Portainer
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It will be nice, if HA will have second docker image, for what is indirectly related to automation. From the point of view of environmental protection, it will be extremely useful if HA can turn on devices through a smart socket, then determine their status (for example, by current consumption), and say to users, when devices will be ready. In addition to the printer, it will be useful for TVs, audio systems, projectors. those. Idea is to remove the standby mode from the devices.
already done with Tuya plug, can be done with any plug which measures voltage, power and current. What we need is better integration in HA of printers and scanners.
Edit:
Brother has an integration Brother Printer - Home Assistant for network printers.