A printer attached to one computer can still serve other computers on the same home or office network. Ubuntu can share that printer through CUPS while the Ubuntu computer handles the print queue.

The printer must already work locally in Ubuntu. CUPS requires both server-wide sharing and permission to share the individual queue; its local web interface provides both controls without changing the printer's connection or driver.

A shared queue accepts print jobs from other devices on the local network, so this setup belongs on a trusted LAN. The Ubuntu computer must remain switched on and awake; Internet printing and remote administration are unnecessary.

Steps to share a printer on a network in Ubuntu (GNOME):

  1. Open http://localhost:631/admin in a browser on the Ubuntu computer connected to the printer.

    localhost means the computer running the browser, so the sharing settings are changed on the Ubuntu computer itself.

  2. Enter your Ubuntu administrator account name in Username when CUPS requests authentication.

    The account needs printer-administration rights through the lpadmin group; this is a local Ubuntu account, not a printer manufacturer's account. An existing authenticated browser session may skip the sign-in prompt.

  3. Enter that account's password in Password.
  4. Click Sign in to open CUPS administration.
  5. Select Share printers connected to this system under Server Settings.

    This makes shared queues available to other computers on the local network. For local printer sharing, Allow printing from the Internet and Allow remote administration remain unchecked.

  6. Click Change Settings to save server-wide sharing.

    CUPS briefly displays a server-restart message before returning to Administration.

  7. Open the Printers tab.
  8. Select the queue for the printer you want to share.

    Office_Printer is the queue used here; the name on your computer will depend on the installed printer.

  9. Choose Modify Printer from the printer's Administration menu.
  10. Click Continue with Current Connection selected.

    The existing connection remains unchanged.

  11. Select Share This Printer beside Sharing.
  12. Click Continue to proceed to the driver selection.
  13. Select Current Driver in the Model list.

    This preserves the driver that already works with the printer.

  14. Click Modify Printer to save the shared queue.
  15. Confirm the printer's status includes Shared and Accepting Jobs.

    To stop sharing this queue later, clear Share This Printer through the same Modify Printer screens.

  16. Open the shared printer's CUPS page in a browser on another computer on the same local network.

    The address has the form http://print-server:631/printers/Office_Printer. Here, print-server represents the Ubuntu computer's reachable hostname or LAN IP address, and Office_Printer is its queue name. If a firewall is active, TCP port 631 must be allowed from the trusted LAN; a guest Wi-Fi network may also isolate clients. Client printer settings use the corresponding IPP address, ipp://print-server:631/printers/Office_Printer, when adding the shared printer.

    Related: How to show IP addresses in Linux

  17. Choose Print Test Page from the remote printer page's Maintenance menu.
  18. Click Show Completed Jobs under Jobs on that printer page.
  19. Confirm the Test Page job shows completed.

    A completed job confirms that CUPS processed the request from the other computer. For a physical printer, the printed test sheet also confirms paper output; a queued, stopped, or failed job needs attention before other users rely on the shared printer.

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