When using multiple Raspberry Pi devices with Direct Print, you may encounter issues where printers are assigned to the wrong device or multiple Raspberry Pi devices appear as a single computer.
One possible cause is that the devices share the same hostname. This article explains why this happens and how to resolve it.
Cause
Direct Print displays information about computers and printers based on the data received from the Direct Print Client running on each Raspberry Pi.
If multiple Raspberry Pi devices use the same hostname, they may be identified as a single computer. As a result:
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Multiple devices may appear as one computer.
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Printers may be assigned to the wrong device.
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Imported devices in Odoo may not match the actual Raspberry Pi setup.
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Print jobs may be routed incorrectly.
In some cases, changing the Raspberry Pi hostname is not enough.
The Direct Print Client may continue using a previously stored hostname from its configuration file. For example, even after renaming the device, the configuration may still contain the old hostname value. This causes multiple Raspberry Pi devices to continue appearing as the same computer.
Solution
Verify hostnames
Make sure each Raspberry Pi device uses a unique hostname.
You can verify the hostname on each device using standard Raspberry Pi administration tools.
Update the Direct Print Client configuration
After changing the hostname, verify that the Direct Print Client configuration also contains the correct hostname.
Locate the existing configuration directory. It is typically stored in a location similar to:
/home/<user>/.printnode/printnode/11/
Remove or rename the old configuration file.
Create the following directory if it does not already exist:
/etc/PrintNode
Create or copy the configuration file:
/etc/PrintNode/config.conf
If you already have a Raspberry Pi device that works correctly, you can use its configuration file as a template.
Make sure the hostname stored in the configuration matches the actual hostname of the Raspberry Pi.
Restart the Direct Print Client
After updating the configuration, restart the Direct Print Client service on the Raspberry Pi.
Verify CUPS installation
If some printers are still unavailable after the hostname issue is resolved, verify that CUPS is installed and running on the Raspberry Pi.
After installing or updating CUPS, restart the Direct Print Client again.
Reimport devices in Odoo
After fixing the Raspberry Pi configuration:
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Remove the existing Raspberry Pi devices from Odoo.
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Reimport devices and printers.
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Verify that the imported devices match the actual Raspberry Pi setup.
You can also verify the detected computers and printers in the Direct Print portal at print.ventor.tech.
Verification
After completing the steps above:
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Each Raspberry Pi appears as a separate computer.
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Printers are assigned to the correct device.
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Devices imported into Odoo match the actual Raspberry Pi configuration.
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Print jobs are routed to the correct printers.