"Unauthorized" error when adding printers through CUPS using Google Chrome in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Question

Update 2019-01-09: Please see answer below as there is a way to fix this with CUPS 2.2.8.

Update 2020-10-17: Upgrading from 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS will fix it as it upgrades the version of CUPS from 2.2.7 (which contains the bug) to version 2.3.1 which does not have the bug. Since some users may not be able to upgrade to 20.04 LTS right now this is still very valid for the 18.04 LTS users.

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I have Ubuntu 18.04 LTS installed clean on this system. When I try to add a printer through CUPS 2.2.7 address of http://localhost:631 in the Chrome browser, I can't add the printer as I keep getting Unauthorized. It never asks for a login. How do I add my printer through CUPS using Google Chrome?

BTW, Firefox, Chromium and other browsers so far seem to work fine for adding a printer in CUPS 2.2.7. It appears to be a bug between CUPS 2.2.7 and Google Chrome.

Solution 1

Update 2019-01-09: I have found that CUPS 2.2.8 works without a problem with Google Chrome in Ubuntu 18.04. I downloaded and installed it from https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups/2.2.8-5ubuntu1.2

Please note that the bug for CUPS 2.2.7 is filed at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups/+bug/1769893

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CUPS 2.2.8 installation steps

Run all the following from a terminal window.

Install the prerequisites:

sudo apt install autoconf build-essential libavahi-client-dev \
    libgnutls28-dev libkrb5-dev libnss-mdns libpam-dev \
    libsystemd-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev zlib1g-dev

Download CUPS 2.2.8 and extract it and enter the new directory created:

cd /tmp
wget -c https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+sourcefiles/cups/2.2.8-5ubuntu1.2/cups_2.2.8.orig.tar.gz
tar zxvf cups_2.2.8.orig.tar.gz
cd cups-2.2.8

Run the configure, make and make install:

./configure
make
sudo make install

You might want to put a hold on CUPS so it doesn't update back to 2.2.7 which still has the issue with unauthorized:

sudo apt-mark hold cups

Then all you should have to do is restart the cups.service:

systemctl restart cups.service

Check if the service is running:

systemctl status cups.service

If CUPS fails to restart, reinstall the daemon then restart the service again:

sudo apt install --reinstall cups-daemon
systemctl restart cups.service

Then access in Google Chrome http://localhost:631

The CUPS homepage might show 2.2.7 still, but try clicking on Administration and it should show 2.2.8.

Hope this helps!

Solution 2

I came across this solution when I was having the problem "in general" (not a browser specific issue) and the thing that ended up working for me was to add my user to the lpadmin group:

sudo usermod -aG lpadmin <USERNAME>

and then reboot.

Solution 3

Update to latest Ubuntu.

For me,this issue was solved when I updated Ubuntu from 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS.

Comments

[Yanick Rochon]

Why is this question closed? CUPS is broken, and this question is quite valid!

[Terrance]

@YanickRochon We have reopened this question and I have added info below in the answer.

[Martijn Courteaux]

For people stumbling upon this when searching the error: just use Firefox.

[pkeller]

For other people coming across this: the Vivaldi browser also has this problem - as @MartijnCourteaux says, try Firefox

[Apologician]

I always had to use a different browser to resolve this issue. Great information. Upvoting for sure.

[solsTiCe]

Yes this seems to work but I can't simply change the printer options. I am given back the page "Not authorized" even though I can add printers !!!

[solsTiCe]

Well, I used gnome-control-center to do that finally

[Terrance]

@solsTiCe Yeah, I think that is a bug between the two. I can't do the administration itself of the printer either. However, I have found that when I add the printer through CUPS this way regardless of the browser, apps in Wine will actually see and use the printer.

[Terrance]

@solsTiCe I filed a bug report at bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups/+bug/1769893

[abu_bua]

cost my 1h to check it, that login has to be added to the link! 8(

[Raga]

This doesn't work for me. I also tried clearing the browser cookie for localhost:631. Can't get it to ask me for user/pass.

[Raga]

Using Firefox works.

[Terrance]

@jrennie If you read the whole thing, it says you go to localhost:631/admin/login to get the login to work. However, it does not stay at all and that is why I filed a bug against it. Firefox has always worked and that is what I stated in the question I wrote.

[hakre]

Installing from source didn't work out for me at all. Goes through green, but just does not install - old version stays. Removing cups and then installing 2.2.8 has no webservice even when restarted - Actually now I can't even easily install cups again, the previous 2.2.7 version one ... I figure it eventually out.

[Terrance]

@hakre It is the cups-daemon that controls the webservice. I did add that right before the last pic in my answer here. Also, the CUPS home page might still show 2.2.7, but the administration and the tab title will show 2.2.8.

[hakre]

@Terrance: Yes, that could be. I could restore by removing and then purging cups and cups-daemon, then installing both again. After doing so, everything worked again when I used the system configuraiton dialog (not the webinterface) to add a new printer. On one computer I could also add a printer via the webinterface again after reinstalling. On the other test system it didn't at least not directly and I tried the system dialog which worked. Ubtun 18.04 on both, and both were migrated from 16.04.