PDF Printer on openSUSE

PDF Printer is really a necessary feature that should be included by default in openSUSE. But since it is not, we shall install it quickly and effortlessly.

1. Go to openSUSE Software Search. Search for 'cups-pdf'. Make sure the proper version of openSUSE is selected before you start searching.
2. Choose the latest version from the results. I chose the one from gcoste's home repository. But you can choose any other too. You can install the rpm by using the 1-click install.
3. Next we need to add the PDF Printer to cups. So open up CUPS Administration by clicking this link (http://localhost:631/admin).
4. If cups has already not found the new printer, click 'Find New Printers' under the 'Printers' category. CUPS will have now detected the 'Virtual PDF Printer'. In the next screen, leave the 'Make' section blank. Fill up the 'Provide a PPD File' section by browsing to '/usr/share/cups/model/' directory and selecting the PPD file that came with the cups-pdf rpm. You can find this file by using

   rpm -ql cups-pdf

   The file with the .ppd extension in the list is the one you require to select here. Next, click the 'add printer' button and the pdf printer will be added to cups.
   
5. Next we need to configure the default directory in which the created pdf files will be stored. This is by default '/var/spool/cups-pdf/${USER}'. Hence, to store the pdf files onto the desktop, edit '/etc/cups/cups-pdf.conf' file. Change the line

   #Out /var/spool/cups-pdf/${USER}

   to

   Out /home/${USER}/Desktop

There! Now you have successfully installed PDF printer in openSUSE. Try a few pdf prints to verify that the pdf printer is working properly.

For more details including about how to compile pdf printer from source, refer the opensuse documentation here.