skip to content

IT Help and Support

University Information Services
 

Help with troubleshooting problems when installing DS-Print Managed Print service on Mac OS X.

Topics

Local print queue 'Hold for Authentication' message

Mac OS X local print queue message - Hold for Authentication

Cause: Typically, receiving this message suggests your password has changed since the last successful print, or you are trying to print for the first time with incorrectly entered credentials, or are using incorrect credentials.

Resolution: Use Mac OS X 'Keychain Access' utility to delete credentials. To open 'Keychain Access' utility select 'Applications' from the Dock. Within 'Applications' find and open 'Utilities' from here open 'Keychain Access'.

Screenshot showing Mac OS X Keychain Access Utility

Once 'Keychain Access' utility has been opened use the search function to locate the print queue you are attempting to print to.
TIP -  useful search keywords are findme and print.ds

 Screenshot of attributes keychain entry

Delete all Keychain entries configured with the address print.ds.cam.ac.uk Keychain entries containing this address can be found using the search function. To delete, select the entry, then from the menu bar select 'Edit' then 'Delete'. Upon successfully deleting the print Keychain entry next time a print job is submitted a prompted will appear for credentials. At the prompt enter your CRSid (not your email address) and Desktop Services password or University Information Services synchronised password (most popular). For convenience select 'Remember this password in my keychain'. 

 

 Alternative "Hold for Authentication" troubleshooting

 

Alternative Cause: In some circumstance, partially when Kerberos authentication has been utilised, Mac OS X attempts to use Kerberos authentication credentials to authenticate with the print queue. These credentials are likely to fail.

Resolution: configure Mac OS X to request credentials for print, configuration set per print queue basis.

Method: using ‘Terminal’ found in ‘Applications’ > ‘Utilities’ customise and enter the command below (caution, using sudo command allows running of commands with security privileges, please exercise care or seek advice from your local computer office if you’re unfamiliar with using ‘Terminal’).

lpadmin -p <print queue name> -o auth-info-required=username,password

Example
sudo lpadmin -p IS_FindMe -o auth-info-required=username,password

Enter the Mac OS X administrator password when prompted.

example sudo command using terminal

Print job submission should now succeed error-free as expected.
Print your document using the usual method from within the document's application. You will be prompted for authentication, enter your Desktop Services (also known as MCS) username and password or UIS credentials.

 

Local print queue held in a paused/resume state

  Mac OS X screenshot of local queue in a paused state

Symptoms: after submitting a print job the job remains on the Mac OS X local print queue. Print job remains in a paused state even after selecting 'Resume'.

Cause: this condition is typically exhibited as a result of the local print queue being configured with an incorrect network address.

Resolution: unfortunately it's not (easily) possible to amend the network address, therefore, it will be necessary to remove the print queue then install once again. To remove the queue firstly open 'System Preferences' found in the Mac OS X dock, then open 'Printer & Scanners' which can be found in 'System Preferences'. Screenshot of Mac OS X Printers and Scanners

'Printers & Scanners' will display a list of printers setup on the Mac. From 'Printers' list locate the printer you are attempting to print to, highlight the printer then select minus symbol to delete it.
TIP - instructions to install the print queue again can be found at DS-Print Service for Mac

 

Reset Mac OS X printing system

Symptoms: very rarely the Mac OS X printing system will enter an odd unknown erroneous state. In this condition printing and configuring print queues may behave unexpectedly. 

Resolution: if you can not print to your printer and you’ve tried all other solutions, reset the printing system. This process deletes all printers from your list of printers, deletes information about all completed print jobs, and deletes all printer presets.

Open 'System Preferences' found in the Mac OS X dock, then open 'Printer & Scanners' which can be found in 'System Preferences'.

screenshot showing Mac OS X reset printing system

Hold down the Control key (Ctrl) as you click in the list at the left, then choose 'Reset printing system...' from the menu that appears. After you reset the printing system, the list of printers in 'Printers & Scanners' preferences is empty.
TIP - don't confuse the Ctrl key with the Alt (or Option) key

 

'Waiting for Authentication' Message

Symptoms: Sometimes the Mac gets the auth type wrong resulting in a job stuck on the local print queue with a message of 'Waiting for Authentication'.

Resolution

Note: Replace <QueueName> in the commands with the queue installed on your Mac e.g. IS_FindMe.

1. Open Terminal from /Applications.

2. Type the following to check the current setting:

lpoptions -p <Queue Name>

TIP - If you wish to confirm the name of the printer, type the following and press Enter to list installed printers: lpoptions -a

3. Check that the auth-info-required setting is username,password.

4. If it is not set to username,password then type the following command and press Enter. Once you press Enter you will be prompted for your login password for the Mac. Enter your password and then press the Enter key.

sudo lpadmin -p <QueueName> -o auth-info-required=username,password

5. Then try printing again. If you get a message of 'Print job held for authentication' click the circular retry icon to the right of the print job in the job list.

6. Enter your UIS credentials and click Print.