Printing

Print from LibreOffice, Chrome and other Linux apps to any printer your Android device can use, or save a PDF, through Android's own print dialog.

Linux apps print through Android. Every Linux system has a printer named Breadstick, and printing to it opens Android's print dialog: any printer your device can use, over Wi-Fi or otherwise, or Save as PDF. There is nothing to set up inside Linux and no printer driver to find.

Printing is part of Breadstick Pro. The Breadstick printer is there for everyone, so you can see how it works before paying for anything.

Printing a document

1. In the Linux app, print as you normally would: File, Print, or Ctrl+P.
2. Choose Breadstick. It is the default printer, described as "Prints through Android".
3. Set the paper size, two-sided printing and color there if you want to, and print.
4. Android's print dialog opens. Pick the printer, or Save as PDF, and print.

The paper size, two-sided setting and color choice you made in Linux are already selected in Android's dialog. Choose the number of copies and the pages to print in Android's dialog. Linux offers US Letter, US Legal, A4 and A5 paper.

Which printers Android can use depends on the print services on your device, such as Android's Default Print Service or your printer maker's app from Google Play. A printer your other Android apps can print to is one Linux apps can print to as well.

When the printer is there

Printing works while a Desktop or Floating session is running. The Terminal on its own has no printer: start Desktop or Floating to print.

The print service inside Linux starts only when a program prints, and stops again half a minute after, so it costs nothing against Android's process limit the rest of the time. Nothing in it listens on the network.

Printing under Device access on the home screen is on by default. Turn it off and Linux has no printer at all.

Printing needs a small package that Breadstick adds to your Linux system on its own: new systems get it during setup, and existing ones at Breadstick's daily check on Wi-Fi.

Without Pro

Printing to Breadstick without Pro opens the Pro screen instead of the print dialog, and says your document is waiting. It waits for 15 minutes while Breadstick stays open: buy Pro in that time and it goes straight to Android's print dialog. After that, print it again from the Linux app.

Limits

• The Breadstick printer takes PDF. Linux apps print in that form on their own, so this only matters from a terminal: lp prints a PDF file, and other kinds of file are refused.
• A document can be up to 256 MB, and up to 20 can wait for Android at once.
• Linux does not see printers directly. Network printers and USB printers are reached through Android's print dialog, not from Linux, so Linux print settings for a specific printer model do not apply. See What Breadstick cannot do for USB.