Printing via Linux has always been a bit tricky, but the situation is improving in many ways. At the forefront of this change is the shift from the old Line Printer Daemon (LPD) printing system, as implemented in the BSD LPD or LPRng servers, to the newer Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). CUPS is now the default printing system of most Linux distributions, as well as with some non-Linux systems, such as Mac OS X.
Printing via Linux has always been a bit tricky, but the situation is improving in many ways. At the forefront of this change is the shift from the old Line Printer Daemon (LPD) printing system, as implemented in the BSD LPD or LPRng servers, to the newer Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). CUPS is now the default printing system of most Linux distributions, as well as with some non-Linux systems, such as Mac OS X.
Like most changes, though, the shift from BSD-style printing systems to CUPS isn’t always painless. If you’re used to BSD-style printing, CUPS may seem bizarre. In truth, though, CUPS need not be any trickier to configure than a BSD-style printing system, and it offers several advantages as well.
What’s the Big Deal About CUPS, Anyway?
The traditional LPD printing system used on Linux works by passing a file received from an application or remote client computer through a series of filters and queues, ultimately passing the file to be printed via a printer port. However, this process operates blindly: the application can’t query the printing system about the capabilities of the printer. Thus, applications must either make assumptions about the printer or must be explicitly and individually configured to handle each printer’s unique features, such as color capabilities and duplex options.
One of the big advantages of CUPS, at least in theory, is that it provides a protocol for communicating printer-specific information to applications. A CUPS-aware application can learn about…
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