“Until now, printing under Unix/Linux has been subject to
too many limitations. But by installing the CUPS system, you’ll
have a universal printing solution.“
“The world of printing for Unix/Linux has not changed much in a
very long time. We still use good old lpd (the line printer
daemon), we don’t have support for IPP (Internet Printing
Protocol), and we still don’t have the ability to use many
printers. But that situation is changing, and quickly. A new
product is making inroads into the printing arena.”
“The CUPS software provides a way for Unix/Linux users to manage
printing in an efficient and reliable manner. It natively supports
IPP and has interfaces for LPD, SMB (Server Message Block, i.e.,
printers attached to Microsoft Windows), and JetDirect. CUPS can
provide network printer browsing and use PostScript printer
description (PPD) files. In short, with CUPS you can run a printer
on a Linux machine as easily as they can on a Windows machine, but
with the power of Linux.”