The Common UNIX Printing System

Main Menu

Installation

System

Preferences

Applications

Demos

Development

Advanced

Related Applications

FireBird

Pe

Printer

SAMBA

Terminal

vi

The Common UNIX Printing System

The Common UNIX Printing System ("CUPS") is a cross-platform printing solution for all UNIX environments, and has been ported to Zeta.

CUPS is based on the Internet Printing Protocol ("IPP") providing full administration of print jobs and queues to most PostScript and raster printers. As it is under constant development, new drivers are added as new printers get to the market.

CUPS is provided under the GNU GPL.

Installing CUPS from the Source Code
In Terminal unpack the compressed file containing the source code:

$ tar zxof cups-1.1.20rc1-source.tar.gz
$ cd cups-1.1.20rc1

CUPS uses GNU autoconf to configure the makefiles and source code for your system:

$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install

###
Starting and Configuring CUPS

CUPS is started from the Terminal:

$ /cups/rc.d/init.d/cups start

Instead of start you can also set reload, restart, status or stop.

There are two ways of configuring CUPS in Zeta:

1. With commands in the Terminal window
2. Through an Internet browser (FireBird):
   http://localhost:631/admin

Configuring CUPS through the browser
Click Add printer, then add information about the printer and click Continue. The information you give here is only for your own orientation.

Choose what port the printer is connected to from the pop-down menu.

Choose the right driver for your printer from the list.

If everything has gone well, you will get the following message from the CUPS system: "Printer <printer name> has been added successfully".

Manage your Printer(s)
Find the printer you want to administrate, and click on it. Start with writing out a test page.

From this menu you can set the paper type, resolution and other settings.

### Printing From Other Machines

By using CUPS on Zeta, you can set the computer as a server handling printer jobs from other machines in the network, eighter they are running Zeta, Windows, MacOS X or Linux.

Open the file cupsd.conf in Pe or vi in the catalog /etc/cups. You can modify the part of this file that limits the access from other computers (by default CUPS doesn't permit others to print out through the computer running CUPS).

<Location />
Order Deny, Allow
Deny From All
</Location>

From Windows
In Printer and Faxes in the Control Panel, choose Add Printer.
Then select A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer.
Select Connect to a printer on the Internet or on a home or office network.
Type in the URL: http://machinename:631/printers/printername

From Linux
Use the web tool described above and add a printer from the Internet Printing Protocol.

###
Printing From a Printer Directly Connected to the Network

Most printers on networks are directly connected to it and have their own IP-numbers.

To connect your computer to such a printer, use the same description as for printers connected to a Linux machine. This is done through the CUPS web interface.

Factbox
{facts}

©2003 by yellowTAB GmbH