Re: Why CUPS?

[Teemu Likonen <tlikonen@iki.fi>]

On 2009-12-09 14:52 (-0500), Stefan Monnier wrote:

>> This does not only apply to client applications, but also to
>> computers configured as CUPS clients (debian's default): You only
>> set-up and configure a printer on one server for a whole network.
>> With a default debian installation, the clients on the network will
>> discover the printer automatically and 'just work'. I have never used
>> lprng so I don't know, if it has a similar feature.
>
> Actually, it's the other way around: with CUPS, every client has to be
> configured for that particular printer. To make up for it, CUPS has
> support to make this confuiguration automatic, but if your client
> doesn't have the appropriate driver, you're screwed.

Not with my CUPS and Lenny boxes. I have CUPS and a CUPS-published
printer configured on my main desktop machine. Then I have a laptop with
just "aptitude install cups" default settings. On my home network the
printer is available and fully functional for my laptop without any
configuration or drivers needed in the laptop. "aptitude install cups"
is everything that is needed.

> With LPRng, the configuration is only done once and for all on one
> machine. That's the only one that needs to have the appropriate
> driver.

Just like my CUPS.

I don't know about LPRng at all, maybe it's better than CUPS, but your
comments on CUPS definitely don't match my experience.


-- 
Feel free to Cc me your replies if you want to make sure I'll notice
them.