Re: Why CUPS?

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> 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.

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.

Of course, the client machines still need to be told about which
printers are available.  This is another form of configuration with
AFAIK LPRng doesn't support particularly well, instead it is designed to
have a single central print-server and all lpr clients just connect to
it, so none of the clients need any configuration whatsoever other than
telling them where's the server.
That's pretty far from the UPnP model, tho, so it doesn't necessarily
fit in the usable pattern of mobile users.


        Stefan