<!-- SECTION: Getting Started -->
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Overview of CUPS</TITLE>
+ <LINK REL="STYLESHEET" TYPE="text/css" HREF="../cups-printable.css">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
-<P>The Common UNIX Printing System<sup>TM</sup>, or CUPS, is the
-software you use to print from applications like the web browser
-you are using to read this page. It converts the <em>page
-descriptions</em> produced by your application (put a paragraph
-here, draw a line there, and so forth) into something your
-printer can understand and then sends the information to the
-printer for printing.</P>
+<H1 CLASS="title">Overview of CUPS</H1>
-<P>Now, since every printer manufacturer does things differently,
-printing can be very complicated. CUPS does its best to hide this
-from you and your application so that you can concentrate on
-printing and less on <em>how</em> to print. Generally, the only
-time you need to know anything about your printer is when you use
-it for the first time, and even then CUPS can often figure things
+<P>CUPS is the software you use to print from applications like the web browser
+you are using to read this page. It converts the <em>page descriptions</em>
+produced by your application (put a paragraph here, draw a line there, and so
+forth) into something your printer can understand and then sends the information
+to the printer for printing.</P>
+
+<P>Now, since every printer manufacturer does things differently, printing can
+be very complicated. CUPS does its best to hide this from you and your
+application so that you can concentrate on printing and less on <em>how</em> to
+print. Generally, the only time you need to know anything about your printer is
+when you use it for the first time, and even then CUPS can often figure things
out on its own.</P>
<H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="WORK">How Does It Work?</A></H2>
-<P>The first time you print to a printer, CUPS creates a
-<em>queue</em> to keep track of the current status of the printer
-(everything OK, out of paper, etc.) and any pages you have
-printed. Most of the time the queue points to a printer connected
-directly to your computer via a USB or parallel port, however it
-can also point to a printer on your network, a printer on the
-Internet, or multiple printers depending on the configuration.
-Regardless of <em>where</em> the queue points, it will look like
-any other printer to you and your applications.</P>
+<P>The first time you print to a printer, CUPS creates a <em>queue</em> to keep
+track of the current status of the printer (everything OK, out of paper, etc.)
+and any pages you have printed. Most of the time the queue points to a printer
+connected directly to your computer via a USB port, however it can
+also point to a printer on your network, a printer on the Internet, or multiple
+printers depending on the configuration. Regardless of <em>where</em> the queue
+points, it will look like any other printer to you and your applications.</P>
-<P>Every time you print something, CUPS creates a <em>job</em>
-which contains the queue you are sending the print to, the name
-of the document you are printing, and the page descriptions. Job
-are numbered (queue-1, queue-2, and so forth) so you can monitor
-the job as it is printed or cancel it if you see a mistake. When
-CUPS gets a job for printing, it determines the best programs
-(<em>filters</em>, <em>printer drivers</em>, <em>port
-monitors</em>, and <em>backends</em>) to convert the pages into a
-printable format and then runs them to actually print the
-job.</P>
+<P>Every time you print something, CUPS creates a <em>job</em> which contains
+the queue you are sending the print to, the name of the document you are
+printing, and the page descriptions. Job are numbered (queue-1, queue-2, and so
+forth) so you can monitor the job as it is printed or cancel it if you see a
+mistake. When CUPS gets a job for printing, it determines the best programs
+(<em>filters</em>, <em>printer drivers</em>, <em>port monitors</em>, and
+<em>backends</em>) to convert the pages into a printable format and then runs
+them to actually print the job.</P>
-<P>When the print job is completely printed, CUPS removes the job
-from the queue and moves on to any other jobs you have submitted.
-You can also be notified when the job is finished, or if there
-are any errors during printing, in several different ways.</P>
+<P>When the print job is completely printed, CUPS removes the job from the queue
+and moves on to any other jobs you have submitted. You can also be notified when
+the job is finished, or if there are any errors during printing, in several
+different ways.</P>
<H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="BEGIN">Where Do I Begin?</A></H2>
-<P>Click on the <A HREF="/admin">Administration</A> tab at the
-top of this page. If you have a printer connected to a USB or
-parallel port, you will see it listed as a new printer - click on
-the <VAR>Add This Printer</VAR> button, verify the printer driver
-CUPS has chosen for you, and click on the <VAR>Add Printer</VAR>
-button. If you do not see your printer listed, or if you have a
-network printer, click on the <VAR>Add Printer</VAR> button and
-follow the prompts.</P>
-
-<BLOCKQUOTE>If you are asked for a username and password, enter
-your login username and password or the "root" username and
-password. On MacOS X, the login username (or "short name") is
-typically your first name in lowercase.</BLOCKQUOTE>
-
-<P>After the printer is added, CUPS will ask you to set the
-default printer options (paper size, output mode, etc.) for the
-printer. Make any changes as needed and then click on the
-<VAR>Set Printer Options</VAR> button to save them.</P>
+<P>Click on the <var>Administration</var> tab at the top of this page. Click on the <var>Add Printer</var> button and follow the prompts.</P>
-<P>Finally, click on the <VAR>Print Test Page</VAR> button to
-print a simple test page and verify that everything is working
-properly.</P>
+<BLOCKQUOTE>When you are asked for a username and password, enter your login username and password or the "root" username and password. On OS X<sup>®</sup>, the login username (or "short name") is typically your first and last name in lowercase.</BLOCKQUOTE>
-<P>Once you have added the printer, you can print to it from any
-application.</P>
+<P>After the printer is added, CUPS will ask you to set the default printer
+options (paper size, output mode, etc.) for the printer. Make any changes as
+needed and then click on the <VAR>Set Default Options</VAR> button to save
+them. Some printers also support auto-configuration - click on the <VAR>Query
+Printer for Default Options</VAR> button to update the options automatically.</P>
-<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLPADDING="10" SUMMARY="Screenshots">
-<TR VALIGN="TOP">
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-add-this-printer.gif"
-WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Administration Web Page"><BR>
-<I>Figure 1: The CUPS Administration Web Page</I></TD>
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-printer-driver.gif"
-WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Driver Selection Web Page"><BR>
-<I>Figure 2: The CUPS Driver Selection Web Page</I></TD>
-</TR>
-<TR VALIGN="TOP">
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-password.gif"
-WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Password Dialog"><BR>
-<I>Figure 3: The CUPS Password Dialog</I></TD>
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-set-printer-options.gif"
-WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Set Printer Options Web Page"><BR>
-<I>Figure 4: The CUPS Set Printer Options Web Page</I></TD>
-</TR>
-<TR VALIGN="TOP">
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-printer-status.gif"
-WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Printer Status Page"><BR>
-<I>Figure 5: The CUPS Printer Status Page</I></TD>
-<TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-test-page.gif"
-WIDTH="234" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Printer Test Page"><BR>
-<I>Figure 6: The CUPS Printer Test Page</I></TD>
-</TR>
-</TABLE>
+<P>Once you have added the printer, you can print to it from any application.
+You can also choose <VAR>Print Test Page</VAR> from the maintenance menu to print
+a simple test page and verify that everything is working properly.</P>
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projects / thirdparty / cups.git / blobdiff