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ef416fc2 | 1 | <HTML> |
2 | <!-- SECTION: Getting Started --> | |
3 | <HEAD> | |
4 | <TITLE>Overview of CUPS</TITLE> | |
5 | </HEAD> | |
6 | <BODY> | |
7 | ||
4744bd90 | 8 | <P>The Common UNIX Printing System<sup>TM</sup>, or CUPS, is the |
9 | software you use to print from applications like the web browser | |
10 | you are using to read this page. It converts the <em>page | |
11 | descriptions</em> produced by your application (put a paragraph | |
12 | here, draw a line there, and so forth) into something your | |
13 | printer can understand and then sends the information to the | |
14 | printer for printing.</P> | |
15 | ||
16 | <P>Now, since every printer manufacturer does things differently, | |
17 | printing can be very complicated. CUPS does its best to hide this | |
18 | from you and your application so that you can concentrate on | |
19 | printing and less on <em>how</em> to print. Generally, the only | |
20 | time you need to know anything about your printer is when you use | |
21 | it for the first time, and even then CUPS can often figure things | |
22 | out on its own.</P> | |
23 | ||
24 | <H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="WORK">How Does It Work?</A></H2> | |
25 | ||
26 | <P>The first time you print to a printer, CUPS creates a | |
27 | <em>queue</em> to keep track of the current status of the printer | |
28 | (everything OK, out of paper, etc.) and any pages you have | |
29 | printed. Most of the time the queue points to a printer connected | |
30 | directly to your computer via a USB or parallel port, however it | |
31 | can also point to a printer on your network, a printer on the | |
32 | Internet, or multiple printers depending on the configuration. | |
33 | Regardless of <em>where</em> the queue points, it will look like | |
34 | any other printer to you and your applications.</P> | |
35 | ||
36 | <P>Every time you print something, CUPS creates a <em>job</em> | |
37 | which contains the queue you are sending the print to, the name | |
38 | of the document you are printing, and the page descriptions. Job | |
39 | are numbered (queue-1, queue-2, and so forth) so you can monitor | |
40 | the job as it is printed or cancel it if you see a mistake. When | |
41 | CUPS gets a job for printing, it determines the best programs | |
42 | (<em>filters</em>, <em>printer drivers</em>, <em>port | |
43 | monitors</em>, and <em>backends</em>) to convert the pages into a | |
44 | printable format and then runs them to actually print the | |
45 | job.</P> | |
46 | ||
47 | <P>When the print job is completely printed, CUPS removes the job | |
48 | from the queue and moves on to any other jobs you have submitted. | |
49 | You can also be notified when the job is finished, or if there | |
50 | are any errors during printing, in several different ways.</P> | |
51 | ||
52 | <H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="BEGIN">Where Do I Begin?</A></H2> | |
53 | ||
54 | <P>Click on the <A HREF="/admin">Administration</A> tab at the | |
55 | top of this page. If you have a printer connected to a USB or | |
56 | parallel port, you will see it listed as a new printer - click on | |
57 | the <VAR>Add This Printer</VAR> button, verify the printer driver | |
58 | CUPS has chosen for you, and click on the <VAR>Add Printer</VAR> | |
59 | button. If you do not see your printer listed, or if you have a | |
60 | network printer, click on the <VAR>Add Printer</VAR> button and | |
61 | follow the prompts.</P> | |
62 | ||
63 | <BLOCKQUOTE>If you are asked for a username and password, enter | |
64 | your login username and password or the "root" username and | |
65 | password. On MacOS X, the login username (or "short name") is | |
66 | typically your first name in lowercase.</BLOCKQUOTE> | |
67 | ||
68 | <P>After the printer is added, CUPS will ask you to set the | |
69 | default printer options (paper size, output mode, etc.) for the | |
70 | printer. Make any changes as needed and then click on the | |
71 | <VAR>Set Printer Options</VAR> button to save them.</P> | |
72 | ||
73 | <P>Finally, click on the <VAR>Print Test Page</VAR> button to | |
74 | print a simple test page and verify that everything is working | |
75 | properly.</P> | |
76 | ||
77 | <P>Once you have added the printer, you can print to it from any | |
78 | application.</P> | |
79 | ||
80 | <TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLPADDING="10" SUMMARY="Screenshots"> | |
81 | <TR VALIGN="TOP"> | |
82 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-add-this-printer.gif" | |
83 | WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Administration Web Page"><BR> | |
84 | <I>Figure 1: The CUPS Administration Web Page</I></TD> | |
85 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-printer-driver.gif" | |
86 | WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Driver Selection Web Page"><BR> | |
87 | <I>Figure 2: The CUPS Driver Selection Web Page</I></TD> | |
88 | </TR> | |
89 | <TR VALIGN="TOP"> | |
90 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-password.gif" | |
91 | WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Password Dialog"><BR> | |
92 | <I>Figure 3: The CUPS Password Dialog</I></TD> | |
93 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-set-printer-options.gif" | |
94 | WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Set Printer Options Web Page"><BR> | |
95 | <I>Figure 4: The CUPS Set Printer Options Web Page</I></TD> | |
96 | </TR> | |
97 | <TR VALIGN="TOP"> | |
98 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-printer-status.gif" | |
99 | WIDTH="366" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Printer Status Page"><BR> | |
100 | <I>Figure 5: The CUPS Printer Status Page</I></TD> | |
101 | <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="../images/web-test-page.gif" | |
102 | WIDTH="234" HEIGHT="300" ALT="CUPS Printer Test Page"><BR> | |
103 | <I>Figure 6: The CUPS Printer Test Page</I></TD> | |
104 | </TR> | |
105 | </TABLE> | |
ef416fc2 | 106 | |
107 | </BODY> | |
108 | </HTML> |