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ef416fc2 | 1 | <HTML> |
2 | <!-- SECTION: Getting Started --> | |
3 | <HEAD> | |
4 | <TITLE>Overview of CUPS</TITLE> | |
178cb736 | 5 | <LINK REL="STYLESHEET" TYPE="text/css" HREF="../cups-printable.css"> |
ef416fc2 | 6 | </HEAD> |
7 | <BODY> | |
8 | ||
178cb736 MS |
9 | <H1 CLASS="title">Overview of CUPS</H1> |
10 | ||
9aff70cc MS |
11 | <P>CUPS is the software you use to print from applications like the web browser |
12 | you are using to read this page. It converts the <em>page descriptions</em> | |
13 | produced by your application (put a paragraph here, draw a line there, and so | |
14 | forth) into something your printer can understand and then sends the information | |
15 | to the printer for printing.</P> | |
4744bd90 | 16 | |
58dc1933 MS |
17 | <P>Now, since every printer manufacturer does things differently, printing can |
18 | be very complicated. CUPS does its best to hide this from you and your | |
19 | application so that you can concentrate on printing and less on <em>how</em> to | |
20 | print. Generally, the only time you need to know anything about your printer is | |
21 | when you use it for the first time, and even then CUPS can often figure things | |
4744bd90 | 22 | out on its own.</P> |
23 | ||
24 | <H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="WORK">How Does It Work?</A></H2> | |
25 | ||
58dc1933 MS |
26 | <P>The first time you print to a printer, CUPS creates a <em>queue</em> to keep |
27 | track of the current status of the printer (everything OK, out of paper, etc.) | |
28 | and any pages you have printed. Most of the time the queue points to a printer | |
37e7e6e0 | 29 | connected directly to your computer via a USB port, however it can |
58dc1933 MS |
30 | also point to a printer on your network, a printer on the Internet, or multiple |
31 | printers depending on the configuration. Regardless of <em>where</em> the queue | |
32 | points, it will look like any other printer to you and your applications.</P> | |
4744bd90 | 33 | |
58dc1933 MS |
34 | <P>Every time you print something, CUPS creates a <em>job</em> which contains |
35 | the queue you are sending the print to, the name of the document you are | |
36 | printing, and the page descriptions. Job are numbered (queue-1, queue-2, and so | |
37 | forth) so you can monitor the job as it is printed or cancel it if you see a | |
38 | mistake. When CUPS gets a job for printing, it determines the best programs | |
39 | (<em>filters</em>, <em>printer drivers</em>, <em>port monitors</em>, and | |
40 | <em>backends</em>) to convert the pages into a printable format and then runs | |
41 | them to actually print the job.</P> | |
4744bd90 | 42 | |
58dc1933 MS |
43 | <P>When the print job is completely printed, CUPS removes the job from the queue |
44 | and moves on to any other jobs you have submitted. You can also be notified when | |
45 | the job is finished, or if there are any errors during printing, in several | |
46 | different ways.</P> | |
4744bd90 | 47 | |
48 | <H2 CLASS="title"><A NAME="BEGIN">Where Do I Begin?</A></H2> | |
49 | ||
178cb736 MS |
50 | <P>Click on the <A HREF="http://localhost:631/admin">Administration</A> tab at |
51 | the top of this page. Click on the <VAR>Add Printer</VAR> button and follow the | |
52 | prompts.</P> | |
4744bd90 | 53 | |
58dc1933 MS |
54 | <BLOCKQUOTE>When you are asked for a username and password, enter your login |
55 | username and password or the "root" username and password. On MacOS X, the login | |
56 | username (or "short name") is typically your first and last name in | |
57 | lowercase.</BLOCKQUOTE> | |
4744bd90 | 58 | |
58dc1933 MS |
59 | <P>After the printer is added, CUPS will ask you to set the default printer |
60 | options (paper size, output mode, etc.) for the printer. Make any changes as | |
61 | needed and then click on the <VAR>Set Default Options</VAR> button to save | |
62 | them. Some printers also support auto-configuration - click on the <VAR>Query | |
178cb736 | 63 | Printer for Default Options</VAR> button to update the options automatically.</P> |
4744bd90 | 64 | |
58dc1933 MS |
65 | <P>Once you have added the printer, you can print to it from any application. |
66 | You can also choose <VAR>Print Test Page</VAR> from the maintenance menu to print | |
67 | a simple test page and verify that everything is working properly.</P> | |
ef416fc2 | 68 | |
69 | </BODY> | |
70 | </HTML> |