71.2 Printing with CUPS

20200213

CUPS, the Common Unix Printing System, is a printing system used by Unix and GNU/Linux, implementing various protocols including the LPD (Line Printer Daemon) protocol, the IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) and others. It uses PPD (PostScript Printer Description) files to identify the features of a printer, maintains printer configurations, and provides access to the printer options through the command line or a browser. It also has client side filters to convert, for example, pdf to PostScript to avoid pages of raw output of pdf (for Postscript printers).

The cups-pdf, cups-pdf package provides a virtual pdf printer to print to pdf files.

After installing cups visit https://localhost:631/ in a browser to manage printers.

The printer information is collected into /etc/cups/printers.conf.

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