Chapter14.Printing

Chapter 14. Printing

Printing on Linux, as on Windows, requires a printer driver that is specific to the printer connected to your computer. The printer driver sends the information from the computer to the printer in the format that particular printer understands. Therefore, Linux needs to know the manufacturer and model of the printer, so that the correct printer drivers are used.

A printer can be connected directly to your computer. If your computer is connected to a LAN (local area network), you can send files to a printer that is connected to another computer on the LAN or connected directly to the LAN. You specify the type of connection when you install the printer.

Files sent to the printer are sent to a queue that is associated with the printer. The print job waits in the queue until its turn to print. You can create more than one queue to a printer, although you are unlikely to need to. If a printer is a network printer, print jobs from more than one computer on the network can be sent to the same queue.

The software that handles printing for most Linux systems is called CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System). CUPS handles all the details from clicking the Print button on the application to passing the data to the printer in an understandable format. LPRng is another printing system available on most Linux systems, but it's rare that you would choose to use it rather than CUPS.