/var/spool/cups/: The spooler directory where print jobs are held for printing.As you can see application (, Firefox, Evolution, Nano, etc.) sends its data to the scheduler, which then begins the CUPS process.īy default cups installs the following directories: The flow of data looks like that shown in Figure 1.

Backend system: Transports data from filters to printer.

Filter system: Converts data so that the attached printer can understand and format the data being printed.

Print spooler/scheduler: Lines up printing jobs to be sent to the printer.

This means with one system you can set up printing for a local machine or for a group of networked machines. The CUPS system can act as a printer server for a local machine or a network of machines. But don’t think that a print server is a network-only system. What is CUPS? CUPS is a modular printer system for the UNIX-like operating systems that serves as a print server.

In this tutorial you will be introduced to CUPS and see how to setup a printer for a Linux desktop machine.¬† CUPS Fortunately the Common Unix Printer Service (CUPS) offers a web-based, universal set up tool that is found on all distributions that use CUPS for printing. Now, if you understand how many and varied the Linux flavors are, you will understand how imposing of a task it would be to cover all possible printer configuration systems.

Fortunately the latter scenario is becoming more and more rare.īut even with Linux printing becoming easier and easier to set up, it’s always good for the new user to see how they can install their new printer on a Linux box and begin printing. Sometimes, to the dismay of the user, their printer is not supported. For those printers that are not supported out of the box, sometimes getting one to work is just a matter of finding the right driver to install. New Linux end users are often surprised to find out that, out of the box, many printers are already supported by their operating system. With Linux this task may or may not be as simple. Even if the printer was not set up and configure upon purchase, all the end user needs to do is insert the included CD (that came with the printer), install the software, plug in the printer, and begin printing. This is typically the case, and when printing with a Windows machine this system is often complimented by the installation of a piece of software written specifically for the printer to be used. To most users the system of printing on a PC is a simple, point-and-click process that should be automatically set up upon first use and does but one thing and one thing only – enables a PC to print.

Ppd files linux