Linux System Administration

Print Services

|

183

Linux distributors continue to ship LPDs and their tools, but they’ve also added sup-

port for a new system known as the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). Unlike

LPD, CUPS is also compatible with the Windows and Mac OSs. CUPS and LPD use

different network printing protocols. Whereas LDP cannot query a print job for basic

characteristics, CUPS can. CUPS also works directly in heterogeneous networks and

can couple with Samba if necessary. Not all Linux distributions enable the interface,

but Red Hat includes CUPS in Fedora by default.

As a system administrator, you will want to familiarize yourself with CUPS adminis-

trative tools. In Fedora, simply type http://localhost:631 in a browser, and you will

see the management interface presented in Figure 8-12.

The interface is self-explanatory, so we’ll leave its exploration up to you. If you lack

familiarity with CUPS, take a look at the management interface or go to the project

web site at http://www.cups.org/book/index.php and read the book.

Cross-Platform Printing

Now, let’s consider some of the printing dilemmas you’re likely to face in today’s

enterprise environments. You’ll almost certainly find situations where you want to

share Linux printers with Windows machines. (In fact, you’ll probably want to use

Figure 8-12. The CUPS configuration interface

184

|

Chapter 8: Local Network Services

Linux as a print server in a Windows