Slashdot Mirror

An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced it is bringing its Cloud Print project to Windows. The company has launched both a driver and a service, both of which are available for download now from Google Tools. For those who don't know, Google Cloud Print connects Cloud Print-aware applications (across the Web, desktop, and mobile) to any printer. It integrates with the mobile versions of Gmail and Google Docs, and is also listed as a printer option in the Print Preview page of Chrome." One of the things that annoys me about Android: having to print through the Cloud (tm) when I have an Internet Printing Protocol CUPS server on the same network as my phone connected to a printer ten feet from me. It wouldn't be so bad if the Google Cloud Print libraries weren't proprietary and did something like IPP proxying instead of using a similarly proprietary API.

Michael Sweet writes "Well, it's taken us long enough (nearly 2 years since we started the project), but the Common UNIX Printing System, or "CUPS", is finally out of beta and ready to replace all those 1970's line printer spoolers masquerading as printing systems. What is CUPS, you ask?

Well, it's basically a completely new printing system based on the Internet Printing Protocol ("IPP") that supports PostScript and non-PostScript printers and a variety of different file formats to make your life easier.

CUPS provides all of the normal printing commands ("lpr", "lp", etc.) - you still use "lpr" to print from Netscape, etc. However, these commands take on a new life with CUPS - instead of bringing up an application everytime you want to print, you can print most images, PDF files, etc. directly. CUPS figures out the type of file and runs any necessary filters to format it for the printer. Have a file that CUPS doesn't handle? No problem, just add a filter and CUPS will handle it, for any printer you have.

Printer drivers are provided for PostScript and HP PCL based printers. We're hoping that the filters provided with CUPS (including a PostScript RIP based on GNU GhostScript) will encourage independent developers and printer manufacturers like EPSON to start developing drivers that use CUPS. Only time will tell.

CUPS can be downloaded from our website at cups.org and is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Commercial printer drivers based on CUPS are available from our main website. "

Andy Tai writes "Printer makers are working together to define a single universal printer driver. Called the Universal Printer Driver Format, it will replace the 3000 printer drivers in existence. UPDF will allow the characteristic of each printer to be described in a text file, residing in the printer itself." S: This effort is 2 years old (not related to Intel's initiative) if you look on their website. It looks pretty open from their IPP pages, including specs and apparently joining is free. Looks to me like an area where Linux participation may be beneficial for Linux and the PWG by providing early widespread testing (if printer manufacturers release descriptions for existing printers in file format before actually including them in their newer printers).

Andy Tai writes "Printer makers are working together to define a single universal printer driver. Called the Universal Printer Driver Format, it will replace the 3000 printer drivers in existence. UPDF will allow the characteristic of each printer to be described in a text file, residing in the printer itself." S: This effort is 2 years old (not related to Intel's initiative) if you look on their website. It looks pretty open from their IPP pages, including specs and apparently joining is free. Looks to me like an area where Linux participation may be beneficial for Linux and the PWG by providing early widespread testing (if printer manufacturers release descriptions for existing printers in file format before actually including them in their newer printers).

Andy Tai writes "Printer makers are working together to define a single universal printer driver. Called the Universal Printer Driver Format, it will replace the 3000 printer drivers in existence. UPDF will allow the characteristic of each printer to be described in a text file, residing in the printer itself." S: This effort is 2 years old (not related to Intel's initiative) if you look on their website. It looks pretty open from their IPP pages, including specs and apparently joining is free. Looks to me like an area where Linux participation may be beneficial for Linux and the PWG by providing early widespread testing (if printer manufacturers release descriptions for existing printers in file format before actually including them in their newer printers).

Andy Tai writes "Printer makers are working together to define a single universal printer driver. Called the Universal Printer Driver Format, it will replace the 3000 printer drivers in existence. UPDF will allow the characteristic of each printer to be described in a text file, residing in the printer itself." S: This effort is 2 years old (not related to Intel's initiative) if you look on their website. It looks pretty open from their IPP pages, including specs and apparently joining is free. Looks to me like an area where Linux participation may be beneficial for Linux and the PWG by providing early widespread testing (if printer manufacturers release descriptions for existing printers in file format before actually including them in their newer printers).