Printing

• The default printing subsystem for SCO OpenServer Release 6.0.0 is based on the System V LP print service and includes support for local, dial-up, and networked printers, including HP^® network printers. The LP service provides extensive print job and printer management capabilities, including the ability to control access by user, setting up printer classes, and customized printer configurations.

  See the System V Printing (lp) documentation, available from the Printing category in the online documentation.

• The Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS), version 1.1.21, is now included as an alternate print system. CUPS provides generic printer drivers with basic printing functionality. If you want to use a USB printer, you should select CUPS as your print system.

  How you configure and administer CUPS depends on whether or not you intend to use it in conjunction with the LP system. See ``Getting Started with CUPS'' for details. Additional CUPS documentation is also provided, available from the Printing category in the online documentation. See ``Printing services notes'', below, for some issues with this implementation of CUPS.

  Additional printer support is provided through Foomatic, Gimp-Print, the Hewlett-Packard InkJet driver (hpijs), and ESP Ghostscript:

  • Foomatic, version 3.0.2, contains a generic filter and PostScript Printer Definition (PPD) files for various printer models. The filter and PPD files are integrated with CUPS, and cannot be used with the System V LP print system.

  • Gimp-Print, version 4.2.7, contains a suite of high-quality printer drivers for use with CUPS and Foomatic. There is driver support for many Canon and Epson printers, as well as certain Lexmark and HP models.

    Gimp-Print documentation is available from the Printing category in the online documentation. Also see ``Printing services notes'', below.

  • The Hewlett-Packard InkJet driver (hpijs) is a printer driver for more than 200 printer models, including DeskJet, OfficeJet, Photosmart, Business InkJet, and some LaserJet models. The hpijs package also contains PostScript Printer Definition (PPD) files for these printers, for use with CUPS and Foomatic. There are also PPD files for some non-HP printers. See ``Printing services notes'' for additional information.

  • ESP Ghostscript, version 7.7.1, provides more printer drivers and PPD files.

Printing services notes

Please note the following:

CUPS notes

• The version of lpstat supplied with CUPS does not display correct dates in its output. The dates are hard-coded as "Jan 01 00:00". This is a known issue with CUPS and does not indicate a problem with this implementation.

• There is a bug in CUPS that restricts the root password to regular letters and numbers. If your root password uses meta characters, you will not be able to log in to the CUPS web-based administration tool. You will need to specify a password that complies with these restrictions.

• If you delete a printer in the CUPS web-based administration tool, the CUPS daemon (cupsd) dies. Restart the daemon. The printer is successfully removed.

Gimp-Print notes

• Gimp-Print provides a CUPS driver primarily for Canon and Epson printers (along with some Lexmark and HP models), and the corresponding PPD files. These PPD files appear as follows in the CUPS administrative web interface:

     EPSON model CUPS+Gimp-print v4.2.7
  

  Try these PPD files before trying the hpijs-based drivers.

• There is also an hpijs-based Ghostscript driver (for use with Foomatic) and corresponding PPD files. These PPD files appear as follows in the CUPS administrative web interface:

     Epson model Foomatic/gimp-print-ijs
  

• escputil is a utility for administering Epson printers.

Hewlett-Packard InkJet driver (hpijs) notes

• The PPD files provided with this driver appear as follows in the CUPS administrative web interface:

     HP model Foomatic/hpijs (recommended) (en)
  

  It is recommended that you use these PPD files even if there are other Foomatic PPDs for your printer model, for example:

     HP model Foomatic/pc13 (en)