Some Mac users face a dilemma--they can use either OS X or their printers. Many older printers don't have OS X drivers, and some OS X 10.1 drivers don't work in OS X 10.2. But don't run out and buy a new printer. By taking advantage of CUPS, Jaguar's new core printing technology, you may be able to bring that old printer--and many Windows printers--into the OS X fold.
The Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) was developed in 1999 to provide a standard printing system for all versions of Unix. Apple licensed this open-source technology for Jaguar. It provides a number of useful features, including print spooling, print-job management, network-printer directory services, a Web interface, and PPD (PostScript Printer Description) support. Here's how to take advantage of some new possibilities CUPS brings to the Mac.
Open-Source Software to the Rescue
The people who have been hit hardest by OS X's limited printer support are those using very expensive (costing thousands of dollars) large-format printers that have no OS X drivers. However, Jaguar doesn't officially support even some of the most basic printers--such as older ink-jets; nor does it support dot matrix printers, which people still widely use for carbon-copy printouts. (You can see a list of Jaguar's supported printers at www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/printers.html.)
The first way CUPS can help is if you have a PPD file for an unsupported printer. (The software discs that came with your printer usually provide these files.) You can often get your printer to work just by selecting the PPD file in Jaguar's Print Center utility.
Driver Power However, CUPS' biggest bonus is that it gives users the ability to take advantage of open-source printer drivers, most notably the Gimp-Print driver package. Install the Gimp-Print package and your Mac will instantly support hundreds of additional ink-jet, laser, line, and dot matrix printers.
Although Gimp-Print drivers work well for most applications, they don't work properly with those that generate their own PostScript, including many Adobe applications and AppleWorks. You can solve this problem by also installing a PostScript interpreter, such as the CUPS-compatible ESP Ghostscrip. Once installed, ESP Ghostscript works invisibly in the background to allow the Gimp-Print drivers to work with these applications.
Gimp-Print and ESP Ghostscript make an impressive number of older Mac printers fully usable in OS X. You'll also be able to use many printers previously supported only in Windows or on the Mac via a utility such as Strydent Software's PowerPrint ($99; 604/296-3600, www.strydent.com). Currently, there isn't an OS X version of PowerPrint.
You can see a complete list of printers supported by Gimp-Print at http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.php3. The site rates each printer by its current level of functionality.
Getting Ready Download the disk-image files for Gimp-Print (I recommend the latest final release rather than a newer prerelease version) and ESP Ghostscript from http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3.
Mount them in the Finder by double-clicking on each disk-image file. If your printer connects to your Mac via USB, you should make sure that the printer is connected and turned on before proceeding with installation.
To install Gimp-Print, double-click on the Gimp-Print package (Gimp-Print 4.2.3.pkg at press time); you'll be asked for an administrator user name and password. Follow the instructions to install the drivers. (Make sure to select your start-up disk when prompted if you have more than one volume.) Follow the same procedure to install the ESP Ghostscript software. Restart after installation is complete.
Setting Up Now that you've added support for your unsupported printer, you need to set it up.
Although you can use CUPS' built-in Web interface (which I'll discuss later) to set up printers, using Jaguar's Print Center utility is easier (you'll find this in Applications: Utilities: Print Center).
If your printer uses USB, hold down the option key and click on the Add button in the Print Center toolbar. You'll see the standard dialog box for adding a printer, but the pop-up menu at the top of the window will include an Advanced option--select it. Click on the Device pop-up menu, and your printer should appear at the bottom of the list. (If it doesn't, make sure it's turned on and connected.)
You can rename your printer, but don't change the device URL. Click on the Printer Model pop-up menu to select the printer manufacturer, and then select the printer model or name in the Name window. For the PPD file of a printer that's not listed, select the Other option in the Printer Model pop-up menu, and then browse directly to the PPD file. If this file is located on your printer's software CD or floppy disks, copy it to your hard drive first. Click on the Add button to finish.
TCP/IP Printing If your printer or print server is available over TCP/IP, use Print Center to set up an IP printing queue. First you'll need the IP address and queue name of the printer or print server.
Click on the Add button in the Print Center toolbar; then select IP Printing from the pop-up menu at the top of the window. Enter the IP address of the printer or print server in the Printer's Address field, and enter the queue name in the field below. Click on the Printer Model pop-up menu and select the printer manufacturer; in the Model Name window, select the printer model or name (or select Other from the Printer Model menu to select a specific PPD file). Click on the Add button to finish.
Some unsupported AppleTalk printers (and LocalTalk printers using a LocalTalk-to-Ethernet adapter) are also supported via Gimp-Print. To set up one of these, use the instructions for setting up a USB printer. You'll find the printer listed in the Device menu in the Advanced setup window. You can even print to a shared printer connected to a Windows computer via OS X's built-in Samba support. (Samba provides built-in Windows networking compatibility.) Follow the instructions for setting up a USB printer, but after selecting the Advanced option, select Windows Printer Via Samba from the Device pop-up menu. Enter the URL of the Windows printer or print server in the Device URL field.
A printer supported by the Gimp-Print drivers works lust as you would expect. In most print dialog boxes, you'll find printer-specific features (such as multiple printer trays) in a Printer Features panel available via the Options pop-up menu.
Rough Edges Gimp-Print isn't a commercial product, and it comes with no guarantees. Some printers may not work perfectly--for example, a particular driver might not support all of a printer's features.
That said, the open-source community is usually responsive to reports of bugs and quite helpful when problems come up. Check out the FAQs and support forums on the Gimp-Print site (http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_FAQ_OS_X.php3 and http://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=1537, respectively).
Under New Management
Open-source driver support may be the hidden gem of Jaguar's new reliance on CUPS, but CUPS brings other benefits. It adds the ability to manage printers and print queues via a Web interface. Go to http://127.0.0.1:631 (which is simply port 631 on your own Mac), and you'll see a CUPS administration screen (see "Remote Control").
From here you can manage printers, start and stop print jobs, and configure printer classes. (A printer class is a group of printers that act as a pool. Documents go to the first available device in that class.)
Web Access You can access this management screen remotely using a Web browser on another computer. This is handy for network administrators diagnosing problems from afar. Simply type http://ipaddress:631/(where ipaddress is your computer's IP address) in the Address field of any Web browser. (If your computer is behind a firewall, make sure port 631 is open.)
This remote access works even if Web Sharing is turned off. Therefore, if you don't want others to see your print-management Web interface (including the names of documents you've printed recently), block port 631 with a firewall. You won't be able to access the management features, either.
Troubleshooting Tool Don't overlook another nice touch--the ability to print a test page to verify connectivity and driver support. When you're having problems printing, use the Print Test Page feature to figure out whether the printer is connected and functional. If the test page prints successfully, the problem most likely lies in the application. Read up on CUPS' Web-based management abilities in the CUPS manual that's built into OS X (http://127.0.0.1:631/sam.html).
A Cup Half Full
Jaguar's CUPS-based printing architecture is a lot like OS X itself: it brings the benefits of open-source and Unix technologies to the average Mac user. Users of unsupported printers may find that CUPS and Gimp-Print save them the cost of a new printer. For everyone else, CUPS opens the door to more control over your printers than Apple has ever before provided.
DAN FRAKES is the author of the upcoming book Mac OS X Power Tools (Sybex, 2003).
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