(I.) Introduction to KDEPrint:
Ready for the Enterprise Desktop



 

This document is a collection of several other, describing the different components of KDEPrint 3.x.

It is work in Progress. Eventually it will become the new KDEPrint Handbook

At the present time it includes...

  • ...an overview, summarizing the new features in KDEPrint;
  • ...a kprinter description, detailing print options contained in the KDEPrint graphical printing dialog;
  • ...a kjobviewer description, enumerating the sophisticated job and queue management actions needed to run printing in a large enterprise or organization environment;
  • ...an introduction to work with Filter Command Editor, which allows everybody to plug in any Third Party filter program into KDEPrint.

KDEPrint is one of the most outstanding features in KDE-3..x making it ready for enterprise desktop computing. KDEPrint supports different underlying print subsystems, like LPRng, RLPR, Generic Unix LPD or even any other external program through one consistent user interface.

Most spectacular is its power when running as a frontend to CUPS, the Common UNIX Printing System. CUPS is the most modern and powerful of all printing system available for UNIX-like systems. It is based firmly on IPP, the new IETF- and industry standard for network printing.

While providing support for legacy spoolers (and even continuing development on this plane) the KDE Printing Team recommends all users to use CUPS for best control of their printing operations. CUPS support inside KDEPrint is the most complete at the present time and will always strife to keep pace with the rapid CUPS development itself. We are not alone with our preference: Apple has recently chosen to base its printing system for Mac OS X and Darwin full-square on CUPS (and there are even rumors saying Apple's scouts were only considering CUPS after they had read about our earlier recommendation and after they had evaluated KDEPrint 2.2.x.... but that's just rumors ;-) . Also, many Linux distributions are more and more moving into the direction of CUPS (with some of them, like Mandrake, Caldera, Lycoris and Conectiva using it as their primary choice).



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