[cups.general] Custom print command -- adding a new backend?

[Jeff Hardy]

To get your backend to show in the list of available backends, you need
to support "device discovery mode."  When your backend is queried with
no arguments, it needs to print out a string in a certain format.  Check
out the CUPS Software Programmer's Manual for some examples.
Additionally, check out the CUPS Links page at http://cups.org/links.php
for examples of other backends.


On Mon, 2005-06-06 at 14:50 -0400, hanspv at klodrik.uio.no wrote:
> I'm stumped.
> 
> I try to set up a CUPS queue that uses a shell command to print.  I.e. not just
> dropping a file to a device, or using some pre-defined protocole like LPD,
> but giving it to a script on stdin.
> 
> The documentation doesn't mention this (or I didn't find it), but I got the
> impression that a "backend" script (bash/perl/whatever) could do the trick.
> 
> Is that right?  If so, how do I create a backend?  I found a few "extra"
> scripts under  /usr/lib/cups/backend/ , but creating a script here & restarting
> cupsd doesn't seem to get me anywhere.  The GUI still doesn't allow me to
> choose any other connection type (it's only "Locally-connected", "Networked
> CUPS", etc etc...).
> 
> Entring an unknown DeviceURI in /etc/cups/printers.conf doesn't work, it's
> rejected by the gui.
> 
> How can I expand the list of possible connections, and force CUPS to pour
> the print data to my script's STDIN ?
> 
> Any help, or pointers to relevant docs, is appreciated.
> 
> BTW, I'm using redhat EL4, but will need this for other architectures too.
> 
> regards,
> Hans Peter
> 
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