[cups.general] Job hold and release using printer's own hardware

Henri Shustak henri.shustak at gmail.com
Sun Mar 28 15:24:06 PDT 2010


> CUPS implements job hold and release, of course, such that a print job held by the CUPS server can be released from a web browser or specialised application running on a PC (either a desktop or a small-board computer) or even a user's iPhone or iPod Touch (!) etc next to the printer. (Except that the iPhone etc don't do Kerberos, which we use for CUPS authentication.) A second method of job hold and release would be for the printing system to send the job to a Multi-Function Device (MFD) - i.e. printer/copier etc - marked in such a way that the MFD itself will hold the job until the user releases it via the front panel.
> 
> I think that the first method - implemented, I've been told, for instance, by http://www.pykota.com/ - is probably superior (one can move the job to and release it at any printer), but (as far as I know) it does require extra hardware to be dedicated to each printer.
> 
> Is there a solution which permits held CUPS jobs to be released using a printer's own hardware? Is either the first or the second method above thus possible? Clearly 'Yes' (first method), for a printer which had a front-panel web browser (which system required users to authenticate for the CUPS server), but what if, like us, you have Ricoh MFDs and may end up with HP MFDs? (There are some smaller HP printers with integrated - limited? - web browsers, I gather, but I doubt that these 'speak' Kerberos.)
> 

I think that one part of the problem is the proprietary interfaces which are on the printers and copiers. This means you are not able to change them without the assistance of the copier manufactures. Maybe there are printers out there which are not using a proprietary interface, but I have not yet seen one. 

In addition, different manufactures, seem to have a different approaches to communication and control or printer functions and job control via the network. I have yet to see copier with anything more than a web based interface for job control via the network. Again, there could be something out there which is offering something more with which I am not familiar.

A standardized network based communication and control system for printers/copiers would be great. Such as system would allow for is CUPS to communicate with the printer(s) and to release the job(s).

There is some traction in this area by individual copier / printer companies. However, it is very slow and requires the at least one major company to get in and support / work on an open standard and implementation of this standard.


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