[cups.general] Associate a backend with a printer?

[Michael Sweet]

Aaron,

On May 8, 2012, at 11:31 AM, Aaron Sher <asher at vanteon.com> wrote:
> It appears to me as if CUPS just simply doesn't support the concept of writing a custom backend for a printer that's already supported by an existing backend. That is, there's no way for a custom backend to preempt an existing backend, and there's no way for the printer to specify which backend it would prefer to work with. Can anyone confirm this for me?

Yes, there is no way to suppress a standard backend if your printer supports the corresponding protocol.

> The bottom line is that it appears to be impossible to write a custom backend for a network printer on Mac OS X. Which sucks, and makes me nostalgic for the Tioga days...


<shudder>

Nothing prevents you from writing the custom backend, and even making it possible to discover. The limitation is that the printer won't show up with your custom backend in the "nearby printers" list.

I had asked what you needed to do that the standard backends didn't do in a prior response - is there something preventing you from using the standard backends?

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Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer, PWG Chair