[cups.general] 1.6x IPP printer detection

[Michael Sweet]

Kai,

On Mar 20, 2013, at 12:06 PM, Kai Hendry <hendry at webconverger.com> wrote:
> Hi Michael,
> 
> Thanks again for taking a look.
> 
> On 20 March 2013 23:15, Michael Sweet <msweet at apple.com> wrote:
>> That's why we want IPP Everywhere: Bonjour discovery, no drivers.
> 
> I don't quite understand that.
> 
> Because for example when you setup a (Ricoh) network printer with IPP
> using the address http://IP.ADDRESS/printer, you still need to specify
> a printer driver.

If the printer supports a well-defined standard, like IPP Everywhere, then all you need is the address or URI and a single, common "driver" that talks the standard protocol and file formats.

> Perhaps the "Bonjour discovery" is not working correctly. Does that
> somehow advertise the driver?

Bonjour (DNS-SD) does in fact advertise make-and-model/product/1284 device ID fields, and that can be (and is) used for legacy driver lookup.

However, what I'm talking about is a new class of printer (available for the last few years now thanks to a lot of work by a lot of people, including me) that implements standard protocols and file formats, eliminating the need for printer drivers as we have known them.  This has been a long time in coming (I have personally been pushing for this since 1998 in the IETF and PWG) and will make printer setup as easy as plugging in (or wirelessly pairing with) a keyboard or mouse.

_________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer, PWG Chair