[cups] Multi-user CUPS printer configs / customised PPD per user?

[Roland Giesler]

I have to solve a sticky problem that I have tried to solve before but
without success...

On a server with more than one user (specifically here LTSP), everyone uses
the same printer config / ppd.  Typically is config would be in
/etc/cups/ppd/printer.ppd

With print accounting (Xerox, TA in my case), the ppd file allows a section
where this information can be provided.  However, every user has his/her
own account/pin, so hard coding this is the pdd is not a solution.

How can each user have his own ppd file so we can hard code his pin in it?
  This is becoming a common problem since most larger printers/copiers now
have this feature, so it is something cups should be catering for imho...


Some things I have considered / though about:
* LTSP has a mechanism to provide for a local printer attached to a thin
client.  I could use this and print to the network printer, but the clients
are light and printing a large pdf would probably kill it
in terms of resources
.
* Maybe CUPS can be told somehow to use a different config when a user logs
on?
* Asking the printer manufacturers for help has not been fruitful yet.  I
did manage to glean from forums how to hack the ppd file to facilitate the
accounting pins, but not more than that.

What suggestions do you have?

thanks

*Roland*