13.3. Methods and Protocols for Connecting Printers

There are various possibilities for connecting a printer to the system. The configuration of the CUPS print system does not distinguish between a local printer and a printer connected to the system over the network.

In Linux, local printers must be connected as described in the manual of the printer manufacturer. CUPS supports serial, USB, parallel, and SCSI connections. The respective back-end must also be selected for the communication. The cabling of network printers should be installed as described by the printer manufacturer.

▪ s390;zseries
Printers and similar devices provided by the z/VM that you can connect locally with the S/390 and zSeries mainframes are not supported by CUPS or LPRng. On these platforms, printing is only possible over the network. ▪

[Warning]Cable Connection to the Machine

When connecting the printer to the machine, do not forget that only USB devices can be plugged in or unplugged during operation. The system should be shut down before changing other kinds of connections.