Canon printer and TurboPrint

[Wojciech Puchar]

>> CUPS isn't extra software in my opinions.
>
> CUPS is a PITA, but it may nevertheless be the "least bad"
> solution if one is stuck with a junk printer.

i really have nicer things to do that fighting with winprinter, when i can 
get normal printer for really low price.

> Decent, network-capable, PostScript printers do not have to be
> costly.  I bought a Samsung ML-2571N at Fry's for something like
> $60(US) a year or two ago.  All I had to do was plug it into the
> network, add its IP address to /etc/hosts, add a suitable entry
> to /etc/printcap, and lpr "just works".  No need to bother with
> CUPS.

postscript printers are easiest, but PCL as not much more difficult, just 
write simple filter using ghostscript.

Even not write - just modify existing examples like below

#!/bin/sh
#
#  ifhp - Print Ghostscript-simulated PostScript on a DesJet 500
#  Installed in /usr/local/libexec/hpif

#
#  Treat LF as CR+LF:
#
printf "\033&k2G" || exit 2

#
#  Read first two characters of the file
#
read first_line
first_two_chars=`expr "$first_line" : '\(..\)'`

if [ "$first_two_chars" = "%!" ]; then
     #
     #  It is PostScript; use Ghostscript to scan-convert and print it
     #
     /usr/local/bin/gs -dSAFER -dNOPAUSE -q -sPAPERSIZE=a4 -sDEVICE=ljet4 -sOutputFile=- - \
         && exit 0

else
     #
     #  Plain text or HP/PCL, so just print it directly; print a form
     #  at the end to eject the last page.
     #
     echo "$first_line" && cat && printf "\f" && exit 0
fi

exit 2