CUPS Printing System Open-Source Development Has Seemingly Dried Up

[phoronix]

Phoronix: CUPS Printing System Open-Source Development Has Seemingly Dried Up

At the end of 2019 the lead developer of CUPS left Apple after he joined Apple and the company purchased the source code a decade prior for this long-standing open-source printing system used by not only macOS but also Linux and other Unix-like platforms. This unfortunately has not bode well for CUPS in 2020...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-2020-CUPS-Git

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I will guess two more reasons for this stagnation:

- CUPS works, no need to change what isn't broken (although someone angry with a bug report will fire at me for this);
- With the widespread use of online services, printing is a less important thing on peoples lives. COVID sure make online documentation even more widespread, since burocratic services forcefully had to start accepting more paperless docs.

[S.Pam]

Printing is definitely still used in companies. CUPS is a very good alternative to expensive proprietary systems.

[schmidtbag]

I will guess two more reasons for this stagnation:

- CUPS works, no need to change what isn't broken (although someone angry with a bug report will fire at me for this);
- With the widespread use of online services, printing is a less important thing on peoples lives. COVID sure make online documentation even more widespread, since burocratic services forcefully had to start accepting more paperless docs.

I agree with both statements, but there's a 3rd option too:
Cloud-print devices or generic network printers. Having localized printer drivers is becoming less necessary.

[skeevy420]

Printing is definitely still used in companies. CUPS is a very good alternative to expensive proprietary systems.

From my position as a small business, very small, I hate it when I have to print. It means two things: I'm using up expensive ink and then I'm going to have to deliver what I print. It's like every print costs me $5. Double the money, double the pollution. I'd rather just email a PDF.

[Slartifartblast]

From my position as a small business, very small, I hate it when I have to print. It means two things: I'm using up expensive ink and then I'm going to have to deliver what I print. It's like every print costs me $5. Double the money, double the pollution. I'd rather just email a PDF.

A lot of companies still insist on a Fax.

[shemgp]

Michael Sweet has been developing PAPPL, probably as a replacement for CUPS.

[benjiro]

A lot of companies still insist on a Fax.

Not just companies. State organizations also. When asked why we can not just send a email with the required document, the response is simply "not allowed". Its like email is some new unproven technology. The only advantage that a fax has, is that its one on one communication and i assume this is why a lot of communication is done over fax. Aka less chance of stuff leaking out ( unless somebody hacked the phone company ).

We do not even have faxes anymore, so ... we ended up faxing using some "unproven" 3th party online fax service. There goes all that 1on1 advantage ( and at higher cost i may add ).

PDF's by email are simply much more convenient, even if they are less secure.

Edit:

And i may add that even mail is considered old fashion because if you work with China, its way more about using stuff like weChat to send files.

[bug77]

I'm out of touch with the subject, but isn't Linux printing support all about IPP these days? And IPP hasn't been updated in years.

[skeevy420]

I'm glad I focus on residential work then. It seems like 99% of the people I deal with want me to email them a bid with the occasional (very) old person wanting it on paper.

The times I have to fax, because I don't have a landline anymore I go to me friends' shop and use their fax machine.