PPD files vs printer drivers also LPD vs LPRng vs CUPS

[Predrag Punosevac]

Predrag Punosevac wrote:
> I am trying to understand little bit better Unix printing. I am 
> terribly confused about
> the real meaning of PPD files and printer drivers.
>
> According to this 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostScript_Printer_Description
>
> PPD files are post script description files that act as a drivers for 
> post script printers. This seems clear to me but I have never had a post
> script printer in my life.
>
>
> According to same page CUPS-PPD are used by CUPS to do post-script 
> printing on non-postscript printers by directing files through
> CUPS-filter. Could somebody explain this things better to me. Every 
> time I used CUPS the PPD files where enough to enable me printing.
> Did I really use some other drivers beside these PPD files or did CUPS 
> communicate with my printers with some generic driver and just
> uses PPD files to do filtering.
>
>
> In LPD it seems to me that this is more clear as when I run ./SETUP 
> apsfilter I am really question to select the driver from the 
> Ghostscript collection. I have never used LPD without the apsfilter.
>
> What is the simplest way to send ps file to the printer that doesn't 
> speak ps? If I could do that everything else is peace of cake. I read 
> very carefully printing form the handbook but I want to learn more.
>
> Could anybody explain me if there are some strong reasons for choosing 
> LPD over CUPS or LPRng system (seems just GUI added on the top of LPD)
> It would logical to me that LPD is safer (CUPS port has some security 
> warnings) and maybe more reliable. In any case it is included in the 
> base system and I prefer to use something included in the base system
>
>
> Thanks to ALL
> Predrag
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This seems 
http://www.linuxprinting.org/kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/III.PostScript-and-PPDs/III.PostScript-and-PPDs.html
like a good starting point for my questions.

Any Adobe or CUPS developers around that can give me more information. 
What should I read?