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Apple acquires CUPS, hires project creator

updated 12:40 pm EDT, Thu July 12, 2007

Apple acquires CUPS


Apple has officially purchased CUPS, a modularized computer printing system for Unix-like operating systems that allows computers to act as print servers. Apple has acquired ownership of the C Unix Printing System open-source project source code, and has hired project creator Michael R Sweet. "In February of 2007, Apple Inc. acquired ownership the CUPS source code and hired me (Michael R Sweet), the creator of CUPS," Sweet wrote on the CUPS project site. "CUPS will still be released under the existing GPL2/LGPL2 licensing terms, and I will continue to develop and support CUPS at Apple." Apple has gained all rights to the CUPS trademarks including Common UNIX Printing System, CUPS, and the CUPS logo.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. ibugv4

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2003

    0
    07/12, 02:09pm | report spam | Reply |

    *tear*

    Goodbye CUPS, you won't stay open for long.

  1. jarod

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2005

    0
    07/12, 02:23pm | report spam | Reply |

    On the contrary

    NOW is when CUPS will really rule.

  1. MisterMe

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: May 2007

    0
    07/12, 02:23pm | report spam | Reply |

    oh, grow up

    This is great news! At long last CUPS will have the full weight of Apple behind it. No longer is there an excuse for vendors to supply proprietary-coded drivers. If Apple releases CUPS for Windows, then "Oh, happy day!"

  1. TheBum

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Sep 2001

    0
    07/12, 02:52pm | report spam | Reply |

    remote queuing and status

    I would still like to see support in OS X for remote queuing of multiple jobs and the ability to view the status of remotely queued jobs. As it is now, OS X only sends jobs to a printer or print server one at a time, keeping the remainder of the queued jobs in the local queue. Remote status can be seen through the port 631 web page on the remote print server, but not in OS X's queue window. Maybe now that they control CUPS, we'll see it.

  1. iphoneistic.com

    Baninated

    Joined: Jul 2007

    0
    07/12, 05:26pm | report spam | Reply |

    Great news!

    CUPS has really helped me. I hope Apple can add to it's features and make it an even more user friendly product.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

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    07/12, 05:30pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: oh grow up

    This is great news! At long last CUPS will have the full weight of Apple behind it. No longer is there an excuse for vendors to supply proprietary-coded drivers. If Apple releases CUPS for Windows, then "Oh, happy day!"

    Um, why? Apple can't get vendors to make drivers for OS X now (CUPS or not). How does getting CUPS magically make the vendors go "Holy c***! Apple has printing technology! We better write some drivers for it!"

    And just because there's a windows version means nothing. How many users are going to install CUPS on their windows systems?

  1. smashedbanana

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2005

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    07/14, 02:32pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: oh grow up

    "Um, why? Apple can't get vendors to make drivers for OS X now (CUPS or not). How does getting CUPS magically make the vendors go "Holy c***! Apple has printing technology! We better write some drivers for it!"

    There is a difference between implementing a technology and owning it. Apple implemented CUPS is 10.2, which didn't give them any weight. Now they own it.

    A universal IPP CUPS driver for Linux and Mac OS will be a lot more convient for manufacturers. Now Apple can enhance, repackage and lobby the manufacturers. I can't see how you think things won't change.





  1. SubPop

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

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    07/16, 10:34am | report spam | Reply |

    re: oh grow up

    A universal IPP CUPS driver for Linux and Mac OS will be a lot more convient for manufacturers. Now Apple can enhance, repackage and lobby the manufacturers. I can't see how you think things won't change.

    ..And don't forget, CUPS is also compatible with BeOS and OS/2 as well! This is a HUGE amount of leverage for Apple to lobby printer manufacturers..

    Of course, that would be, except for the fact that most printer manufacturers care even less about Linux than they do about Mac OS X.

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