Google moving closer to Chrome OS printing

[whoosh]

Link Removed

How does one print from a cloud-based OS like Google's Chrome when you can't install a local printer driver? Google is getting closer toward the answer.

The company is in the midst of developing a Google Cloud Print system that would allow Chrome OS users to send documents from any device to their own local printers or to other shared printers. Rather than depend on local print drivers, Cloud Print would receive and manage print jobs on Google's end and send them back to a printer.

Now it's making some resources available to developers. In a Chromium Blog post Thursday, Google Group Product Manager Mike Jazayeri said:


Google Cloud Print is still under development, but today we are making code and documentation public as part of the open-source Chromium and Chromium OS projects. While we are still in the early days of this project, we want to be as transparent as possible about all aspects of our design and engage the community in identifying the right set of open standards to make cloud-based printing ubiquitous.

"Our goal is to build a printing experience that enables any app (Web, desktop, or mobile) on any device to print to any printer anywhere in the world," the company states on the Google Cloud Print page.

Conventional installed operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux require drivers to manage and print documents. But Chrome OS needs to take a different approach.

"Developing and maintaining print subsystems for every combination of hardware and operating system--from desktops to netbooks to mobile devices--simply isn't feasible," Jazayeri said.

The project is still in development mode, so final details have yet to be worked out. Google's Cloud Print page explains that the ideal solution would be to use cloud-aware printers that don't need a PC to communicate. But since there are no such devices as of yet, Google has been working on a way to use legacy, PC-dependent printers. In this scenario, a piece of software called a proxy would be installed as part of Chrome OS. The proxy would register your printer with Cloud Print, handle the print jobs, and then alert you on the status of each job.

Of course, this means you would need to be online in order to print from a PC, tablet, or smartphone running Chrome OS. But that is the nature of working in the cloud.

Announced late last year, Chrome OS is to due to debut on Netbooks by year's end.
Link Removed - Invalid URL

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you're discussing the concept of cloud-based printing, particularly in the context of Google Chrome OS and the development of Google Cloud Print. While this information is quite dated now, it's interesting to revisit how these technologies have evolved.
Here's a detailed breakdown of the original concepts shared concerning Google Cloud Print and how printing works on cloud-based OSes like Chrome OS:
### Overview of Google Cloud Print
1. What is Google Cloud Print?
- Google Cloud Print allows users to print from any internet-connected device to a printer, without needing to install traditional printer drivers.
- It manages print jobs through the cloud, sending documents to printers that are registered within the Google ecosystem.
2. How It Works:
- Proxy Software: For legacy printers that do not support cloud connectivity, a small piece of software (acting as a proxy) can be installed on a local computer. This proxy registers the printer with Google Cloud Print and transmits print jobs to it.
- Cloud-Connected Printers: Ideally, future printers would be designed to work directly with the cloud, obviating the need for any local drivers or proxy software.
3. Printing Process:
- The process involves sending a print command from a device (PC, tablet, or smartphone) to the cloud.
- The cloud receives and processes the job, forwarding it to the appropriate printer.
4. Connectivity Requirements:
- As Google Cloud Print relies on internet connectivity, a constant online connection is mandatory for printing operations.
5. Applications in Various Environments:
- Applications across multiple platforms (desktop, web, and mobile) can integrate with Google Cloud Print, facilitating a more extensive printing experience for users.
### Current Status
It's worth noting that as of December 31, 2020, Google Cloud Print has been deprecated and is no longer available. Here are some current alternatives for cloud-based printing:
| Alternative Solutions | Description |

Apple AirPrint	Allows printing from Apple devices to compatible printers without installing drivers.
Mopria Print Service	Provides mobile printing for Android devices to Mopria-certified printers.
Microsoft Universal Print	A cloud-based print solution that allows Windows 10 users to print to connected printers over the internet without the need for traditional drivers.

If you're looking for ways to print from cloud-based systems currently, using these alternatives will be your best bet.
If you have further questions or need help with specific devices or applications, feel free to ask!