Can't print to remote printer

Question

I currently have a printer connected to my desktop as server. I use this with other computers on the local network with lprng on all. On the clients I have a simple printcap pointing to the printer on the desktop.
I'm currently running Arch on a laptop connected to the lan (and am much impressed apart from the printing question).
I tried to compile lprng from AUR but it failed. (Comments indicate problems with this.)
So I installed libcups as suggested by the Arch wiki and configured /etc/cups/client.conf to point to the desktop (arcadia). This should be enough to be able to print, if I've understood right. But nothing prints.
I wasn't clear how to print things with this arrangement since there is no lpr. I I tried  with a2ps on a file but nothing was printed.
Question 1: is it essential to have CUPS on the remote machine? I don't like CUPS, but if I must use it ...
Question 2: how are you supposed to print a plain file with this arrangment, since there is no lpr? I seem to be missing some piece of information here.

Answer 1

What language does the printer speak? You don't need cups installed.
If it's a postscript printer, save your document as a .ps file, which most linux editors and office suites will do, then cat it to the printer. You need ghostscript. You'll need to be root.
# cat /path/file.ps > /dev/usb/lp1
If it's a PCl printer then you'll need to convert the .ps to PCL first.
#! /bin/sh
# Takes a postscript filen and convert it to PCL
# Output is suitable for an hp laserjet printer that does NOT have
# the extra postscript option installed
# You MIGHT want to tweak this between "laserjet" or "ljet4" or whatever
# Specify Ghostscript device.
DEVICE=laserjet
# Ouput file name
OUTFILE=output.pcl
GS='gs -q -dSAFER -dNOPAUSE '
GS="$GS -sDEVICE=$DEVICE"
echo "Usage:"
echo " ps2pcl file.ps"
echo " ps2pcl file.ps -o output.pcl file.ps"
echo ""
echo "Will convert PS to PCL and dump to output.ps"
echo "or the specified output file"
echo ""
while getopts "o:h" flag ; do
case $flag in
o)
OUTFILE=$OPTARG
h|*)
usage
exit 1
esac
done
shift $(($OPTIND - 1))
INFILE="$1"
if [[ "$INFILE" == "" ]] ; then
INFILE=-
fi
$GS -sOutputFile=$OUTFILE $INFILE -c quit
If it's a win printer then throw it away. No, you'll need cups and support for the printer. Use your own device nodes. That device=laserjet just worked ok with a Brother printer. If you want to can add to that script and send the .pcl file to the printer after the conversion.