From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Aug 19 17:12:19 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 92285106568B for ; Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:12:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx02.qsc.de (mx02.qsc.de [213.148.130.14]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4CAD18FC51 for ; Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:12:19 +0000 (UTC) Received: from r55.edvax.de (port-92-195-1-225.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.1.225]) by mx02.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id F1414245A7; Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:12:17 +0200 (CEST) Received: from r55.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r55.edvax.de (8.14.2/8.14.2) with SMTP id n7JHCHBY002170; Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:12:17 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:12:17 +0200 From: Polytropon To: Gary Kline Message-Id: <20090819191217.cb48d885.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20090819170020.GA86066@thought.org> References: <20090819063810.GA15231@thought.org> <20090819072307.a5f2a541.wmoran@potentialtech.com> <20090819174050.9e09a934.freebsd@edvax.de> <20090819170020.GA86066@thought.org> Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 2.4.7 (GTK+ 2.12.1; i386-portbld-freebsd7.0) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Bill Moran , FreeBSD Mailing List Subject: Re: duplex printing with OOo. X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Polytropon List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:12:19 -0000 On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:00:20 -0700, Gary Kline wrote: > It's been years since I tried CUPS; it gives me fits. In > short, it has never worked. With "modern" printers that are not standard compliant, you almost have no way around CUPS. Printers that can do PS don't need any printer filter, and those who talk some standard printer language, such as PCL, are fine with gs drivers, as apsfilter employs them. PCL can, for example, control if the printer should use duplex or not, or from which cassette paper should be taken. This allows you to install several printers, if you wish to use "redirection" to a specific printer according to the features you want. And it's quite easy. Additionally, it'w roth mentioning that (at least office-class) network printers do contain their own printer spooler system that can be remotely controled via FreeBSD. One of the major downsides of CUPS is, in my opinion, that it does not allow you to add a parallel printer that is not connected to the computer at booting time and at the moment you want to make the installtion. Background story: A friend wanted me to install CUPS for his parallel inkjet printer. He told me name and model of the printer, but CUPS didn't let me install it. Sadly, there seem to be various printer filters that can be used on FreeBSD, and you have to select the correct one according to your printer: none, apsfilter, CUPS, hpijs, gimp-print, gutenprint... > My networked 5250 does come with a configuration panel. > Simplex or Duplex. That lets me do % lpr single- > or double-sided. Regardless, my OpenOffice only prints on > one-sided. [?] An idea might be the following: OpenOffice outputs to PCL or PS and defaults to a single page setting that is forced upon the printer and overriding the preferred setting (duplex) from the operator panel. I had this problem with the HP Laserjet 4000 duplex, too. My solution was to explicitely check the filter, a gs command, to take the printer's setting; but that's not CUPS, it's apsfilter, the "more lightweight but limited to quite standard hardware little brother" of CUPS. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...