Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:01:34 -0700 From: Predrag Punosevac <punosevac@math.arizona.edu> To: Bernt Hansson <bernt@bah.homeip.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: USB printer Message-ID: <47E8791E.7030109@math.arizona.edu> In-Reply-To: <47E85B0D.2010003@bah.homeip.net> References: <BMEDLGAENEKCJFGODFOCIEIDCFAA.tedm@toybox.placo.com> <47E83A8A.8020700@bah.homeip.net> <3089.150.135.84.86.1206403531.squirrel@squirrelmail.math.arizona.edu> <47E85B0D.2010003@bah.homeip.net>
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Bernt Hansson wrote: > punosevac@math.arizona.edu skrev: >>> Ted Mittelstädt wrote , at 2008-03-19 05:24: >>> >>>> CUPS <> Ghostscript. gs and all the foomatic stuff runs just fine >>>> with LPR/LPD, no CUPS needed. > >>> Can one use a ppd-file with lpd/lpr? > >> Of course. A sample printcap file >> >> lp|OfficeJet:\ >> :lp=/dev/ulpt0:\ >> :af=/etc/foomatic/HP-OfficeJet_4110-hpijs.ppd:\ >> :if=/usr/local/bin/foomatic-rip:\ >> :sd=/var/spool/lpd/OfficeJet:\ >> :sh: > > I'm not using foomatic but the ppd-file from HP for LJ2100, 2200, 4050 > and 8000 is that still possible? They all speak postscript. > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" Well if you want to use your printers in PostScript mode you can just send row .ps file and it should print i.e. you can remove the af and if lines from the printcap and should work. Now what about other file types? Lets have a second look for instance at LJ2100. According to Linux Printing Database (which is the one we also use in BSD world) http://openprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-LaserJet_2100 the recommended way of using for instance LJ2100 is via Printer Command Language 5 or 6 i.e. you need a driver. The recommended driver for LJ2100 is pxlmono which is build in Ghostscript. If you use printer with Apsfilter you can just select the driver. Files of any type should be printed no question asked. If you use PPD file and fomatic-rip filter as in the above printcap example the jobs would be passed through pxlmono driver. You may send to printer ps or non ps files (pdf, dvi, gif, html) and everything should work no question asked. The printer will work eight other drivers. Now the final question is probably that there is custom PPD vile for PostScript mode according to the same Database. I think that that one is only relevant for CUPS as PPD files are used via IPP (only spoken by CUPS) to fake real communication with the device and show things like printer status. I am not 100% sure but I think that PPD file is what one would call CUPS-PPD file. If you send let say .pdf file that PPD file probably will tell CUPS how to pass pdf file through GhostScript and create ps version and then print it. I am not sure if it going to be useful with LPD. Of course in the case you do not have any filters in your printcap you can send only ps files to printer. You can play on the following way. Remove the if (input filter line from your printcap file) and keep af but put that particular custom PPD file which is used for PostScript mode. Try to send ps and pdf file. If it prints only ps file that means that PPD does nothing for LPD if it can print pdf files that means that is usable with LPD. I personally use most printers in PCL mode just because I have lots of different mish-mash printer non of which speaks full PostScript language. Cheers, Predrag
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