Re: [9fans] Newbie question on printing

[Jack Johnson <knapjack@gmail.com>]

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On 7/26/05, Ronald G. Minnich <rminnich@lanl.gov> wrote:
> Overall, I've never used anything I like quite as much as that. Not even
> OSX can compare -- OSX is just about as painful as any standard Unix for
> adding a new printer.

The trick with OSX is to not use it as Apple intended.

If you have a single CUPS-based print server (OSX or otherwise), set
your ACLs and turn browsing on, it'll just happen.

At home I have a Linux box with a crappy DeskJet 400, and from our
iBooks I think the only thing I had to do client-side (using Terminal)
was to turn browsing on.  As long as the server is on, if you're in
the house the printer shows up on the list.  If you're at work or on
the road, it doesn't.  Magic.

It took longer to sift the PPD on the server to force black and white
as the default than it did to get reliable, convenient printing.  But
stay away from Apple's GUI.  Even on OSX I use the local Web interface
if I have to add a new printer (which isn't fun for newbies, either,
but at least you know what you're going to get).  Should be
http://localhost:631.

What I dislike about Windows printing is that the client shouldn't
need a driver.  Every client should be able to generate PCL or
PostScript or HP-GL and have some convenient way to find out what
printer features are available.  I've done several Windows printing
hacks rolling my own PostScript miniport drivers that just uses the
Windows built-in PostScript engine and loads the correct PPD for the
printer, and though setting the printer preferences isn't as intuitive
as with some other drivers, it's consistent, and you can get huge
stability by having just a single (Microsoft-written) print driver
loaded.

In fact, here's one I use often, Adobe's Acrobat Distiller PPD omitted
(though freely available on their Web site).  At work we use Linux
print queues to generate PDFs server-side and mail them back to the
users, and most PostScript printers won't let you put color ink corner
to corner.  So, Adobe's PPD, Microsoft's driver.  One INF and one PPD
file and away you go.  Change the strings and the PPD for the printer
of your choice.

Filename changed for your protection. :)

It would be relatively easy for a vendor like MS to one-up CUPS, clean
up their print dialogs, keep PPDs or their equivalent on the printer
share and really have a unified print driver, at least client-side.

-Jack

[-- Attachment #2: ADIST5-inf.txt --]
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[Version]
Signature="$Windows NT$"
Provider="Me"
LayoutFile=layout.inf
ClassGUID={4D36E979-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Class=Printer

;
; The Manufacturer section lists all of the manufacturers that we will
; display in the Dialog box

[Manufacturer]
"Adobe"

[Adobe]
"Acrobat Distiller" = ADIST5.PPD, Acrobat_Distiller

;
; Installer Sections
;
; These sections control file installation, and reference all files that
; need to be copied. If the section name will be assumed to be the driver
; file, unless there is an explicit DriverFile section listed.
;

[ADIST5.PPD]
CopyFiles=@ADIST5.PPD,PSCRIPT
DataFile=ADIST5.PPD
DataSection=PSCRIPT_DATA

; Copy Sections
;
; Lists of files that are actually copied. These sections are referenced
; from the installer sections, above. Only create a section if it contains
; two or more files (if we only copy a single file, identify it in the
; installer section, using the @filename notation)
;

[PSCRIPT]
PSCRIPT5.DLL
PS5UI.DLL
PSCRIPT.HLP
PSCRIPT.NTF

[PSCRIPT_DATA]
DriverFile=PSCRIPT5.DLL
ConfigFile=PS5UI.DLL
HelpFile=PSCRIPT.HLP

[DestinationDirs]
DefaultDestDir=66000

[SourceDisksNames]
4 = %Floppy%,,,""

[SourceDisksFiles]
ADIST5.PPD   = 4,,,,,,,11,3

;
; Localizable Strings
;
[Strings]
Floppy="Adobe Acrobat Distiller PPD Disk"
CLASSNAME="Printer"
PJL_MONITOR="PJL Language Monitor,PJLMON.DLL"
PS_MONITOR="PostScript Language Monitor,PSMON.DLL"