On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, David Bear wrote:
>
> After going through the lprng how-to I'm still a little (no a lot)
> uncertain about if ifhp is using by the client, or the server. Most of my
> print jobs originate from windows clients -- so they are already in a
> print dependant language. In this case ifhp is completely extraneous,
> right?
Usually the filter is working on the server, because otherwise you would
have to maintain the package on every client. When you look into the
ifhp.conf file in the first part which contains the 'global' settings you
will find the 'file_output_match' table. Depending on the incoming file
format a format to convert to is defined. If your printer speaks
postscript and your windows clients produce postscript you will go through
the table and not convert the file. Though it is nice to use the filter
anyway, because many things like duplex or transparency printing are
predefined.
>
> If so, then what about accounting. Is ifhp need to get page counts?
>
no
> Finally, I know the lpd server can 'deliver' the print job direct to
> appsocket -- but then it appears that ifhp can do that as well. If so,
> and ifhp is used by the client, is a server needed at all?
>
The socket implementation on the printer is often very bad and so it is on
many clients, that's one reason why you will probably not let all the
clients fight for the same printer. WINDOWS clients e.g. perform a >10 min
timeout on the printerport after a job, which means nobody else can use it
during that time.
> I guess the swiss army knife approach of ifhp is just causing me to think
> too much... but what I would like to see is a more modular approach --
> where 'delivery' to the print is handled my a well defined 'interface?'...
> So that you can the 'plug in' additional 'delivery' methods -- /dev/lp0,
> appsocket, serial, ipp are the obvious ones today. I guess in my attempt
> to oversimplify I picture the following:
>
> 1) send raw file to ifhp for formatting to correct printer langauge
> 2) ifhp sends to lp (rfc1179) for spooling
> 3) lpd sends spool jobs to a 'delivery' module which encapsulate all the
> semantics of whatever delivery mechanism is used and returns whatever is
> 'possibly' from the delivery language, ie handles control flow, return
> codes form printers include pages printed, and any other printer status.
> Would be great if it could grab info like jetadmin gives such as which
> trays are empty, amount of toner, etc.
>
that's what it works like usually:
client sends job to server
lpd puts job in queue
lpd takes first job in queue hands it to the conversion tool (defined
in the printcap e.g. ifhp)
lpd gets output back
lpd sends output to printer (or ifhp itself sends the job to the printer)
lpd gets status from printer during printing and displays it via lpq
regards
~christoph
> Have I totally missed the boat?
>
> --
> David Bear
> College of Public Programs/ASU
> 480-965-8257
> ...the way is like water, going where nobody wants it to go
>
>
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