On Fri, Nov 21, 2003 at 09:07:10PM +0100, Till Kamppeter wrote:
> Oi,
>
> CUPS (http://www.cups.org/) provides its own concept of printer drivers
> with one main intention of separating the PostScript interpreter from
> the driver, so that the driver does not need to be compiled into
> GhostScript. This makes installing a new driver much easier and allows
> drivers to be propriatary whereas the GhostScript in use is free
> software. Images can even be printed without the PostScript detour.
A slight explanation for the folks who are not up on this.
The idea is to use GhostScript as a 'PostScript Parser' and
'basic operations provider'. (Ahem! Any resemblance between this
and the Windows 'Printer Driver Interface', is of course,
coincidental. Um Huh. Right. :-) ).
Thus you have:
---> postscript ---> GhostScript -> output format
-> CUPS
-> legacy
-> whatever
-> IJCS (?) whatever
I thought the idea, when first proposed by the IBM folks, was
rather clever and original. Silly me. Turns out that LOTS of
people had thought of it as well. Its called 'loadable drivers'
or 'dynamically loadable libraries'. Ooops.
.... Lots of details deleted
>
> To remedy this and to even recommend certain CUPS raster drivers on
> linuxprinting.org (a recommended driver should work with all spoolers) I
> have added support for CUPS raster drivers in foomatic-rip and I want to
> ask you to test this with LPRng.
>
> Proceed as follows:
You neglected to say 'Put on your mystical System Wizards Hat,
twirl in your chair three times while muttering the incantation:
"If those other idiots can do this, so can I!"
:-)
This is NOT for the faint hearted, folks.
>
> - Install the CUPS libraries libcups and libcupsimage (in your distro
> usually in packages like "libcups", "libcups2", or similar) and if you
> want to compile GhostScript and/or the raster driver, install also the
> header package ("libcups-devel", "libcups-dev", "cupsys-dev", or
> similar). If you prefer to compile the CUPS library from source, you
> need the CUPS package from http://www.cups.org/, but you do not need to
> run the CUPS daemon, only the libraries are needed.
>
> - Check whether your GhostScript has the "cups" device. Do
>
> gs -h | grep cups
>
> and you should get output. Otherwise you should install ESP GhostScript
> (for example "espgs" from Debian or the source from
> http://www.cups.org/ghostscript.php).
>
> - Install the CUPS raster driver. It should be located in a directory
> named /usr/lib/cups/filter/, /usr/local/lib/cups/filter/,
> or/opt/cups/filter/ and it must be world-executable. If you install from
> an RPM and rpm complains about missing CUPS, do "rpm -Uvh --nodeps ..."
> to install the package.
>
> - Proceed as described on
>
> http://www.linuxprinting.org/lpd-doc.html
>
> using the PPD file of the CUPS raster driver as your printer was a
> native PostScript printer. Use the most current foomatic-rip, as I added
> the CUPS raster driver support only two days ago. Foomatic 3.0.1rc1
> contains the correct foomatic-rip.
>
> Alternatively, you can use foomatic-configure (preferrably with both
> foomatic-db-engine and foomatic-filters being version 3.0.1rc1 or newer)
> with the "--ppd" option using the PPD file of your CUPS raster driver.
>
> CUPS raster drivers for testing:
>
> - GIMP-Print (http://gimp-print.sf.net/)
> - The sample drivers in the CUPS package (http://www.cups.org/)
> - Turboprint (http://www.turboprint.de/)
> - Proprietary Linux drivers of newer Lexmark printers
> (http://www.lexmark.com/)
> - Samsung's Linux drivers (ex:
> http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/DR/200308/20030828132149359_lpp-1.0.6.i386.tar.gz)
>
> Please report any bug or problem.
>
> Happy printing.
>
> Till
This looks really interesting. A good outline of the steps to take
to check this out.
I will be busy resting up from a hellacious cold/flu/misery that I caught
from Monica. She, of course, only had it for a day. I spent a week
hacking and sneezing.
Bah... Humbug. And pass the cough drops.
By the way, Part 2: Crispy Critters and Ravens in the Sky
on Monday. Next, Monday.
--
Patrick Powell Astart Technologies
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 6741 Convoy Court
Network and System San Diego, CA 92111
Consulting 858-874-6543 FAX 858-751-2435
LPRng - Print Spooler (http://www.lprng.com)
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