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diff --git a/docs/htmldocs/CUPS-printing.html b/docs/htmldocs/CUPS-printing.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..46ca8e15f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/htmldocs/CUPS-printing.html @@ -0,0 +1,3733 @@ +<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="samba.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.60.1"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="SAMBA Project Documentation"><link rel="up" href="optional.html" title="Part III. Advanced Configuration"><link rel="previous" href="printing.html" title="Chapter 18. Classical Printing Support"><link rel="next" href="VFS.html" title="Chapter 20. Stackable VFS modules"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="printing.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Part III. Advanced Configuration</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="VFS.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="chapter" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a name="CUPS-printing"></a>Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0</h2></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Kurt</span> <span class="surname">Pfeifle</span></h3><div class="affiliation"><span class="orgname"> Danka Deutschland GmbH <br></span><div class="address"><p><tt class="email"><<a href="mailto:kpfeifle@danka.de">kpfeifle@danka.de</a>></tt></p></div></div></div></div><div><div class="author"><h3 class="author"><span class="firstname">Ciprian</span> <span class="surname">Vizitiu</span></h3><span class="contrib">drawings</span><div class="affiliation"><div class="address"><p><tt class="email"><<a href="mailto:CVizitiu@gbif.org">CVizitiu@gbif.org</a>></tt></p></div></div></div></div><div><p class="pubdate"> (3 June 2003) </p></div></div><div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2953785">Introduction</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2953792">Features and Benefits</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2953845">Overview</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2953900">Basic Configuration of CUPS support</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2953979">Linking of smbd with libcups.so</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954122">Simple smb.conf Settings for CUPS</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954205">More complex smb.conf Settings for +CUPS</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954322">Advanced Configuration</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954343">Central spooling vs. "Peer-to-Peer" printing</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954370">CUPS/Samba as a "spooling-only" Print Server; "raw" printing +with Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954406">Driver Installation Methods on Windows Clients</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954465">Explicitly enable "raw" printing for +application/octet-stream!</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954626">Three familiar Methods for driver upload plus a new one</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954719">Using CUPS/Samba in an advanced Way -- intelligent printing +with PostScript Driver Download</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954794">GDI on Windows -- PostScript on Unix</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954839">Windows Drivers, GDI and EMF</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2954940">Unix Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955028">PostScript and Ghostscript</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955125">Ghostscript -- the Software RIP for non-PostScript Printers</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955238">PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955308">CUPS can use all Windows-formatted Vendor PPDs</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955397">CUPS also uses PPDs for non-PostScript Printers</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955420">The CUPS Filtering Architecture</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955560">MIME types and CUPS Filters</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955747">MIME type Conversion Rules</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2955864">Filter Requirements</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956034">Prefilters</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956120">pstops</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956222">pstoraster</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956377">imagetops and imagetoraster</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956434">rasterto [printers specific]</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956519">CUPS Backends</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956831">cupsomatic/Foomatic -- how do they fit into the Picture?</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956944">The Complete Picture</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2956960">mime.convs</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957012">"Raw" printing</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957066">"application/octet-stream" printing</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957282">PostScript Printer Descriptions (PPDs) for non-PS Printers</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957510">Difference between cupsomatic/foomatic-rip and +native CUPS printing</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957666">Examples for filtering Chains</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2957897">Sources of CUPS drivers / PPDs</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958024">Printing with Interface Scripts</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958100">Network printing (purely Windows)</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958116">From Windows Clients to an NT Print Server</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958155">Driver Execution on the Client</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958227">Driver Execution on the Server</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958289">Network Printing (Windows clients -- UNIX/Samba Print +Servers)</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958310">From Windows Clients to a CUPS/Samba Print Server</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958474">Samba receiving Jobfiles and passing them to CUPS</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958550">Network PostScript RIP: CUPS Filters on Server -- clients use +PostScript Driver with CUPS-PPDs</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958605">PPDs for non-PS Printers on UNIX</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958646">PPDs for non-PS Printers on Windows</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958712">Windows Terminal Servers (WTS) as CUPS Clients</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958729">Printer Drivers running in "Kernel Mode" cause many +Problems</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958763">Workarounds impose Heavy Limitations</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958784">CUPS: a "Magical Stone"?</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958811">PostScript Drivers with no major problems -- even in Kernel +Mode</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958865"> Setting up CUPS for driver Download</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958884">cupsaddsmb: the unknown Utility</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2958976">Prepare your smb.conf for +cupsaddsmb</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959022">CUPS Package of "PostScript Driver for WinNT/2k/XP"</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959220">Recognize the different Driver Files</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959278">Acquiring the Adobe Driver Files</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959310">ESP Print Pro Package of "PostScript Driver for +WinNT/2k/XP"</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959360">Caveats to be considered</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959582">What are the Benefits of using the "CUPS PostScript Driver for +Windows NT/2k/XP" as compared to the Adobe Driver?</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959764">Run "cupsaddsmb" (quiet Mode)</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2959865">Run "cupsaddsmb" with verbose Output</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960092">Understanding cupsaddsmb</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960186">How to recognize if cupsaddsm completed successfully</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960273">cupsaddsmb with a Samba PDC</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960308">cupsaddsmb Flowchart</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960361">Installing the PostScript Driver on a Client</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960474">Avoiding critical PostScript Driver Settings on the +Client</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960608">Installing PostScript Driver Files manually (using +rpcclient)</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960723">A Check of the rpcclient man Page</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960836">Understanding the rpcclient man Page</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2960925">Producing an Example by querying a Windows Box</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2961015">What is required for adddriver and setdriver to succeed</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2961177">Manual Commandline Driver Installation in 15 little Steps</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2961830">Troubleshooting revisited</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2961930">The printing *.tdb Files</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962033">Trivial DataBase Files</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962103">Binary Format</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962165">Losing *.tdb Files</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962224">Using tdbbackup</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962290">CUPS Print Drivers from Linuxprinting.org</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2962398">foomatic-rip and Foomatic explained</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963027">foomatic-rip and Foomatic-PPD Download and Installation</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963488">Page Accounting with CUPS</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963519">Setting up Quotas</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963551">Correct and incorrect Accounting</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963592">Adobe and CUPS PostScript Drivers for Windows Clients</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963663">The page_log File Syntax</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963765">Possible Shortcomings</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963836">Future Developments</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963884">Other Accounting Tools</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2963899">Additional Material</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964092">Auto-Deletion or Preservation of CUPS Spool Files</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964138">CUPS Configuration Settings explained</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964221">Pre-conditions</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964281">Manual Configuration</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964299">When not to use Samba to print to +CUPS</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964316">In Case of Trouble.....</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964352">Where to find Documentation</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964364">How to ask for Help</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964377">Where to find Help</a></dt></dl></dd><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964391">Appendix</a></dt><dd><dl><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964398">Printing from CUPS to Windows attached +Printers</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964612">More CUPS filtering Chains</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2964919">Trouble Shooting Guidelines to fix typical Samba printing +Problems</a></dt><dt><a href="CUPS-printing.html#id2966041">An Overview of the CUPS Printing Processes</a></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2953785"></a>Introduction</h2></div></div><div></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2953792"></a>Features and Benefits</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> + The Common Unix Print System (<a href="http://www.cups.org/" target="_top">CUPS</a>) has become very popular. All + big Linux distributions now ship it as their default printing + system. But to many it is still a very mystical tool. Normally it + "just works" (TM). People tend to regard it as a sort of "black box", + which they don't want to look into, as long as it works OK. But once + there is a little problem, they are in trouble to find out where to + start debugging it. Also, even the most recent and otherwise excellent + printed Samba documentation has only limited attention paid to CUPS + printing, leaving out important pieces or even writing plain wrong + things about it. This demands rectification. But before you dive into + this chapter, make sure that you don't forget to refer to the + "Classical Printing" chapter also. It contains a lot of information + that is relevant for CUPS too. + </p><p> + CUPS sports quite a few unique and powerful features. While their + basic functions may be grasped quite easily, they are also + new. Because they are different from other, more traditional printing + systems, it is best to try and not apply any prior knowledge about + printing upon this new system. Rather try to start understand CUPS + from the beginning. This documentation will lead you here to a + complete understanding of CUPS, if you study all of the material + contained. But lets start with the most basic things first. Maybe this + is all you need for now. Then you can skip most of the other + paragraphs. + </p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2953845"></a>Overview</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> + CUPS is more than just a print spooling system. It is a complete + printer management system that complies with the new IPP + (<span class="emphasis"><em>Internet Printing Protocol</em></span>). IPP is an industry + and IETF (<span class="emphasis"><em>Internet Engineering Task Force</em></span>) + standard for network printing. Many of its functions can be managed + remotely (or locally) via a web browser (giving you a + platform-independent access to the CUPS print server). In addition it + has the traditional commandline and several more modern GUI interfaces + (GUI interfaces developed by 3rd parties, like KDE's + overwhelming <a href="http://printing.kde.org/" target="_top">KDEPrint</a>). + </p><p> + CUPS allows creation of "raw" printers (ie: NO print file + format translation) as well as "smart" printers (i.e. CUPS does + file format conversion as required for the printer). In many ways + this gives CUPS similar capabilities to the MS Windows print + monitoring system. Of course, if you are a CUPS advocate, you would + argue that CUPS is better! In any case, let us now move on to + explore how one may configure CUPS for interfacing with MS Windows + print clients via Samba. + </p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2953900"></a>Basic Configuration of CUPS support</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> + Printing with CUPS in the most basic <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> + setup in Samba 3.0 (as was true for 2.2.x) only needs two + settings: <i class="parameter"><tt>printing = cups</tt></i> and <i class="parameter"><tt>printcap + = cups</tt></i>. CUPS itself doesn't need a printcap file + anymore. However, the <tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> configuration + file knows two related directives: they control if such a file should + be automatically created and maintained by CUPS for the convenience of + third party applications (example: <i class="parameter"><tt>Printcap + /etc/printcap</tt></i> and <i class="parameter"><tt>PrintcapFormat + BSD</tt></i>). These legacy programs often require the existence of + printcap file containing printernames or they will refuse to + print. Make sure CUPS is set to generate and maintain a printcap! For + details see <b class="command">man cupsd.conf</b> and other CUPS-related + documentation, like the wealth of documents on your CUPS server + itself: <a href="http://localhost:631/documentation.html" target="_top">http://localhost:631/documentation.html</a>. + </p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2953979"></a>Linking of smbd with libcups.so</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> + Samba has a very special relationship to CUPS. The reason is: Samba + can be compiled with CUPS library support. Most recent installations + have this support enabled, and per default CUPS linking is compiled + into smbd and other Samba binaries. Of course, you can use CUPS even + if Samba is not linked against <tt class="filename">libcups.so</tt> -- but + there are some differences in required or supported configuration + then. + </p><p> + If SAMBA is compiled against libcups, then <i class="parameter"><tt>printcap = + cups</tt></i> uses the CUPS API to list printers, submit jobs, + query queues, etc. Otherwise it maps to the System V commands with an + additional <b class="command">-oraw</b> option for printing. On a Linux + system, you can use the <b class="command">ldd</b> utility to find out + details (ldd may not be present on other OS platforms, or its function + may be embodied by a different command): + </p><pre class="screen"> + transmeta:/home/kurt # ldd `which smbd` + libssl.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6 (0x4002d000) + libcrypto.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6 (0x4005a000) + libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000) + [....] + </pre><p> + The line <tt class="computeroutput">libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 + (0x40123000)</tt> shows there is CUPS support compiled + into this version of Samba. If this is the case, and printing = cups + is set, then <span class="emphasis"><em>any otherwise manually set print command in + <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> is ignored</em></span>. This is an + important point to remember! + </p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> Should you require -- for any reason -- to set your own + print commands, you can still do this by setting <i class="parameter"><tt>printing = + sysv</tt></i>. However, you'll loose all the benefits from the + close CUPS/Samba integration. You are on your own then to manually + configure the rest of the printing system commands (most important: + <i class="parameter"><tt>print command</tt></i>; other commands are + <i class="parameter"><tt>lppause command, lpresume command, lpq command, lprm + command, queuepause command </tt></i> and <i class="parameter"><tt>queue resume + command</tt></i>).</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954122"></a>Simple <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> Settings for CUPS</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> + To summarize, here is the simplest printing-related setup + for <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> to enable basic CUPS support: + </p><pre class="screen"> + + [global] + load printers = yes + printing = cups + printcap name = cups + + [printers] + comment = All Printers + path = /var/spool/samba + browseable = no + public = yes + guest ok = yes + writable = no + printable = yes + printer admin = root, @ntadmins + + </pre><p> + This is all you need for basic printing setup for CUPS. It will print + all Graphic, Text, PDF and PostScript file submitted from Windows + clients. However, most of your Windows users would not know how to + send these kind of files to print without opening a GUI + application. Windows clients tend to have local printer drivers + installed. And the GUI application's print buttons start a printer + driver. Your users also very rarely send files from the command + line. Unlike UNIX clients, they hardly submit graphic, text or PDF + formatted files directly to the spooler. They nearly exclusively print + from GUI applications, with a "printer driver" hooked in between the + applications native format and the print data stream. If the backend + printer is not a PostScript device, the print data stream is "binary", + sensible only for the target printer. Read on to learn which problem + this may cause and how to avoid it. + </p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954205"></a>More complex <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> Settings for +CUPS</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here is a slightly more complex printing-related setup +for <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>. It enables general CUPS printing +support for all printers, but defines one printer share which is set +up differently. +</p><pre class="screen"> + + [global] + printing = cups + printcap name = cups + load printers = yes + + [printers] + comment = All Printers + path = /var/spool/samba + public = yes + guest ok = yes + writable = no + printable = yes + printer admin = root, @ntadmins + + [special_printer] + comment = A special printer with his own settings + path = /var/spool/samba-special + printing = sysv + printcap = lpstat + print command = echo "NEW: `date`: printfile %f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ;\ + echo " `date`: p-%p s-%s f-%f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ;\ + echo " `date`: j-%j J-%J z-%z c-%c" >> /tmp/smbprn.log :\ + rm %f + public = no + guest ok = no + writeable = no + printable = yes + printer admin = kurt + hosts deny = 0.0.0.0 + hosts allow = turbo_xp, 10.160.50.23, 10.160.51.60 + +</pre><p> +This special share is only there for my testing purposes. It doesn't +even write the print job to a file. It just logs the job parameters +known to Samba into the <tt class="filename">/tmp/smbprn.log</tt> file and +deletes the jobfile. Moreover, the <i class="parameter"><tt>printer +admin</tt></i> of this share is "kurt" (not the "@ntadmins" group); +guest access is not allowed; the share isn't announced in Network +Neighbourhood (so you need to know it is there), and it is only +allowing access from three hosts. To prevent CUPS kicking in and +taking over the print jobs for that share, we need to set +<i class="parameter"><tt>printing = sysv</tt></i> and <i class="parameter"><tt>printcap = +lpstat</tt></i>. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2954322"></a>Advanced Configuration</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Before we dive into all the configuration options, let's clarify a few +points. <span class="emphasis"><em>Network printing needs to be organized and setup +correctly</em></span>. Often this is not done correctly. Legacy systems +or small LANs in business environments often lack a clear design and +good housekeeping. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954343"></a>Central spooling vs. "Peer-to-Peer" printing</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Many small office or home networks, as well as badly organized larger +environments, allow each client a direct access to available network +printers. Generally, this is a bad idea. It often blocks one client's +access to the printer when another client's job is printing. It also +might freeze the first client's application while it is waiting to get +rid of the job. Also, there are frequent complaints about various jobs +being printed with their pages mixed with each other. A better concept +is the usage of a "print server": it routes all jobs through one +central system, which responds immediately, takes jobs from multiple +concurrent clients at the same time and in turn transfers them to the +printer(s) in the correct order. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954370"></a>CUPS/Samba as a "spooling-only" Print Server; "raw" printing +with Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Most traditionally configured Unix print servers acting on behalf of +Samba's Windows clients represented a really simple setup. Their only +task was to manage the "raw" spooling of all jobs handed to them by +Samba. This approach meant that the Windows clients were expected to +prepare the print job file in such a way that it became fit to be fed to +the printing device. Here a native (vendor-supplied) Windows printer +driver for the target device needed to be installed on each and every +client. +</p><p> +Of course you can setup CUPS, Samba and your Windows clients in the +same, traditional and simple way. When CUPS printers are configured +for RAW print-through mode operation it is the responsibility of the +Samba client to fully render the print job (file). The file must be +sent in a format that is suitable for direct delivery to the +printer. Clients need to run the vendor-provided drivers to do +this. In this case CUPS will NOT do any print file format conversion +work. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954406"></a>Driver Installation Methods on Windows Clients</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The printer drivers on the Windows clients may be installed +in two functionally different ways: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>manually install the drivers locally on each client, +one by one; this yields the old <span class="emphasis"><em>LanMan</em></span> style +printing; it uses a <tt class="filename">\\sambaserver\printershare</tt> +type of connection.</p></li><li><p>deposit and prepare the drivers (for later download) on +the print server (Samba); this enables the clients to use +"Point'n'Print" to get drivers semi-automatically installed the +first time they access the printer; with this method NT/2K/XP +clients use the <span class="emphasis"><em>SPOOLSS/MS-RPC</em></span> +type printing calls.</p></li></ul></div><p> +The second method is recommended for use over the first. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954465"></a>Explicitly enable "raw" printing for +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/octet-stream</em></span>!</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +If you use the first option (drivers are installed on the client +side), there is one setting to take care of: CUPS needs to be told +that it should allow "raw" printing of deliberate (binary) file +formats. The CUPS files that need to be correctly set for RAW mode +printers to work are: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>/etc/cups/mime.types +</p></li><li><p>/etc/cups/mime.convs</p></li></ul></div><p> +Both contain entries (at the end of the respective files) which must +be uncommented to allow RAW mode operation. +In<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> make sure this line is +present: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/octet-stream + +</pre><p> +In <tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.convs</tt>, +have this line: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - + +</pre><p> +If these two files are not set up correctly for raw Windows client +printing, you may encounter the dreaded <tt class="computeroutput">Unable to +convert file 0</tt> in your CUPS error_log file. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p>editing the <tt class="filename">mime.convs</tt> and the +<tt class="filename">mime.types</tt> file does not +<span class="emphasis"><em>enforce</em></span> "raw" printing, it only +<span class="emphasis"><em>allows</em></span> it. +</p></div><p><b>Background. </b> +CUPS being a more security-aware printing system than traditional ones +does not by default allow a user to send deliberate (possibly binary) +data to printing devices. This could be easily abused to launch a +"Denial of Service" attack on your printer(s), causing at the least +the loss of a lot of paper and ink. "Unknown" data are tagged by CUPS +as <span class="emphasis"><em>MIME type: application/octet-stream</em></span> and not +allowed to go to the printer. By default, you can only send other +(known) MIME types "raw". Sending data "raw" means that CUPS does not +try to convert them and passes them to the printer untouched (see next +chapter for even more background explanations). +</p><p> +This is all you need to know to get the CUPS/Samba combo printing +"raw" files prepared by Windows clients, which have vendor drivers +locally installed. If you are not interested in background information about +more advanced CUPS/Samba printing, simply skip the remaining sections +of this chapter. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954626"></a>Three familiar Methods for driver upload plus a new one</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +If you want to use the MS-RPC type printing, you must upload the +drivers onto the Samba server first (<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> +share). For a discussion on how to deposit printer drivers on the +Samba host (so that the Windows clients can download and use them via +"Point'n'Print") please also refer to the previous chapter of this +HOWTO Collection. There you will find a description or reference to +three methods of preparing the client drivers on the Samba server: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>the GUI, "Add Printer Wizard" +<span class="emphasis"><em>upload-from-a-Windows-client</em></span> +method;</p></li><li><p>the commandline, "smbclient/rpcclient" +<span class="emphasis"><em>upload-from-a-UNIX-workstation</em></span> +method;</p></li><li><p>the <span class="emphasis"><em>Imprints</em></span> Toolset +method.</p></li></ul></div><p> +These 3 methods apply to CUPS all the same. A new and more +convenient way to load the Windows drivers into Samba is provided +provided if you use CUPS: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>the <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsaddsmb</em></span> +utility.</p></li></ul></div><p> +cupsaddsmb is discussed in much detail further below. But we will +first explore the CUPS filtering system and compare the Windows and +UNIX printing architectures. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2954719"></a>Using CUPS/Samba in an advanced Way -- intelligent printing +with PostScript Driver Download</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Still reading on? Good. Let's go into more detail then. We now know +how to set up a "dump" printserver, that is, a server which is spooling +printjobs "raw", leaving the print data untouched. +</p><p> +Possibly you need to setup CUPS in a more smart way. The reasons could +be manifold: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Maybe your boss wants to get monthly statistics: Which +printer did how many pages? What was the average data size of a job? +What was the average print run per day? What are the typical hourly +peaks in printing? Which departments prints how +much?</p></li><li><p>Maybe you are asked to setup a print quota system: +users should not be able to print more jobs, once they have surpassed +a given limit per period?</p></li><li><p>Maybe your previous network printing setup is a mess +and shall be re-organized from a clean beginning?</p></li><li><p>Maybe you have experiencing too many "Blue Screens", +originating from poorly debugged printer drivers running in NT "kernel +mode"?</p></li></ul></div><p> +These goals cannot be achieved by a raw print server. To build a +server meeting these requirements, you'll first need to learn about +how CUPS works and how you can enable its features. +</p><p> +What follows is the comparison of some fundamental concepts for +Windows and Unix printing; then is the time for a description of the +CUPS filtering system, how it works and how you can tweak it. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954794"></a>GDI on Windows -- PostScript on Unix</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Network printing is one of the most complicated and error-prone +day-to-day tasks any user or an administrator may encounter. This is +true for all OS platforms. And there are reasons for this. +</p><p> +You can't expect for most file formats to just throw them towards +printers and they get printed. There needs to be a file format +conversion in between. The problem is: there is no common standard for +print file formats across all manufacturers and printer types. While +<span class="emphasis"><em>PostScript</em></span> (trademark held by Adobe), and, to an +extent, <span class="emphasis"><em>PCL</em></span> (trademark held by HP), have developed +into semi-official "standards", by being the most widely used PDLs +(<span class="emphasis"><em>Page Description Languages</em></span>), there are still +many manufacturers who "roll their own" (their reasons may be +unacceptable license fees for using printer-embedded PostScript +interpreters, etc.). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954839"></a>Windows Drivers, GDI and EMF</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +In Windows OS, the format conversion job is done by the printer +drivers. On MS Windows OS platforms all application programmers have +at their disposal a built-in API, the GDI (<span class="emphasis"><em>Graphical Device +Interface</em></span>), as part and parcel of the OS itself, to base +themselves on. This GDI core is used as one common unified ground, for +all Windows programs, to draw pictures, fonts and documents +<span class="emphasis"><em>on screen</em></span> as well as <span class="emphasis"><em>on +paper</em></span> (=print). Therefore printer driver developers can +standardize on a well-defined GDI output for their own driver +input. Achieving WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") is +relatively easy, because the on-screen graphic primitives, as well as +the on-paper drawn objects, come from one common source. This source, +the GDI, produces often a file format called EMF (<span class="emphasis"><em>Enhanced +MetaFile</em></span>). The EMF is processed by the printer driver and +converted to the printer-specific file format. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +To the GDI foundation in MS Windows, Apple has chosen to +put paper and screen output on a common foundation for their +(BSD-Unix-based, did you know??) Mac OS X and Darwin Operating +Systems.Their <span class="emphasis"><em>Core Graphic Engine</em></span> uses a +<span class="emphasis"><em>PDF</em></span> derivate for all display work. +</p></div><p> + +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2954904"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.1. Windows Printing to a local Printer</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/1small.png" alt="Windows Printing to a local Printer"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2954940"></a>Unix Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +In Unix and Linux, there is no comparable layer built into the OS +kernel(s) or the X (screen display) server. Every application is +responsible for itself to create its print output. Fortunately, most +use PostScript. That gives at least some common ground. Unfortunately, +there are many different levels of quality for this PostScript. And +worse: there is a huge difference (and no common root) in the way how +the same document is displayed on screen and how it is presented on +paper. WYSIWYG is more difficult to achieve. This goes back to the +time decades ago, when the predecessors of <span class="emphasis"><em>X.org</em></span>, +designing the UNIX foundations and protocols for Graphical User +Interfaces refused to take over responsibility for "paper output" +also, as some had demanded at the time, and restricted itself to +"on-screen only". (For some years now, the "Xprint" project has been +under development, attempting to build printing support into the X +framework, including a PostScript and a PCL driver, but it is not yet +ready for prime time.) You can see this unfavorable inheritance up to +the present day by looking into the various "font" directories on your +system; there are separate ones for fonts used for X display and fonts +to be used on paper. +</p><p><b>Background. </b> +The PostScript programming language is an "invention" by Adobe Inc., +but its specifications have been published to the full. Its strength +lies in its powerful abilities to describe graphical objects (fonts, +shapes, patterns, lines, curves, dots...), their attributes (color, +linewidth...) and the way to manipulate (scale, distort, rotate, +shift...) them. Because of its open specification, anybody with the +skill can start writing his own implementation of a PostScript +interpreter and use it to display PostScript files on screen or on +paper. Most graphical output devices are based on the concept of +"raster images" or "pixels" (one notable exception are pen +plotters). Of course, you can look at a PostScript file in its textual +form and you will be reading its PostScript code, the language +instructions which need to be interpreted by a rasterizer. Rasterizers +produce pixel images, which may be displayed on screen by a viewer +program or on paper by a printer. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955028"></a>PostScript and Ghostscript</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +So, Unix is lacking a common ground for printing on paper and +displaying on screen. Despite this unfavorable legacy for Unix, basic +printing is fairly easy: if you have PostScript printers at your +disposal! The reason is: these devices have a built-in PostScript +language "interpreter", also called a <span class="emphasis"><em>Raster Image +Processor</em></span> (RIP), (which makes them more expensive than +other types of printers); throw PostScript towards them, and they will +spit out your printed pages. Their RIP is doing all the hard work of +converting the PostScript drawing commands into a bitmap picture as +you see it on paper, in a resolution as done by your printer. This is +no different to PostScript printing of a file from a Windows origin. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p>Traditional Unix programs and printing systems -- while +using PostScript -- are largely not PPD-aware. PPDs are "PostScript +Printer Description" files. They enable you to specify and control all +options a printer supports: duplexing, stapling, punching... Therefore +Unix users for a long time couldn't choose many of the supported +device and job options, unlike Windows or Apple users. But now there +is CUPS.... ;-) +</p></div><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2955075"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.2. Printing to a Postscript Printer</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/2small.png" alt="Printing to a Postscript Printer"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +However, there are other types of printers out there. These don't know +how to print PostScript. They use their own <span class="emphasis"><em>Page Description +Language</em></span> (PDL, often proprietary). To print to them is much +more demanding. Since your Unix applications mostly produce +PostScript, and since these devices don't understand PostScript, you +need to convert the printfiles to a format suitable for your printer +on the host, before you can send it away. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955125"></a>Ghostscript -- the Software RIP for non-PostScript Printers</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here is where <span class="emphasis"><em>Ghostscript</em></span> kicks in. Ghostscript is +the traditional (and quite powerful) PostScript interpreter used on +Unix platforms. It is a RIP in software, capable to do a +<span class="emphasis"><em>lot</em></span> of file format conversions, for a very broad +spectrum of hardware devices as well as software file formats. +Ghostscript technology and drivers is what enables PostScript printing +to non-PostScript hardware. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2955155"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.3. Ghostscript as a RIP for non-postscript printers</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/3small.png" alt="Ghostscript as a RIP for non-postscript printers"></div></div><p> +</p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +Use the "gs -h" command to check for all built-in "devices" of your +Ghostscript version. If you specify e.g. a parameter of +<i class="parameter"><tt>-sDEVICE=png256</tt></i> on your Ghostscript command +line, you are asking Ghostscript to convert the input into a PNG +file. Naming a "device" on the commandline is the most important +single parameter to tell Ghostscript how exactly it should render the +input. New Ghostscript versions are released at fairly regular +intervals, now by artofcode LLC. They are initially put under the +"AFPL" license, but re-released under the GNU GPL as soon as the next +AFPL version appears. GNU Ghostscript is probably the version +installed on most Samba systems. But it has got some +deficiencies. Therefore ESP Ghostscript was developed as an +enhancement over GNU Ghostscript, with lots of bug-fixes, additional +devices and improvements. It is jointly maintained by developers from +CUPS, Gimp-Print, MandrakeSoft, SuSE, RedHat and Debian. It includes +the "cups" device (essential to print to non-PS printers from CUPS). +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955238"></a>PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +While PostScript in essence is a <span class="emphasis"><em>Page Description +Language</em></span> (PDL) to represent the page layout in a +<span class="emphasis"><em>device independent</em></span> way, real world print jobs are +always ending up to be output on a hardware with device-specific +features. To take care of all the differences in hardware, and to +allow for innovations, Adobe has specified a syntax and file format +for <span class="emphasis"><em>PostScript Printer Description</em></span> (PPD) +files. Every PostScript printer ships with one of these files. +</p><p> +PPDs contain all information about general and special features of the +given printer model: Which different resolutions can it handle? Does +it have a Duplexing Unit? How many paper trays are there? What media +types and sizes does it take? For each item it also names the special +command string to be sent to the printer (mostly inside the PostScript +file) in order to enable it. +</p><p> +Information from these PPDs is meant to be taken into account by the +printer drivers. Therefore, installed as part of the Windows +PostScript driver for a given printer is the printer's PPD. Where it +makes sense, the PPD features are presented in the drivers' UI dialogs +to display to the user as choice of print options. In the end, the +user selections are somehow written (in the form of special +PostScript, PJL, JCL or vendor-dependent commands) into the PostScript +file created by the driver. +</p><div class="warning" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Warning</h3><p> +A PostScript file that was created to contain device-specific commands +for achieving a certain print job output (e.g. duplexed, stapled and +punched) on a specific target machine, may not print as expected, or +may not be printable at all on other models; it also may not be fit +for further processing by software (e.g. by a PDF distilling program). +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955308"></a>CUPS can use all Windows-formatted Vendor PPDs</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS can handle all spec-compliant PPDs as supplied by the +manufacturers for their PostScript models. Even if a +Unix/Linux-illiterate vendor might not have mentioned our favorite +OS in his manuals and brochures -- you can safely trust this: +<span class="emphasis"><em>if you get hold of the Windows NT version of the PPD, you +can use it unchanged in CUPS</em></span> and thus access the full +power of your printer just like a Windows NT user could! +</p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +To check the spec compliance of any PPD online, go to <a href="http://www.cups.org/testppd.php" target="_top">http://www.cups.org/testppd.php</a> +and upload your PPD. You will see the results displayed +immediately. CUPS in all versions after 1.1.19 has a much more strict +internal PPD parsing and checking code enabled; in case of printing +trouble this online resource should be one of your first pitstops. +</p></div><div class="warning" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Warning</h3><p> +For real PostScript printers <span class="emphasis"><em>don't</em></span> use the +<span class="emphasis"><em>Foomatic</em></span> or <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsomatic</em></span> +PPDs from Linuxprinting.org. With these devices the original +vendor-provided PPDs are always the first choice! +</p></div><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +If you are looking for an original vendor-provided PPD of a specific +device, and you know that an NT4 box (or any other Windows box) on +your LAN has the PostScript driver installed, just use +<b class="command">smbclient //NT4-box/print\$ -U username</b> to +access the Windows directory where all printer driver files are +stored. First look in the <tt class="filename">W32X86/2</tt> subdir for +the PPD you are seeking. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955397"></a>CUPS also uses PPDs for non-PostScript Printers</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS also uses specially crafted PPDs to handle non-PostScript +printers. These PPDs are usually not available from the vendors (and +no, you can't just take the PPD of a Postscript printer with the same +model name and hope it works for the non-PostScript version too). To +understand how these PPDs work for non-PS printers we first need to +dive deeply into the CUPS filtering and file format conversion +architecture. Stay tuned. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2955420"></a>The CUPS Filtering Architecture</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The core of the CUPS filtering system is based on +<span class="emphasis"><em>Ghostscript</em></span>. In addition to Ghostscript, CUPS +uses some other filters of its own. You (or your OS vendor) may have +plugged in even more filters. CUPS handles all data file formats under +the label of various <span class="emphasis"><em>MIME types</em></span>. Every incoming +printfile is subjected to an initial +<span class="emphasis"><em>auto-typing</em></span>. The auto-typing determines its given +MIME type. A given MIME type implies zero or more possible filtering +chains relevant to the selected target printer. This section discusses +how MIME types recognition and conversion rules interact. They are +used by CUPS to automatically setup a working filtering chain for any +given input data format. +</p><p> +If CUPS rasterizes a PostScript file <span class="emphasis"><em>natively</em></span> to +a bitmap, this is done in 2 stages: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>the first stage uses a Ghostscript device named "cups" +(this is since version 1.1.15) and produces a generic raster format +called "CUPS raster". +</p></li><li><p>the second stage uses a "raster driver" which converts +the generic CUPS raster to a device specific raster.</p></li></ul></div><p> +Make sure your Ghostscript version has the "cups" device compiled in +(check with <b class="command">gs -h | grep cups</b>). Otherwise you +may encounter the dreaded <tt class="computeroutput">Unable to convert file +0</tt> in your CUPS error_log file. To have "cups" as a +device in your Ghostscript, you either need to <span class="emphasis"><em>patch GNU +Ghostscript</em></span> and re-compile or use <a href="http://www.cups.org/ghostscript.php" target="_top">ESP Ghostscript</a>. The +superior alternative is ESP Ghostscript: it supports not just CUPS, +but 300 other devices too (while GNU Ghostscript supports only about +180). Because of this broad output device support, ESP Ghostscript is +the first choice for non-CUPS spoolers too. It is now recommended by +Linuxprinting.org for all spoolers. +</p><p> +CUPS printers may be setup to use <span class="emphasis"><em>external</em></span> +rendering paths. One of the most common ones is provided by the +<span class="emphasis"><em>Foomatic/cupsomatic</em></span> concept, from <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/" target="_top">Linuxprinting.org</a>. This +uses the classical Ghostscript approach, doing everything in one +step. It doesn't use the "cups" device, but one of the many +others. However, even for Foomatic/cupsomatic usage, best results and +broadest printer model support is provided by ESP Ghostscript (more +about cupsomatic/Foomatic, particularly the new version called now +<span class="emphasis"><em>foomatic-rip</em></span>, follows below). +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955560"></a>MIME types and CUPS Filters</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS reads the file <tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> +(and all other files carrying a <tt class="filename">*.types</tt> suffix +in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain the MIME +type recognition rules which are applied when CUPS runs its +auto-typing routines. The rule syntax is explained in the man page +for <tt class="filename">mime.types</tt> and in the comments section of the +<tt class="filename">mime.types</tt> file itself. A simple rule reads +like this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/pdf pdf string(0,%PDF) + +</pre><p> +This means: if a filename has either a +<tt class="filename">.pdf</tt> suffix, or if the magic +string <span class="emphasis"><em>%PDF</em></span> is right at the +beginning of the file itself (offset 0 from the start), then it is +a PDF file (<span class="emphasis"><em>application/pdf</em></span>). +Another rule is this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/postscript ai eps ps string(0,%!) string(0,<04>%!) + +</pre><p> +Its meaning: if the filename has one of the suffixes +<tt class="filename">.ai</tt>, <tt class="filename">.eps</tt>, +<tt class="filename">.ps</tt> or if the file itself starts with one of the +strings <span class="emphasis"><em>%!</em></span> or <span class="emphasis"><em><04>%!</em></span>, it +is a generic PostScript file +(<span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span>). +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +There is a very important difference between two similar MIME type in +CUPS: one is <span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span>, the other is +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span>. While +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> is meant to be device +independent (job options for the file are still outside the PS file +content, embedded in commandline or environment variables by CUPS), +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span> may have the job +options inserted into the PostScript data itself (were +applicable). The transformation of the generic PostScript +(application/postscript) to the device-specific version +(application/vnd.cups-postscript) is the responsibility of the +CUPS <span class="emphasis"><em>pstops</em></span> filter. pstops uses information +contained in the PPD to do the transformation. +</p></div><div class="warning" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Warning</h3><p> +Don't confuse the other mime.types file your system might be using +with the one in the <tt class="filename">/etc/cups/</tt> directory. +</p></div><p> +CUPS can handle ASCII text, HP-GL, PDF, PostScript, DVI and a +lot of image formats (GIF. PNG, TIFF, JPEG, Photo-CD, SUN-Raster, +PNM, PBM, SGI-RGB and some more) and their associated MIME types +with its filters. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955747"></a>MIME type Conversion Rules</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS reads the file <tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.convs</tt> +(and all other files named with a <tt class="filename">*.convs</tt> +suffix in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain +lines naming an input MIME type, an output MIME type, a format +conversion filter which can produce the output from the input type +and virtual costs associated with this conversion. One example line +reads like this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/pdf application/postscript 33 pdftops + +</pre><p> +This means that the <span class="emphasis"><em>pdftops</em></span> filter will take +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/pdf</em></span> as input and produce +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> as output, the virtual +cost of this operation is 33 CUPS-$. The next filter is more +expensive, costing 66 CUPS-$: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/vnd.hp-HPGL application/postscript 66 hpgltops + +</pre><p> +This is the <span class="emphasis"><em>hpgltops</em></span>, which processes HP-GL +plotter files to PostScript. +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/octet-stream + +</pre><p> +Here are two more examples: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/x-shell application/postscript 33 texttops + text/plain application/postscript 33 texttops + +</pre><p> +The last two examples name the <span class="emphasis"><em>texttops</em></span> filter +to work on "text/plain" as well as on "application/x-shell". (Hint: +this differentiation is needed for the syntax highlighting feature of +"texttops"). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2955864"></a>Filter Requirements</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +There are many more combinations named in mime.convs. However, you +are not limited to use the ones pre-defined there. You can plug in any +filter you like into the CUPS framework. It must meet, or must be made +to meet some minimal requirements. If you find (or write) a cool +conversion filter of some kind, make sure it complies to what CUPS +needs, and put in the right lines in <tt class="filename">mime.types</tt> +and <tt class="filename">mime.convs</tt>, then it will work seamlessly +inside CUPS! +</p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +The mentioned "CUPS requirements" for filters are simple. Take +filenames or <tt class="filename">stdin</tt> as input and write to +<tt class="filename">stdout</tt>. They should take these 5 or 6 arguments: +<span class="emphasis"><em>printer job user title copies options [filename]</em></span> +</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>The name of the printer queue (normally this is the +name of the filter being run)</p></dd><dt><span class="term">job</span></dt><dd><p>The numeric job ID for the job being +printed</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>The string from the originating-user-name +attribute</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>The string from the job-name attribute</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>The numeric value from the number-copies +attribute</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>The job options</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Printer</span></dt><dd><p>(Optionally) The print request file (if missing, +filters expected data fed through <tt class="filename">stdin</tt>). In most +cases it is very easy to write a simple wrapper script around existing +filters to make them work with CUPS.</p></dd></dl></div></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956034"></a>Prefilters</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +As was said, PostScript is the central file format to any Unix based +printing system. From PostScript, CUPS generates raster data to feed +non-PostScript printers. +</p><p> +But what is happening if you send one of the supported non-PS formats +to print? Then CUPS runs "pre-filters" on these input formats to +generate PostScript first. There are pre-filters to create PS from +ASCII text, PDF, DVI or HP-GL. The outcome of these filters is always +of MIME type <span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> (meaning that +any device-specific print options are not yet embedded into the +PostScript by CUPS, and that the next filter to be called is +pstops). Another pre-filter is running on all supported image formats, +the <span class="emphasis"><em>imagetops</em></span> filter. Its outcome is always of +MIME type <span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span> +(<span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> application/postscript), meaning it has the +print options already embedded into the file. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956084"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.4. Prefiltering in CUPS to form Postscript</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/4small.png" alt="Prefiltering in CUPS to form Postscript"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956120"></a>pstops</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +<span class="emphasis"><em>pstops</em></span>is the filter to convert +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> to +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span>. It was said +above that this filter inserts all device-specific print options +(commands to the printer to ask for the duplexing of output, or +stapling an punching it, etc.) into the PostScript file. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956149"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.5. Adding Device-specific Print Options</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/5small.png" alt="Adding Device-specific Print Options"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +This is not all: other tasks performed by it are: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p> +selecting the range of pages to be printed (if you choose to +print only pages "3, 6, 8-11, 16, 19-21", or only the odd numbered +ones) +</p></li><li><p> +putting 2 or more logical pages on one sheet of paper (the +so-called "number-up" function) +</p></li><li><p>counting the pages of the job to insert the accounting +information into the <tt class="filename">/var/log/cups/page_log</tt> +</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956222"></a>pstoraster</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +<span class="emphasis"><em>pstoraster</em></span> is at the core of the CUPS filtering +system. It is responsible for the first stage of the rasterization +process. Its input is of MIME type application/vnd.cups-postscript; +its output is application/vnd.cups-raster. This output format is not +yet meant to be printable. Its aim is to serve as a general purpose +input format for more specialized <span class="emphasis"><em>raster drivers</em></span>, +that are able to generate device-specific printer data. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956251"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.6. Postscript to intermediate Raster format</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/6small.png" alt="Postscript to intermediate Raster format"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +CUPS raster is a generic raster format with powerful features. It is +able to include per-page information, color profiles and more to be +used by the following downstream raster drivers. Its MIME type is +registered with IANA and its specification is of course completely +open. It is designed to make it very easy and inexpensive for +manufacturers to develop Linux and Unix raster drivers for their +printer models, should they choose to do so. CUPS always takes care +for the first stage of rasterization so these vendors don't need to care +about Ghostscript complications (in fact, there is currently more +than one vendor financing the development of CUPS raster drivers). +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956304"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.7. CUPS-raster production using Ghostscript</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/7small.png" alt="CUPS-raster production using Ghostscript"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +CUPS versions before version 1.1.15 were shipping a binary (or source +code) standalone filter, named "pstoraster". pstoraster was derived +from GNU Ghostscript 5.50, and could be installed besides and in +addition to any GNU or AFPL Ghostscript package without conflicting. +</p><p> +From version 1.1.15, this has changed. The functions for this has been +integrated back into Ghostscript (now based on GNU Ghostscript version +7.05). The "pstoraster" filter is now a simple shell script calling +<b class="command">gs</b> with the <b class="command">-sDEVICE=cups</b> +parameter. If your Ghostscript doesn't show a success on asking for +<b class="command">gs -h |grep cups</b>, you might not be able to +print. Update your Ghostscript then! +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956377"></a>imagetops and imagetoraster</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Above in the section about prefilters, we mentioned the prefilter +that generates PostScript from image formats. The imagetoraster +filter is used to convert directly from image to raster, without the +intermediate PostScript stage. It is used more often than the above +mentioned prefilters. Here is a summarizing flowchart of image file +filtering: +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956398"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.8. Image format to CUPS-raster format conversion</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/8small.png" alt="Image format to CUPS-raster format conversion"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956434"></a>rasterto [printers specific]</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS ships with quite some different raster drivers processing CUPS +raster. On my system I find in /usr/lib/cups/filter/ these: +<i class="parameter"><tt>rastertoalps, rastertobj, rastertoepson, rastertoescp, +rastertopcl, rastertoturboprint, rastertoapdk, rastertodymo, +rastertoescp, rastertohp</tt></i> and +<i class="parameter"><tt>rastertoprinter</tt></i>. Don't worry if you have less +than this; some of these are installed by commercial add-ons to CUPS +(like <i class="parameter"><tt>rastertoturboprint</tt></i>), others (like +<i class="parameter"><tt>rastertoprinter</tt></i>) by 3rd party driver +development projects (such as Gimp-Print) wanting to cooperate as +closely as possible with CUPS. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2956484"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.9. Raster to Printer Specific formats</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/9small.png" alt="Raster to Printer Specific formats"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956519"></a>CUPS Backends</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The last part of any CUPS filtering chain is a "backend". Backends +are special programs that send the print-ready file to the final +device. There is a separate backend program for any transfer +"protocol" of sending printjobs over the network, or for every local +interface. Every CUPS printqueue needs to have a CUPS "device-URI" +associated with it. The device URI is the way to encode the backend +used to send the job to its destination. Network device-URIs are using +two slashes in their syntax, local device URIs only one, as you can +see from the following list. Keep in mind that local interface names +may vary much from my examples, if your OS is not Linux: +</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">usb</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to USB-connected printers. An +example for the CUPS device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">usb:/dev/usb/lp0</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">serial</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to serially connected printers. +An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">serial:/dev/ttyS0?baud=11500</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">parallel</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to printers connected to the +parallel port. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">parallel:/dev/lp0</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">scsi</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to printers attached to the +SCSI interface. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">scsi:/dev/sr1</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">lpd</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to LPR/LPD connected network +printers. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">lpd://remote_host_name/remote_queue_name</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">AppSocket/HP JetDirect</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to AppSocket (a.k.a. "HP +JetDirect") connected network printers. An example for the CUPS +device-URI to use is: +<tt class="filename">socket://10.11.12.13:9100</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">ipp</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to IPP connected network +printers (or to other CUPS servers). Examples for CUPS device-URIs +to use are: +<tt class="filename">ipp:://192.193.194.195/ipp</tt> +(for many HP printers) or +<tt class="filename">ipp://remote_cups_server/printers/remote_printer_name</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">http</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to HTTP connected printers. +(The http:// CUPS backend is only a symlink to the ipp:// backend.) +Examples for the CUPS device-URIs to use are: +<tt class="filename">http:://192.193.194.195:631/ipp</tt> +(for many HP printers) or +<tt class="filename">http://remote_cups_server:631/printers/remote_printer_name</tt> +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">smb</span></dt><dd><p> +This backend sends printfiles to printers shared by a Windows +host. An example for CUPS device-URIs to use are: +<tt class="filename">smb://workgroup/server/printersharename</tt> +Or +<tt class="filename">Smb://server/printersharename</tt> +or +<tt class="filename">smb://username:password@workgroup/server/printersharename</tt> +or +<tt class="filename">smb://username:password@server/printersharename</tt>. +The smb:// backend is a symlink to the Samba utility +<span class="emphasis"><em>smbspool</em></span> (doesn't ship with CUPS). If the +symlink is not present in your CUPS backend directory, have your +root user create it: <b class="command">ln -s `which smbspool` +/usr/lib/cups/backend/smb</b>. +</p></dd></dl></div><p> +It is easy to write your own backends as Shell or Perl scripts, if you +need any modification or extension to the CUPS print system. One +reason could be that you want to create "special" printers which send +the printjobs as email (through a "mailto:/" backend), convert them to +PDF (through a "pdfgen:/" backend) or dump them to "/dev/null" (In +fact I have the system-wide default printer set up to be connected to +a "devnull:/" backend: there are just too many people sending jobs +without specifying a printer, or scripts and programs which don't name +a printer. The system-wide default deletes the job and sends a polite +mail back to the $USER asking him to always specify a correct +printername). +</p><p> +Not all of the mentioned backends may be present on your system or +usable (depending on your hardware configuration). One test for all +available CUPS backends is provided by the <span class="emphasis"><em>lpinfo</em></span> +utility. Used with the <i class="parameter"><tt>-v</tt></i> parameter, it lists +all available backends: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + lpinfo -v + +</pre></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956831"></a>cupsomatic/Foomatic -- how do they fit into the Picture?</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +"cupsomatic" filters may be the most widely used on CUPS +installations. You must be clear about the fact that these were not +developed by the CUPS people. They are a "Third Party" add-on to +CUPS. They utilize the traditional Ghostscript devices to render jobs +for CUPS. When troubleshooting, you should know about the +difference. Here the whole rendering process is done in one stage, +inside Ghostscript, using an appropriate "device" for the target +printer. cupsomatic uses PPDs which are generated from the "Foomatic" +Printer & Driver Database at Linuxprinting.org. +</p><p> +You can recognize these PPDs from the line calling the +<span class="emphasis"><em>cupsomatic</em></span> filter: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic" + +</pre><p> +This line you may find amongst the first 40 or so lines of the PPD +file. If you have such a PPD installed, the printer shows up in the +CUPS web interface with a <span class="emphasis"><em>foomatic</em></span> namepart for +the driver description. cupsomatic is a Perl script that runs +Ghostscript, with all the complicated commandline options +auto-constructed from the selected PPD and commandline options give to +the printjob. +</p><p> +However, cupsomatic is now deprecated. Its PPDs (especially the first +generation of them, still in heavy use out there) are not meeting the +Adobe specifications. You might also suffer difficulties when you try +to download them with "Point'n'Print" to Windows clients. A better, +and more powerful successor is now in a very stable Beta-version +available: it is called <span class="emphasis"><em>foomatic-rip</em></span>. To use +foomatic-rip as a filter with CUPS, you need the new-type PPDs. These +have a similar, but different line: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 foomatic-rip" + +</pre><p> +The PPD generating engine at Linuxprinting.org has been revamped. +The new PPDs comply to the Adobe spec. On top, they also provide a +new way to specify different quality levels (hi-res photo, normal +color, grayscale, draft...) with a single click (whereas before you +could have required 5 or more different selections (media type, +resolution, inktype, dithering algorithm...). There is support for +custom-size media built in. There is support to switch +print-options from page to page, in the middle of a job. And the +best thing is: the new foomatic-rip now works seamlessly with all +legacy spoolers too (like LPRng, BSD-LPD, PDQ, PPR etc.), providing +for them access to use PPDs for their printing! +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956944"></a>The Complete Picture</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +If you want to see an overview over all the filters and how they +relate to each other, the complete picture of the puzzle is at the end +of this document. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2956960"></a><tt class="filename">mime.convs</tt></h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS auto-constructs all possible filtering chain paths for any given +MIME type, and every printer installed. But how does it decide in +favor or against a specific alternative? (There may often be cases, +where there is a choice of two or more possible filtering chains for +the same target printer). Simple: you may have noticed the figures in +the 3rd column of the mime.convs file. They represent virtual costs +assigned to this filter. Every possible filtering chain will sum up to +a total "filter cost". CUPS decides for the most "inexpensive" route. +</p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +The setting of <i class="parameter"><tt>FilterLimit 1000</tt></i> in +<tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> will not allow more filters to +run concurrently than will consume a total of 1000 virtual filter +cost. This is a very efficient way to limit the load of any CUPS +server by setting an appropriate "FilterLimit" value. A FilterLimit of +200 allows roughly 1 job at a time, while a FilterLimit of 1000 allows +approximately 5 jobs maximum at a time. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957012"></a>"Raw" printing</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +You can tell CUPS to print (nearly) any file "raw". "Raw" means it +will not be filtered. CUPS will send the file to the printer "as is" +without bothering if the printer is able to digest it. Users need to +take care themselves that they send sensible data formats only. Raw +printing can happen on any queue if the "-o raw" option is specified +on the command line. You can also set up raw-only queues by simply not +associating any PPD with it. This command: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + lpadmin -P rawprinter -v socket://11.12.13.14:9100 -E + +</pre><p> +sets up a queue named "rawprinter", connected via the "socket" +protocol (a.k.a. "HP JetDirect") to the device at IP address +11.12.1.3.14, using port 9100. (If you had added a PPD with +<b class="command">-P /path/to/PPD</b> to this command line, you would +have installed a "normal" printqueue. +</p><p> +CUPS will automatically treat each job sent to a queue as a "raw" one, +if it can't find a PPD associated with the queue. However, CUPS will +only send known MIME types (as defined in its own mime.types file) and +refuse others. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957066"></a>"application/octet-stream" printing</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Any MIME type with no rule in the +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> file is regarded as unknown +or <span class="emphasis"><em>application/octet-stream</em></span> and will not be +sent. Because CUPS refuses to print unknown MIME types per default, +you will probably have experienced the fact that printjobs originating +from Windows clients were not printed. You may have found an error +message in your CUPS logs like: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + Unable to convert file 0 to printable format for job + +</pre><p> +To enable the printing of "application/octet-stream" files, edit +these two files: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p><tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.convs</tt></p></li><li><p><tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt></p></li></ul></div><p> +Both contain entries (at the end of the respective files) which must +be uncommented to allow RAW mode operation for +application/octet-stream. In <tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> +make sure this line is present: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/octet-stream + +</pre><p> +This line (with no specific auto-typing rule set) makes all files +not otherwise auto-typed a member of application/octet-stream. In +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.convs</tt>, have this +line: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - + +</pre><p> +This line tells CUPS to use the <span class="emphasis"><em>Null Filter</em></span> +(denoted as "-", doing... nothing at all) on +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/octet-stream</em></span>, and tag the result as +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-raw</em></span>. This last one is +always a green light to the CUPS scheduler to now hand the file over +to the "backend" connecting to the printer and sending it over. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> Editing the <tt class="filename">mime.convs</tt> and the +<tt class="filename">mime.types</tt> file does not +<span class="emphasis"><em>enforce</em></span> "raw" printing, it only +<span class="emphasis"><em>allows</em></span> it. +</p></div><p><b>Background. </b> +CUPS being a more security-aware printing system than traditional ones +does not by default allow one to send deliberate (possibly binary) +data to printing devices. (This could be easily abused to launch a +Denial of Service attack on your printer(s), causing at least the loss +of a lot of paper and ink...) "Unknown" data are regarded by CUPS +as <span class="emphasis"><em>MIME type</em></span> +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/octet-stream</em></span>. While you +<span class="emphasis"><em>can</em></span> send data "raw", the MIME type for these must +be one that is known to CUPS and an allowed one. The file +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> defines the "rules" how CUPS +recognizes MIME types. The file +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.convs</tt> decides which file +conversion filter(s) may be applied to which MIME types. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957282"></a>PostScript Printer Descriptions (PPDs) for non-PS Printers</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Originally PPDs were meant to be used for PostScript printers +only. Here, they help to send device-specific commands and settings +to the RIP which processes the jobfile. CUPS has extended this +scope for PPDs to cover non-PostScript printers too. This was not +very difficult, because it is a standardized file format. In a way +it was logical too: CUPS handles PostScript and uses a PostScript +RIP (=Ghostscript) to process the jobfiles. The only difference is: +a PostScript printer has the RIP built-in, for other types of +printers the Ghostscript RIP runs on the host computer. +</p><p> +PPDs for a non-PS printer have a few lines that are unique to +CUPS. The most important one looks similar to this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + *cupsFilter: application/vnd.cups-raster 66 rastertoprinter + +</pre><p> +It is the last piece in the CUPS filtering puzzle. This line tells the +CUPS daemon to use as a last filter "rastertoprinter". This filter +should be served as input an "application/vnd.cups-raster" MIME type +file. Therefore CUPS should auto-construct a filtering chain, which +delivers as its last output the specified MIME type. This is then +taken as input to the specified "rastertoprinter" filter. After this +the last filter has done its work ("rastertoprinter" is a Gimp-Print +filter), the file should go to the backend, which sends it to the +output device. +</p><p> +CUPS by default ships only a few generic PPDs, but they are good for +several hundred printer models. You may not be able to control +different paper trays, or you may get larger margins than your +specific model supports): +</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">deskjet.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>older HP inkjet printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">deskjet2.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>newer HP inkjet printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">dymo.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>label printers +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">epson9.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>Epson 24pin impact printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">epson24.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>Epson 24pin impact printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">okidata9.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>Okidata 9pin impact printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">okidat24.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>Okidata 24pin impact printers and compatible +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">stcolor.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>older Epson Stylus Color printers +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">stcolor2.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>newer Epson Stylus Color printers +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">stphoto.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>older Epson Stylus Photo printers +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">stphoto2.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>newer Epson Stylus Photo printers +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">laserjet.ppd</span></dt><dd><p>all PCL printers. Further below is a discussion +of several other driver/PPD-packages suitable fur use with CUPS. +</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957510"></a>Difference between <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsomatic/foomatic-rip</em></span> and +<span class="emphasis"><em>native CUPS</em></span> printing</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Native CUPS rasterization works in two steps. +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p> +First is the "pstoraster" step. It uses the special "cups" +device from ESP Ghostscript 7.05.x as its tool +</p></li><li><p> +Second comes the "rasterdriver" step. It uses various +device-specific filters; there are several vendors who provide good +quality filters for this step, some are Free Software, some are +Shareware/Non-Free, some are proprietary.</p></li></ul></div><p> +Often this produces better quality (and has several more +advantages) than other methods. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2957561"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.10. cupsomatic/foomatic processing versus Native CUPS</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/10small.png" alt="cupsomatic/foomatic processing versus Native CUPS"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +One other method is the <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsomatic/foomatic-rip</em></span> +way. Note that cupsomatic is <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> made by the CUPS +developers. It is an independent contribution to printing development, +made by people from Linuxprinting.org (see also <a href="http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html" target="_top">http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html</a>). +cupsomatic is no longer developed and maintained and is no longer +supported. It has now been replaced by +<span class="emphasis"><em>foomatic-rip</em></span>. foomatic-rip is a complete re-write +of the old cupsomatic idea, but very much improved and generalized to +other (non-CUPS) spoolers. An upgrade to foomatic-rip is strongly +advised, especially if you are upgrading to a recent version of CUPS +too. +</p><p> +Both the cupsomatic (old) and the foomatic-rip (new) methods from +Linuxprinting.org use the traditional Ghostscript print file +processing, doing everything in a single step. It therefore relies on +all the other devices built-in into Ghostscript. The quality is as +good (or bad) as Ghostscript rendering is in other spoolers. The +advantage is that this method supports many printer models not +supported (yet) by the more modern CUPS method. +</p><p> +Of course, you can use both methods side by side on one system (and +even for one printer, if you set up different queues), and find out +which works best for you. +</p><p> +cupsomatic "kidnaps" the printfile after the +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span> stage and +deviates it through the CUPS-external, system wide Ghostscript +installation: Therefore the printfile bypasses the "pstoraster" filter +(and thus also bypasses the CUPS-raster-drivers +"rastertosomething"). After Ghostscript finished its rasterization, +cupsomatic hands the rendered file directly to the CUPS backend. The +flowchart above illustrates the difference between native CUPS +rendering and the Foomatic/cupsomatic method. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957666"></a>Examples for filtering Chains</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here are a few examples of commonly occurring filtering chains to +illustrate the workings of CUPS. +</p><p> +Assume you want to print a PDF file to a HP JetDirect-connected +PostScript printer, but you want to print the pages 3-5, 7, 11-13 +only, and you want to print them "2-up" and "duplex": +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>your print options (page selection as required, 2-up, +duplex) are passed to CUPS on the commandline;</p></li><li><p>the (complete) PDF file is sent to CUPS and autotyped as +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/pdf</em></span>;</p></li><li><p>the file therefore first must pass the +<span class="emphasis"><em>pdftops</em></span> pre-filter, which produces PostScript +MIME type <span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> (a preview here +would still show all pages of the original PDF);</p></li><li><p>the file then passes the <span class="emphasis"><em>pstops</em></span> +filter which applies the commandline options: it selects the pages +2-5, 7 and 11-13, creates and imposed layout "2 pages on 1 sheet" and +inserts the correct "duplex" command (as is defined in the printer's +PPD) into the new PostScript file; the file now is of PostScript MIME +type +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span>;</p></li><li><p>the file goes to the <span class="emphasis"><em>socket</em></span> +backend, which transfers the job to the printers.</p></li></ul></div><p> +The resulting filter chain therefore is: +</p><pre class="screen"> +pdftops --> pstops --> socket +</pre><p> +Assume your want to print the same filter to an USB-connected +Epson Stylus Photo printer, installed with the CUPS +<tt class="filename">stphoto2.ppd</tt>. The first few filtering stages +are nearly the same: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>your print options (page selection as required, 2-up, +duplex) are passed to CUPS on the commandline;</p></li><li><p>the (complete) PDF file is sent to CUPS and autotyped as +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/pdf</em></span>;</p></li><li><p>the file therefore first must pass the +<span class="emphasis"><em>pdftops</em></span> pre-filter, which produces PostScript +MIME type <span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span> (a preview here +would still show all pages of the original PDF);</p></li><li><p>the file then passes the "pstops" filter which applies +the commandline options: it selects the pages 2-5, 7 and 11-13, +creates and imposed layout "2 pages on 1 sheet" and inserts the +correct "duplex" command... (OOoops -- this printer and his PPD +don't support duplex printing at all -- this option will be ignored +then) into the new PostScript file; the file now is of PostScript +MIME type +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/vnd.cups-postscript</em></span>;</p></li><li><p>the file then passes the +<span class="emphasis"><em>pstoraster</em></span> stage and becomes MIME type +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/cups-raster</em></span>;</p></li><li><p>finally, the <span class="emphasis"><em>rastertoepson</em></span> filter +does its work (as is indicated in the printer's PPD), creating the +printer-specific raster data and embedding any user-selected +print-options into the print data stream;</p></li><li><p>the file goes to the <span class="emphasis"><em>usb</em></span> backend, +which transfers the job to the printers.</p></li></ul></div><p> +The resulting filter chain therefore is: +</p><pre class="screen"> +pdftops --> pstops --> pstoraster --> rastertoepson --> usb +</pre></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2957897"></a>Sources of CUPS drivers / PPDs</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +On the internet you can find now many thousand CUPS-PPD files +(with their companion filters), in many national languages, +supporting more than 1000 non-PostScript models. +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p><a href="http://wwwl.easysw.com/printpro/" target="_top">ESP +PrintPro (http://wwwl.easysw.com/printpro/)</a> (commercial, +non-Free) is packaged with more than 3000 PPDs, ready for +successful use "out of the box" on Linux, Mac OS X, IBM-AIX, +HP-UX, Sun-Solaris, SGI-IRIX, Compaq Tru64, Digital Unix and some +more commercial Unices (it is written by the CUPS developers +themselves and its sales help finance the further development of +CUPS, as they feed their creators).</p></li><li><p>the <a href="http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/" target="_top">Gimp-Print-Project +(http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/)</a> (GPL, Free Software) +provides around 140 PPDs (supporting nearly 400 printers, many driven +to photo quality output), to be used alongside the Gimp-Print CUPS +filters;</p></li><li><p><a href="http://www.turboprint.com/" target="_top">TurboPrint +(http://www.turboprint.com/)</a> (Shareware, non-Free) supports +roughly the same amount of printers in excellent +quality;</p></li><li><p><a href="http://www-124.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/linux/projects/omni/" target="_top">OMNI +(http://www-124.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/linux/projects/omni/)</a> +(LPGL, Free) is a package made by IBM, now containing support for more +than 400 printers, stemming from the inheritance of IBM OS/2 Know-How +ported over to Linux (CUPS support is in a Beta-stage at +present);</p></li><li><p><a href="http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/" target="_top">HPIJS +(http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/)</a> (BSD-style licenses, Free) +supports around 150 of HP's own printers and is also providing +excellent print quality now (currently available only via the Foomatic +path);</p></li><li><p><a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/" target="_top">Foomatic/cupsomatic +(http://www.linuxprinting.org/)</a> (LPGL, Free) from +Linuxprinting.org are providing PPDs for practically every Ghostscript +filter known to the world (including Omni, Gimp-Print and +HPIJS).</p></li></ul></div><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +The cupsomatic/Foomatic trick from Linuxprinting.org works +differently from the other drivers. This is explained elsewhere in this +document. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958024"></a>Printing with Interface Scripts</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS also supports the usage of "interface scripts" as known from +System V AT&T printing systems. These are often used for PCL +printers, from applications that generate PCL print jobs. Interface +scripts are specific to printer models. They have a similar role as +PPDs for PostScript printers. Interface scripts may inject the Escape +sequences as required into the print data stream, if the user has +chosen to select a certain paper tray, or print landscape, or use A3 +paper, etc. Interfaces scripts are practically unknown in the Linux +realm. On HP-UX platforms they are more often used. You can use any +working interface script on CUPS too. Just install the printer with +the <b class="command">-i</b> option: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + lpadmin -p pclprinter -v socket://11.12.13.14:9100 -i /path/to/interface-script + +</pre><p> +Interface scripts might be the "unknown animal" to many. However, +with CUPS they provide the most easy way to plug in your own +custom-written filtering script or program into one specific print +queue (some information about the traditional usage of interface scripts is +to be found at <a href="http://playground.sun.com/printing/documentation/interface.html" target="_top">http://playground.sun.com/printing/documentation/interface.html</a>). +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2958100"></a>Network printing (purely Windows)</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Network printing covers a lot of ground. To understand what exactly +goes on with Samba when it is printing on behalf of its Windows +clients, let's first look at a "purely Windows" setup: Windows clients +with a Windows NT print server. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958116"></a>From Windows Clients to an NT Print Server</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Windows clients printing to an NT-based print server have two +options. They may +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>execute the driver locally and render the GDI output +(EMF) into the printer specific format on their own, +or</p></li><li><p>send the GDI output (EMF) to the server, where the +driver is executed to render the printer specific +output.</p></li></ul></div><p> +Both print paths are shown in the flowcharts below. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958155"></a>Driver Execution on the Client</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +In the first case the print server must spool the file as "raw", +meaning it shouldn't touch the jobfile and try to convert it in any +way. This is what traditional Unix-based print server can do too; and +at a better performance and more reliably than NT print server. This +is what most Samba administrators probably are familiar with. One +advantage of this setup is that this "spooling-only" print server may +be used even if no driver(s) for Unix are available it is sufficient +to have the Windows client drivers available and installed on the +clients. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2958191"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.11. Print Driver execution on the Client</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/11small.png" alt="Print Driver execution on the Client"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958227"></a>Driver Execution on the Server</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The other path executes the printer driver on the server. The clients +transfers print files in EMF format to the server. The server uses the +PostScript, PCL, ESC/P or other driver to convert the EMF file into +the printer-specific language. It is not possible for Unix to do the +same. Currently there is no program or method to convert a Windows +client's GDI output on a Unix server into something a printer could +understand. +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2958249"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.12. Print Driver execution on the Server</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/12small.png" alt="Print Driver execution on the Server"></div></div><p> +</p><p> +However, there is something similar possible with CUPS. Read on... +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2958289"></a>Network Printing (Windows clients -- UNIX/Samba Print +Servers)</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Since UNIX print servers <span class="emphasis"><em>cannot</em></span> execute the Win32 +program code on their platform, the picture is somewhat +different. However, this doesn't limit your options all that +much. In the contrary, you may have a way here to implement printing +features which are not possible otherwise. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958310"></a>From Windows Clients to a CUPS/Samba Print Server</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here is a simple recipe showing how you can take advantage of CUPS +powerful features for the benefit of your Windows network printing +clients: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Let the Windows clients send PostScript to the CUPS +server.</p></li><li><p>Let the CUPS server render the PostScript into device +specific raster format.</p></li></ul></div><p> +This requires the clients to use a PostScript driver (even if the +printer is a non-PostScript model. It also requires that you have a +"driver" on the CUPS server. +</p><p> +Firstly, to enable CUPS based printing through Samba the +following options should be set in your <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> file [globals] +section: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p><i class="parameter"><tt>printing = CUPS</tt></i></p></li><li><p><i class="parameter"><tt>printcap = CUPS</tt></i></p></li></ul></div><p> +When these parameters are specified, all manually set print directives +(like <i class="parameter"><tt>print command =...</tt></i>, or <i class="parameter"><tt>lppause +command =...</tt></i>) in <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> (as well as +in samba itself) will be ignored. Instead, Samba will directly +interface with CUPS through it's application program interface (API) - +as long as Samba has been compiled with CUPS library (libcups) +support. If Samba has NOT been compiled with CUPS support, and if no +other print commands are set up, then printing will use the +<span class="emphasis"><em>System V</em></span> AT&T command set, with the -oraw +option automatically passing through (if you want your own defined +print commands to work with a Samba that has CUPS support compiled in, +simply use <i class="parameter"><tt>printing = sysv</tt></i>). +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2958439"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.13. Printing via CUPS/samba server</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/13small.png" alt="Printing via CUPS/samba server"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958474"></a>Samba receiving Jobfiles and passing them to CUPS</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Samba <span class="emphasis"><em>must</em></span> use its own spool directory (it is set +by a line similar to <i class="parameter"><tt>path = /var/spool/samba</tt></i>, +in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[printers]</tt></i> or +<i class="parameter"><tt>[printername]</tt></i> section of +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>). Samba receives the job in its own +spool space and passes it into the spool directory of CUPS (the CUPS +spooling directory is set by the <i class="parameter"><tt>RequestRoot</tt></i> +directive, in a line that defaults to <i class="parameter"><tt>RequestRoot +/var/spool/cups</tt></i>). CUPS checks the access rights of its +spool dir and resets it to healthy values with every re-start. We have +seen quite some people who had used a common spooling space for Samba +and CUPS, and were struggling for weeks with this "problem". +</p><p> +A Windows user authenticates only to Samba (by whatever means is +configured). If Samba runs on the same host as CUPS, you only need to +allow "localhost" to print. If they run on different machines, you +need to make sure the Samba host gets access to printing on CUPS. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2958550"></a>Network PostScript RIP: CUPS Filters on Server -- clients use +PostScript Driver with CUPS-PPDs</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +PPDs can control all print device options. They are usually provided +by the manufacturer; if you own a PostScript printer, that is. PPD +files (PostScript Printer Descriptions) are always a component of +PostScript printer drivers on MS Windows or Apple Mac OS systems. They +are ASCII files containing user-selectable print options, mapped to +appropriate PostScript, PCL or PJL commands for the target +printer. Printer driver GUI dialogs translate these options +"on-the-fly" into buttons and drop-down lists for the user to select. +</p><p> +CUPS can load, without any conversions, the PPD file from any Windows +(NT is recommended) PostScript driver and handle the options. There is +a web browser interface to the print options (select <a href="http://localhost:631/printers/" target="_top">http://localhost:631/printers/</a> +and click on one <span class="emphasis"><em>Configure Printer</em></span> button to see +it), or a commandline interface (see <b class="command">man lpoptions</b> +or see if you have lphelp on your system). There are also some +different GUI frontends on Linux/UNIX, which can present PPD options +to users. PPD options are normally meant to be evaluated by the +PostScript RIP on the real PostScript printer. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958605"></a>PPDs for non-PS Printers on UNIX</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS doesn't limit itself to "real" PostScript printers in its usage +of PPDs. The CUPS developers have extended the scope of the PPD +concept, to also describe available device and driver options for +non-PostScript printers through CUPS-PPDs. +</p><p> +This is logical, as CUPS includes a fully featured PostScript +interpreter (RIP). This RIP is based on Ghostscript. It can process +all received PostScript (and additionally many other file formats) +from clients. All CUPS-PPDs geared to non-PostScript printers contain +an additional line, starting with the keyword +<i class="parameter"><tt>*cupsFilter</tt></i> . This line tells the CUPS print +system which printer-specific filter to use for the interpretation of +the supplied PostScript. Thus CUPS lets all its printers appear as +PostScript devices to its clients, because it can act as a PostScript +RIP for those printers, processing the received PostScript code into a +proper raster print format. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958646"></a>PPDs for non-PS Printers on Windows</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS-PPDs can also be used on Windows-Clients, on top of a +"core" PostScript driver (now recommended is the "CUPS PostScript +Driver for WindowsNT/2K/XP"; you can also use the Adobe one, with +limitations). This feature enables CUPS to do a few tricks no other +spooler can do: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>act as a networked PostScript RIP (Raster Image +Processor), handling printfiles from all client platforms in a uniform +way;</p></li><li><p>act as a central accounting and billing server, since +all files are passed through the pstops filter and are therefore +logged in the CUPS <tt class="filename">page_log</tt> file. +<span class="emphasis"><em>NOTE:</em></span> this can not happen with "raw" print jobs, +which always remain unfiltered per definition;</p></li><li><p>enable clients to consolidate on a single PostScript +driver, even for many different target printers.</p></li></ul></div><p> +Using CUPS PPDs on Windows clients enables these to control +all print job settings just as a UNIX client can do too. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2958712"></a>Windows Terminal Servers (WTS) as CUPS Clients</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +This setup may be of special interest to people experiencing major +problems in WTS environments. WTS need often a multitude of +non-PostScript drivers installed to run their clients' variety of +different printer models. This often imposes the price of much +increased instability. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958729"></a>Printer Drivers running in "Kernel Mode" cause many +Problems</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The reason is that in Win NT printer drivers run in "Kernel +Mode", this introduces a high risk for the stability of the system +if the driver is not really stable and well-tested. And there are a +lot of bad drivers out there! Especially notorious is the example +of the PCL printer driver that had an additional sound module +running, to notify users via soundcard of their finished jobs. Do I +need to say that this one was also reliably causing "Blue Screens +of Death" on a regular basis? +</p><p> +PostScript drivers generally are very well tested. They are not known +to cause any problems, even though they run in Kernel Mode too. This +might be because there have so far only been 2 different PostScript +drivers the ones from Adobe and the one from Microsoft. Both are +very well tested and are as stable as you ever can imagine on +Windows. The CUPS driver is derived from the Microsoft one. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958763"></a>Workarounds impose Heavy Limitations</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +In many cases, in an attempt to work around this problem, site +administrators have resorted to restrict the allowed drivers installed +on their WTS to one generic PCL- and one PostScript driver. This +however restricts the clients in the amount of printer options +available for them; often they can't get out more than simplex +prints from one standard paper tray, while their devices could do much +better, if driven by a different driver! ) +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958784"></a>CUPS: a "Magical Stone"?</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Using a PostScript driver, enabled with a CUPS-PPD, seems to be a very +elegant way to overcome all these shortcomings. There are, depending +on the version of Windows OS you use, up to 3 different PostScript +drivers available: Adobe, Microsoft and CUPS PostScript drivers. None +of them is known to cause major stability problems on WTS (even if +used with many different PPDs). The clients will be able to (again) +chose paper trays, duplex printing and other settings. However, there +is a certain price for this too: a CUPS server acting as a PostScript +RIP for its clients requires more CPU and RAM than when just acting as +a "raw spooling" device. Plus, this setup is not yet widely tested, +although the first feedbacks look very promising. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958811"></a>PostScript Drivers with no major problems -- even in Kernel +Mode</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +More recent printer drivers on W2K and XP don't run in Kernel mode +(unlike Win NT) any more. However, both operating systems can still +use the NT drivers, running in Kernel mode (you can roughly tell which +is which as the drivers in subdirectory "2" of "W32X86" are "old" +ones). As was said before, the Adobe as well as the Microsoft +PostScript drivers are not known to cause any stability problems. The +CUPS driver is derived from the Microsoft one. There is a simple +reason for this: The MS DDK (Device Development Kit) for Win NT (which +used to be available at no cost to licensees of Visual Studio) +includes the source code of the Microsoft driver, and licensees of +Visual Studio are allowed to use and modify it for their own driver +development efforts. This is what the CUPS people have done. The +license doesn't allow them to publish the whole of the source code. +However, they have released the "diff" under the GPL, and if you are +owner of an "MS DDK for Win NT", you can check the driver yourself. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2958865"></a> Setting up CUPS for driver Download</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +As we have said before: all previously known methods to prepare client +printer drivers on the Samba server for download and "Point'n'Print" +convenience of Windows workstations are working with CUPS too. These +methods were described in the previous chapter. In reality, this is a +pure Samba business, and only relates to the Samba/Win client +relationship. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958884"></a><span class="emphasis"><em>cupsaddsmb</em></span>: the unknown Utility</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The cupsaddsmb utility (shipped with all current CUPS versions) is an +alternative method to transfer printer drivers into the Samba +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share. Remember, this share is where +clients expect drivers deposited and setup for download and +installation. It makes the sharing of any (or all) installed CUPS +printers very easy. cupsaddsmb can use the Adobe PostScript driver as +well as the newly developed <span class="emphasis"><em>CUPS PostScript Driver for +WinNT/2K/XP</em></span>. Note, that cupsaddsmb does +<span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> work with arbitrary vendor printer drivers, +but only with the <span class="emphasis"><em>exact</em></span> driver files that are +named in its man page. +</p><p> +The CUPS printer driver is available from the CUPS download site. Its +package name is <tt class="filename">cups-samba-[version].tar.gz</tt> . It +is preferred over the Adobe drivers since it has a number of +advantages: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>it supports a much more accurate page +accounting;</p></li><li><p>it supports banner pages, and page labels on all +printers;</p></li><li><p>it supports the setting of a number of job IPP +attributes (such as job-priority, page-label and +job-billing)</p></li></ul></div><p> +However, currently only Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by the +CUPS drivers. You will need to get the respective part of Adobe driver +too if you need to support Windows 95, 98, and ME clients. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2958976"></a>Prepare your <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> for +cupsaddsmb</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Prior to running cupsaddsmb, you need the following settings in +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + [global] + load printers = yes + printing = cups + printcap name = cups + + [printers] + comment = All Printers + path = /var/spool/samba + browseable = no + public = yes + guest ok = yes # setting depends on your requirements + writable = no + printable = yes + printer admin = root + + [print$] + comment = Printer Drivers + path = /etc/samba/drivers + browseable = yes + guest ok = no + read only = yes + write list = root + +</pre></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959022"></a>CUPS Package of "PostScript Driver for WinNT/2k/XP"</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS users may get the exactly same packages from<a href="http://www.cups.org/software.html" target="_top"><span class="emphasis"><em>http://www.cups.org/software.html</em></span></a>. +It is a separate package from the CUPS base software files, tagged as +<span class="emphasis"><em>CUPS 1.1.x Windows NT/2k/XP Printer Driver for SAMBA +(tar.gz, 192k)</em></span>. The filename to download is +<tt class="filename">cups-samba-1.1.x.tar.gz</tt>. Upon untar-/unzip-ing, +it will reveal these files: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# tar xvzf cups-samba-1.1.19.tar.gz + + cups-samba.install + cups-samba.license + cups-samba.readme + cups-samba.remove + cups-samba.ss + +</pre><p> +These have been packaged with the ESP meta packager software +"EPM". The <tt class="filename">*.install</tt> and +<tt class="filename">*.remove</tt> files are simple shell scripts, which +untars the <tt class="filename">*.ss</tt> (the <tt class="filename">*.ss</tt> is +nothing else but a tar-archive, which can be untar-ed by "tar" +too). Then it puts the content into +<tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/drivers/</tt>. This content includes 3 +files: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# tar tv cups-samba.ss + + cupsdrvr.dll + cupsui.dll + cups.hlp + +</pre><p> +The <span class="emphasis"><em>cups-samba.install</em></span> shell scripts is easy to +handle: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# ./cups-samba.install + + [....] + Installing software... + Updating file permissions... + Running post-install commands... + Installation is complete. + +</pre><p> +The script should automatically put the driver files into the +<tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/drivers/</tt> directory. +</p><div class="warning" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Warning</h3><p> +Due to a bug, one recent CUPS release puts the +<tt class="filename">cups.hlp</tt> driver file +into<tt class="filename">/usr/share/drivers/</tt> instead of +<tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/drivers/</tt>. To work around this, +copy/move the file (after running the +<b class="command">./cups-samba.install</b> script) manually to the +right place. +</p></div><pre class="screen"> + + cp /usr/share/drivers/cups.hlp /usr/share/cups/drivers/ + +</pre><p> +This new CUPS PostScript driver is currently binary-only, but free of +charge. No complete source code is provided (yet). The reason is this: +it has been developed with the help of the <span class="emphasis"><em>Microsoft Driver +Developer Kit</em></span> (DDK) and compiled with Microsoft Visual +Studio 6. Driver developers are not allowed to distribute the whole of +the source code as Free Software. However, CUPS developers released +the "diff" in source code under the GPL, so anybody with a license of +Visual Studio and a DDK will be able to compile for him/herself. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959220"></a>Recognize the different Driver Files</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The CUPS drivers don't support the "older" Windows 95/98/ME, but only +the Windows NT/2000/XP client: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + [Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:] + cups.hlp + cupsdrvr.dll + cupsui.dll + +</pre><p> +Adobe drivers are available for the older Windows 95/98/ME as well as +the Windows NT/2000/XP clients. The set of files is different for the +different platforms. +</p><pre class="screen"> + + [Windows 95, 98, and Me are supported by:] + ADFONTS.MFM + ADOBEPS4.DRV + ADOBEPS4.HLP + DEFPRTR2.PPD + ICONLIB.DLL + PSMON.DLL + + [Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:] + ADOBEPS5.DLL + ADOBEPSU.DLL + ADOBEPSU.HLP + +</pre><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +If both, the Adobe driver files and the CUPS driver files for the +support of WinNT/2k/XP are present in , the Adobe ones will be ignored +and the CUPS ones will be used. If you prefer -- for whatever reason +-- to use Adobe-only drivers, move away the 3 CUPS driver files. The +Win95/98/ME clients use the Adobe drivers in any case. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959278"></a>Acquiring the Adobe Driver Files</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Acquiring the Adobe driver files seems to be unexpectedly difficult +for many users. They are not available on the Adobe website as single +files and the self-extracting and/or self-installing Windows-exe is +not easy to locate either. Probably you need to use the included +native installer and run the installation process on one client +once. This will install the drivers (and one Generic PostScript +printer) locally on the client. When they are installed, share the +Generic PostScript printer. After this, the client's +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share holds the Adobe files, from +where you can get them with smbclient from the CUPS host. A more +detailed description about this is in the next (the CUPS printing) +chapter. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959310"></a>ESP Print Pro Package of "PostScript Driver for +WinNT/2k/XP"</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Users of the ESP Print Pro software are able to install their "Samba +Drivers" package for this purpose with no problem. Retrieve the driver +files from the normal download area of the ESP Print Pro software +at<a href="http://www.easysw.com/software.html" target="_top">http://www.easysw.com/software.html</a>. +You need to locate the link labelled "SAMBA" amongst the +<span class="emphasis"><em>Download Printer Drivers for ESP Print Pro 4.x</em></span> +area and download the package. Once installed, you can prepare any +driver by simply highlighting the printer in the Printer Manager GUI +and select <span class="emphasis"><em>Export Driver...</em></span> from the menu. Of +course you need to have prepared Samba beforehand too to handle the +driver files; i.e. mainly setup the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> +share, etc. The ESP Print Pro package includes the CUPS driver files +as well as a (licensed) set of Adobe drivers for the Windows 95/98/ME +client family. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959360"></a>Caveats to be considered</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Once you have run the install script (and possibly manually +moved the <tt class="filename">cups.hlp</tt> file to +<tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/drivers/</tt>), the driver is +ready to be put into Samba's <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share (which often maps to +<tt class="filename">/etc/samba/drivers/</tt> and contains a subdir +tree with <span class="emphasis"><em>WIN40</em></span> and +<span class="emphasis"><em>W32X86</em></span> branches): You do this by running +"cupsaddsmb" (see also <b class="command">man cupsaddsmb</b> for +CUPS since release 1.1.16). +</p><div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Tip</h3><p> +You may need to put root into the smbpasswd file by running +<b class="command">smbpasswd</b>; this is especially important if you +should run this whole procedure for the first time, and are not +working in an environment where everything is configured for +<span class="emphasis"><em>Single Sign On</em></span> to a Windows Domain Controller. +</p></div><p> +Once the driver files are in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share +and are initialized, they are ready to be downloaded and installed by +the Win NT/2k/XP clients. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p> +Win 9x/ME clients won't work with the CUPS PostScript driver. For +these you'd still need to use the <tt class="filename">ADOBE*.*</tt> +drivers as previously. +</p></li><li><p> +It is not harmful if you still have the +<tt class="filename">ADOBE*.*</tt> driver files from previous +installations in the <tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/drivers/</tt> +directory. The new <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsaddsmb</em></span> (from 1.1.16) will +automatically prefer "its own" drivers if it finds both. +</p></li><li><p> +Should your Win clients have had the old <tt class="filename">ADOBE*.*</tt> +files for the Adobe PostScript driver installed, the download and +installation of the new CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/2k/XP +will fail at first. You need to wipe the old driver from the clients +first. It is not enough to "delete" the printer, as the driver files +will still be kept by the clients and re-used if you try to re-install +the printer. To really get rid of the Adobe driver files on the +clients, open the "Printers" folder (possibly via <span class="emphasis"><em>Start +--> Settings --> Control Panel --> Printers</em></span>), +right-click onto the folder background and select <span class="emphasis"><em>Server +Properties</em></span>. When the new dialog opens, select the +<span class="emphasis"><em>Drivers</em></span> tab. On the list select the driver you +want to delete and click on the <span class="emphasis"><em>Delete</em></span> +button. This will only work if there is not one single printer left +which uses that particular driver. You need to "delete" all printers +using this driver in the "Printers" folder first. You will need +Administrator privileges to do this. +</p></li><li><p> +Once you have successfully downloaded the CUPS PostScript driver to a +client, you can easily switch all printers to this one by proceeding +as described elsewhere in the "Samba HOWTO Collection": either change +a driver for an existing printer by running the "Printer Properties" +dialog, or use <b class="command">rpcclient</b> with the +<b class="command">setdriver</b> sub-command. +</p></li></ol></div><p> +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959582"></a>What are the Benefits of using the "CUPS PostScript Driver for +Windows NT/2k/XP" as compared to the Adobe Driver?</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +You are interested in a comparison between the CUPS and the Adobe +PostScript drivers? For our purposes these are the most important +items which weigh in favor of the CUPS ones: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>no hassle with the Adobe EULA</p></li><li><p>no hassle with the question “<span class="quote">Where do I +get the ADOBE*.* driver files from?</span>”</p></li><li><p>the Adobe drivers (on request of the printer PPD +associated with them) often put a PJL header in front of the main +PostScript part of the print file. Thus the printfile starts with +<i class="parameter"><tt><1B >%-12345X</tt></i> or +<i class="parameter"><tt><escape>%-12345X</tt></i> instead +of <i class="parameter"><tt>%!PS</tt></i>). This leads to the +CUPS daemon auto-typing the incoming file as a print-ready file, +not initiating a pass through the "pstops" filter (to speak more +technically, it is not regarded as the generic MIME type +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span>, but as +the more special MIME type +<span class="emphasis"><em>application/cups.vnd-postscript</em></span>), +which therefore also leads to the page accounting in +<span class="emphasis"><em>/var/log/cups/page_log</em></span> not +receiving the exact number of pages; instead the dummy page number +of "1" is logged in a standard setup)</p></li><li><p>the Adobe driver has more options to "mis-configure" the +PostScript generated by it (like setting it inadvertently to +<span class="emphasis"><em>Optimize for Speed</em></span>, instead of +<span class="emphasis"><em>Optimize for Portability</em></span>, which +could lead to CUPS being unable to process it)</p></li><li><p>the CUPS PostScript driver output sent by Windows +clients to the CUPS server will be guaranteed to be auto-typed always +as generic MIME type <span class="emphasis"><em>application/postscript</em></span>, +thusly passing through the CUPS "pstops" filter and logging the +correct number of pages in the <tt class="filename">page_log</tt> for +accounting and quota purposes</p></li><li><p>the CUPS PostScript driver supports the sending of +additional standard (IPP) print options by Win NT/2k/XP clients. Such +additional print options are: naming the CUPS standard +<span class="emphasis"><em>banner pages</em></span> (or the custom ones, should they be +installed at the time of driver download), using the CUPS +<span class="emphasis"><em>page-label</em></span> option, setting a +<span class="emphasis"><em>job-priority</em></span> and setting the <span class="emphasis"><em>scheduled +time of printing</em></span> (with the option to support additional +useful IPP job attributes in the future).</p></li><li><p>the CUPS PostScript driver supports the inclusion of +the new <span class="emphasis"><em>*cupsJobTicket</em></span> comments at the +beginning of the PostScript file (which could be used in the future +for all sort of beneficial extensions on the CUPS side, but which will +not disturb any other applications as they will regard it as a comment +and simply ignore it).</p></li><li><p>the CUPS PostScript driver will be the heart of the +fully fledged CUPS IPP client for Windows NT/2K/XP to be released soon +(probably alongside the first Beta release for CUPS +1.2).</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959764"></a>Run "cupsaddsmb" (quiet Mode)</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The cupsaddsmb command copies the needed files into your +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share. Additionally, the PPD +associated with this printer is copied from +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/ppd/</tt> to +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i>. There the files wait for convenient +Windows client installations via Point'n'Print. Before we can run the +command successfully, we need to be sure that we can authenticate +towards Samba. If you have a small network you are probably using user +level security (<i class="parameter"><tt>security = user</tt></i>). Probably your +root has already a Samba account. Otherwise, create it now, using +<b class="command">smbpasswd</b>: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + # smbpasswd -a root + New SMB password: [type in password 'secret'] + Retype new SMB password: [type in password 'secret'] + +</pre><p> +Here is an example of a successfully run cupsaddsmb command. +</p><pre class="screen"> + + # cupsaddsmb -U root infotec_IS2027 + Password for root required to access localhost via SAMBA: [type in password 'secret'] + +</pre><p> +To share <span class="emphasis"><em>all</em></span> printers and drivers, use the +<i class="parameter"><tt>-a</tt></i> parameter instead of a printer name. Since +cupsaddsmb "exports" the printer drivers to Samba, it should be +obvious that it only works for queues with a CUPS driver associated. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2959865"></a>Run "cupsaddsmb" with verbose Output</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Probably you want to see what's going on. Use the +<i class="parameter"><tt>-v</tt></i> parameter to get a more verbose output. The +output below was edited for better readability: all "\" at the end of +a line indicate that I inserted an artificial line break plus some +indentation here: +</p><div class="warning" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Warning</h3><p> +You will see the root password for the Samba account printed on +screen. If you use remote access, the password will go over the wire +unencrypted! +</p></div><pre class="screen"> + + # cupsaddsmb -U root -v infotec_2105 + Password for root required to access localhost via SAMBA: + Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' -c 'mkdir W32X86;put \ + /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll W32X86/cupsui.dll;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp W32X86/cups.hlp' + added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0 + Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] + NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \W32X86 + putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd (2328.8 kb/s) \ + (average 2328.8 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll as \W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll (9374.3 kb/s) \ + (average 5206.6 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll as \W32X86/cupsui.dll (8107.2 kb/s) \ + (average 5984.1 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp as \W32X86/cups.hlp (3475.0 kb/s) \ + (average 5884.7 kb/s) + + Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' -c 'adddriver "Windows NT x86" \ + "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL: \ + RAW:NULL"' + cmd = adddriver "Windows NT x86" "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll: \ + cups.hlp:NULL:RAW:NULL" + Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed. + + Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' -c 'mkdir WIN40;put \ + /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD; put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD;put \ + /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL + WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL;put /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL WIN40/PSMON.DLL;' + added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0 + Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] + NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \WIN40 + putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD (2328.8 kb/s) \ + (average 2328.8 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM as \WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM (9368.0 kb/s) \ + (average 6469.6 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV (9958.2 kb/s) \ + (average 8404.3 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP (8341.5 kb/s) \ + (average 8398.6 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD as \WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD (2195.9 kb/s) \ + (average 8254.3 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL as \WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL (8239.9 kb/s) \ + (average 8253.6 kb/s) + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL as \WIN40/PSMON.DLL (6222.2 kb/s) \ + (average 8188.5 kb/s) + + Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' -c 'adddriver "Windows 4.0" \ + "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL:ADOBEPS4.HLP: \ + PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP,PSMON.DLL, \ + ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL"' + cmd = adddriver "Windows 4.0" "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL: \ + ADOBEPS4.HLP:PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP, \ + PSMON.DLL,ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL" + Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed. + + Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \ + -c 'setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105' + cmd = setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105 + Successfully set infotec_2105 to driver infotec_2105. + +</pre><p> +If you look closely, you'll discover your root password was transfered +unencrypted over the wire, so beware! Also, if you look further her, +you'll discover error messages like NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION in +between. They occur, because the directories WIN40 and W32X86 already +existed in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> driver download share +(from a previous driver installation). They are harmless here. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960092"></a>Understanding cupsaddsmb</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +What has happened? What did cupsaddsmb do? There are five stages of +the procedure +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p>call the CUPS server via IPP and request the +driver files and the PPD file for the named printer;</p></li><li><p>store the files temporarily in the local +TEMPDIR (as defined in +<tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt>);</p></li><li><p>connect via smbclient to the Samba server's + <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share and put the files into the + share's WIN40 (for Win95/98/ME) and W32X86/ (for WinNT/2k/XP) sub + directories;</p></li><li><p>connect via rpcclient to the Samba server and +execute the "adddriver" command with the correct +parameters;</p></li><li><p>connect via rpcclient to the Samba server a second +time and execute the "setdriver" command.</p></li></ol></div><p> +Note, that you can run the cupsaddsmb utility with parameters to +specify one remote host as Samba host and a second remote host as CUPS +host. Especially if you want to get a deeper understanding, it is a +good idea try it and see more clearly what is going on (though in real +life most people will have their CUPS and Samba servers run on the +same host): +</p><pre class="screen"> + + # cupsaddsmb -H sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername + +</pre></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960186"></a>How to recognize if cupsaddsm completed successfully</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +You <span class="emphasis"><em>must</em></span> always check if the utility completed +successfully in all fields. You need as a minimum these 3 messages +amongst the output: +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p><span class="emphasis"><em>Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully +installed.</em></span> # (for the W32X86 == WinNT/2K/XP +architecture...)</p></li><li><p><span class="emphasis"><em>Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully +installed.</em></span> # (for the WIN40 == Win9x/ME +architecture...)</p></li><li><p><span class="emphasis"><em>Successfully set [printerXPZ] to driver +[printerXYZ].</em></span></p></li></ol></div><p> +These messages probably not easily recognized in the general +output. If you run cupsaddsmb with the <i class="parameter"><tt>-a</tt></i> +parameter (which tries to prepare <span class="emphasis"><em>all</em></span> active CUPS +printer drivers for download), you might miss if individual printers +drivers had problems to install properly. Here a redirection of the +output will help you analyze the results in retrospective. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +It is impossible to see any diagnostic output if you don't run +cupsaddsmb in verbose mode. Therefore we strongly recommend to not +use the default quiet mode. It will hide any problems from you which +might occur. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960273"></a>cupsaddsmb with a Samba PDC</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +You can't get the standard cupsaddsmb command to run on a Samba PDC? +You are asked for the password credential all over again and again and +the command just will not take off at all? Try one of these +variations: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + # cupsaddsmb -U DOMAINNAME\\root -v printername + # cupsaddsmb -H SAMBA-PDC -U DOMAINNAME\\root -v printername + # cupsaddsmb -H SAMBA-PDC -U DOMAINNAME\\root -h cups-server -v printername + +</pre><p> +(Note the two backslashes: the first one is required to +"escape" the second one). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960308"></a>cupsaddsmb Flowchart</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here is a chart about the procedures, commandflows and +dataflows of the "cupaddsmb" command. Note again: cupsaddsmb is +not intended to, and does not work with, "raw" queues! +</p><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2960326"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.14. cupsaddsmb flowchart</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/1small.png" alt="cupsaddsmb flowchart"></div></div><p> +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960361"></a>Installing the PostScript Driver on a Client</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +After cupsaddsmb completed, your driver is prepared for the clients to +use. Here are the steps you must perform to download and install it +via "Point'n'Print". From a Windows client, browse to the CUPS/Samba +server; +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>open the <span class="emphasis"><em>Printers</em></span> +share of Samba in Network Neighbourhood;</p></li><li><p>right-click on the printer in +question;</p></li><li><p>from the opening context-menu select +<span class="emphasis"><em>Install...</em></span> or +<span class="emphasis"><em>Connect...</em></span> (depending on the Windows version you +use).</p></li></ul></div><p> +After a few seconds, there should be a new printer in your +client's <span class="emphasis"><em>local</em></span> "Printers" folder: On Windows +XP it will follow a naming convention of <span class="emphasis"><em>PrinterName on +SambaServer</em></span>. (In my current case it is "infotec_2105 on +kde-bitshop"). If you want to test it and send your first job from +an application like Winword, the new printer will appears in a +<tt class="filename">\\SambaServer\PrinterName</tt> entry in the +dropdown list of available printers. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +cupsaddsmb will only reliably work with CUPS version 1.1.15 or higher +and Samba from 2.2.4. If it doesn't work, or if the automatic printer +driver download to the clients doesn't succeed, you can still manually +install the CUPS printer PPD on top of the Adobe PostScript driver on +clients. Then point the client's printer queue to the Samba printer +share for a UNC type of connection: +</p></div><pre class="screen"> + + net use lpt1: \\sambaserver\printershare /user:ntadmin + +</pre><p> +should you desire to use the CUPS networked PostScript RIP +functions. (Note that user "ntadmin" needs to be a valid Samba user +with the required privileges to access the printershare) This would +set up the printer connection in the traditional +<span class="emphasis"><em>LanMan</em></span> way (not using MS-RPC). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960474"></a>Avoiding critical PostScript Driver Settings on the +Client</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Soooo: printing works, but there are still problems. Most jobs print +well, some don't print at all. Some jobs have problems with fonts, +which don't look very good. Some jobs print fast, and some are +dead-slow. Many of these problems can be greatly reduced or even +completely eliminated if you follow a few guidelines. Remember, if +your print device is not PostScript-enabled, you are treating your +Ghostscript installation on your CUPS host with the output your client +driver settings produce. Treat it well: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Avoid the <span class="emphasis"><em>PostScript Output Option: Optimize +for Speed</em></span> setting. Rather use the <span class="emphasis"><em>Optimize for +Portability</em></span> instead (Adobe PostScript +driver).</p></li><li><p>Don't use the <span class="emphasis"><em>Page Independence: +NO</em></span> setting. Instead use <span class="emphasis"><em>Page Independence +YES</em></span> (CUPS PostScript Driver)</p></li><li><p>Recommended is the <span class="emphasis"><em>True Type Font +Downloading Option: Native True Type</em></span> over +<span class="emphasis"><em>Automatic</em></span> and <span class="emphasis"><em>Outline</em></span>; you +should by all means avoid <span class="emphasis"><em>Bitmap</em></span> (Adobe +PostScript Driver)</p></li><li><p>Choose <span class="emphasis"><em>True Type Font: Download as Softfont +into Printer</em></span> over the default <span class="emphasis"><em>Replace by Device +Font</em></span> (for exotic fonts you may need to change it back to +get a printout at all) (Adobe)</p></li><li><p>Sometimes you can choose <span class="emphasis"><em>PostScript Language +Level</em></span>: in case of problems try <span class="emphasis"><em>2</em></span> +instead of <span class="emphasis"><em>3</em></span> (the latest ESP Ghostscript package +handles Level 3 PostScript very well) (Adobe).</p></li><li><p>Say <span class="emphasis"><em>Yes</em></span> to <span class="emphasis"><em>PostScript +Error Handler</em></span> (Adobe)</p></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2960608"></a>Installing PostScript Driver Files manually (using +rpcclient)</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Of course you can run all the commands which are embedded into the +cupsaddsmb convenience utility yourself, one by one, and hereby upload +and prepare the driver files for future client downloads. +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p>prepare Samba (a CUPS printqueue with the name of the +printer should be there. We are providing the driver +now);</p></li><li><p>copy all files to +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]:</tt></i></p></li><li><p>run <b class="command">rpcclient adddriver</b> +(for each client architecture you want to support):</p></li><li><p>run <b class="command">rpcclient +setdriver.</b></p></li></ol></div><p> +We are going to do this now. First, read the man page on "rpcclient" +to get a first idea. Look at all the printing related +sub-commands. <b class="command">enumprinters</b>, +<b class="command">enumdrivers</b>, <b class="command">enumports</b>, +<b class="command">adddriver</b>, <b class="command">setdriver</b> are amongst +the most interesting ones. rpcclient implements an important part of +the MS-RPC protocol. You can use it to query (and command) a Win NT +(or 2K/XP) PC too. MS-RPC is used by Windows clients, amongst other +things, to benefit from the "Point'n'Print" features. Samba can now +mimic this too. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960723"></a>A Check of the rpcclient man Page</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +First let's have a little check of the rpcclient man page. Here are +two relevant passages: +</p><p> +<b class="command">adddriver <arch> <config></b> Execute an +AddPrinterDriver() RPC to install the printer driver information on +the server. Note that the driver files should already exist in the +directory returned by <b class="command">getdriverdir</b>. Possible +values for <i class="parameter"><tt>arch</tt></i> are the same as those for the +<b class="command">getdriverdir</b> command. The +<i class="parameter"><tt>config</tt></i> parameter is defined as follows: +</p><pre class="screen"> +Long Printer Name:\ +Driver File Name:\ +Data File Name:\ +Config File Name:\ +Help File Name:\ +Language Monitor Name:\ +Default Data Type:\ +Comma Separated list of Files +</pre><p>Any empty fields should be enter as the string "NULL". </p><p>Samba does not need to support the concept of Print Monitors +since these only apply to local printers whose driver can make use of +a bi-directional link for communication. This field should be "NULL". +On a remote NT print server, the Print Monitor for a driver must +already be installed prior to adding the driver or else the RPC will +fail +</p><p> +<b class="command">setdriver <printername> <drivername></b> +Execute a <b class="command">SetPrinter()</b> command to update the +printer driver associated with an installed printer. The printer +driver must already be correctly installed on the print server. +</p><p> See also the enumprinters and enumdrivers commands for +obtaining a list of installed printers and drivers. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960836"></a>Understanding the rpcclient man Page</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The <span class="emphasis"><em>exact</em></span> format isn't made too clear by the man +page, since you have to deal with some parameters containing +spaces. Here is a better description for it. We have line-broken the +command and indicated the breaks with "\". Usually you would type the +command in one line without the linebreaks: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + adddriver "Architecture" \ + "LongPrinterName:DriverFile:DataFile:ConfigFile:HelpFile:\ + LanguageMonitorFile:DataType:ListOfFiles,Comma-separated" + +</pre><p> +What the man pages denotes as a simple <config> +keyword, does in reality consist of 8 colon-separated fields. The +last field may take multiple (in some, very insane, cases, even +20 different additional files. This might sound confusing at first. +Note, that what the man pages names the "LongPrinterName" in +reality should rather be called the "Driver Name". You can name it +anything you want, as long as you use this name later in the +<span class="emphasis"><em>rpcclient ... setdriver</em></span> command. For +practical reasons, many name the driver the same as the +printer. +</p><p> +True: it isn't simple at all. I hear you asking: +<span class="emphasis"><em>How do I know which files are "Driver +File", "Data File", "Config File", "Help File" and "Language +Monitor File" in each case?</em></span> -- For an answer you may +want to have a look at how a Windows NT box with a shared printer +presents the files to us. Remember, that this whole procedure has +to be developed by the Samba Team by overhearing the traffic caused +by Windows computers on the wire. We may as well turn to a Windows +box now, and access it from a UNIX workstation. We will query it +with <b class="command">rpcclient</b> to see what it tells us and +try to understand the man page more clearly which we've read just +now. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2960925"></a>Producing an Example by querying a Windows Box</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +We could run <b class="command">rpcclient</b> with a +<b class="command">getdriver</b> or a <b class="command">getprinter</b> +subcommand (in level 3 verbosity) against it. Just sit down at UNIX or +Linux workstation with the Samba utilities installed. Then type the +following command: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + rpcclient -U'USERNAME%PASSWORD' NT-SERVER-NAME -c 'getdriver printername 3' + +</pre><p> +From the result it should become clear which is which. Here is an +example from my installation: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -U'Danka%xxxx' W2KSERVER -c'getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3' + cmd = getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3 + + [Windows NT x86] + Printer Driver Info 3: + Version: [2] + Driver Name: [DANKA InfoStream] + Architecture: [Windows NT x86] + Driver Path: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRIPT.DLL] + Datafile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\INFOSTRM.PPD] + Configfile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRPTUI.DLL] + Helpfile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRIPT.HLP] + + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + Dependentfiles: [] + + Monitorname: [] + Defaultdatatype: [] + +</pre><p> +Some printer drivers list additional files under the label +"Dependentfiles": these would go into the last field +<span class="emphasis"><em>ListOfFiles,Comma-separated</em></span>. For the CUPS +PostScript drivers we don't need any (nor would we for the Adobe +PostScript driver): therefore the field will get a "NULL" entry. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2961015"></a>What is required for adddriver and setdriver to succeed</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +From the manpage (and from the quoted output +of <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsaddsmb</em></span>, above) it becomes clear that you +need to have certain conditions in order to make the manual uploading +and initializing of the driver files succeed. The two rpcclient +subcommands (<b class="command">adddriver</b> and +<b class="command">setdriver</b>) need to encounter the following +pre-conditions to complete successfully: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>you are connected as "printer admin", or root (note, +that this is <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> the "Printer Operators" group in +NT, but the <span class="emphasis"><em>printer admin</em></span> group, as defined in +the <i class="parameter"><tt>[global]</tt></i> section of +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>);</p></li><li><p>copy all required driver files to +<tt class="filename">\\sambaserver\print$\w32x86</tt> and +<tt class="filename">\\sambaserver\print$\win40</tt> as appropriate. They +will end up in the "0" respective "2" subdirectories later -- for now +<span class="emphasis"><em>don't</em></span> put them there, they'll be automatically +used by the <b class="command">adddriver</b> subcommand.! (if you use +"smbclient" to put the driver files into the share, note that you need +to escape the "$": <b class="command">smbclient //sambaserver/print\$ -U +root</b>);</p></li><li><p>the user you're connecting as must be able to write to +the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share and create +subdirectories;</p></li><li><p>the printer you are going to setup for the Windows +clients, needs to be installed in CUPS already;</p></li><li><p>the CUPS printer must be known to Samba, otherwise the +<b class="command">setdriver</b> subcommand fails with an +NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL error. To check if the printer is known by +Samba you may use the <b class="command">enumprinters</b> subcommand to +rpcclient. A long-standing bug prevented a proper update of the +printer list until every smbd process had received a SIGHUP or was +restarted. Remember this in case you've created the CUPS printer just +shortly ago and encounter problems: try restarting +Samba.</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2961177"></a>Manual Commandline Driver Installation in 15 little Steps</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +We are going to install a printer driver now by manually executing all +required commands. As this may seem a rather complicated process at +first, we go through the procedure step by step, explaining every +single action item as it comes up. +</p><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961194"></a>First Step: Install the Printer on CUPS</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# lpadmin -p mysmbtstprn -v socket://10.160.51.131:9100 -E -P /home/kurt/canonIR85.ppd + +</pre><p> +This installs printer with the name <span class="emphasis"><em>mysmbtstprn</em></span> +to the CUPS system. The printer is accessed via a socket +(a.k.a. JetDirect or Direct TCP/IP) connection. You need to be root +for this step +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961224"></a>Second Step (optional): Check if the Printer is recognized by +Samba</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + + # rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep -C2 mysmbtstprn + + flags:[0x800000] + name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn] + description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,,mysmbtstprn] + comment:[mysmbtstprn] + +</pre><p> +This should show the printer in the list. If not, stop and re-start +the Samba daemon (smbd), or send a HUP signal: <b class="command">kill -HUP +`pidof smbd`</b>. Check again. Troubleshoot and repeat until +success. Note the "empty" field between the two commas in the +"description" line. Here would the driver name appear if there was one +already. You need to know root's Samba password (as set by the +<b class="command">smbpasswd</b> command) for this step and most of the +following steps. Alternatively you can authenticate as one of the +users from the "write list" as defined in <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> for +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i>. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961288"></a>Third Step (optional): Check if Samba knows a Driver for the +Printer</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep driver + drivername:[] + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep -C4 driv + servername:[\\kde-bitshop] + printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn] + sharename:[mysmbtstprn] + portname:[Samba Printer Port] + drivername:[] + comment:[mysmbtstprn] + location:[] + sepfile:[] + printprocessor:[winprint] + +# rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost + result was WERR_UNKNOWN_PRINTER_DRIVER + +</pre><p> +Neither method of the three commands shown above should show a driver. +This step was done for the purpose of demonstrating this condition. An +attempt to connect to the printer at this stage will prompt the +message along the lines: "The server has not the required printer +driver installed". +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961326"></a>Fourth Step: Put all required Driver Files into Samba's +[print$]</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# smbclient //localhost/print\$ -U 'root%xxxx' \ + -c 'cd W32X86; \ + put /etc/cups/ppd/mysmbtstprn.ppd mysmbtstprn.PPD; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll cupsui.dll; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll cupsdrvr.dll; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp cups.hlp' + +</pre><p> +(Note that this command should be entered in one long single +line. Line-breaks and the line-end indicating "\" has been inserted +for readability reasons.) This step is <span class="emphasis"><em>required</em></span> +for the next one to succeed. It makes the driver files physically +present in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share. However, clients +would still not be able to install them, because Samba does not yet +treat them as driver files. A client asking for the driver would still +be presented with a "not installed here" message. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961377"></a>Fifth Step: Verify where the Driver Files are now</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/ + total 669 + drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 532 May 25 23:08 2 + drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 670 May 16 03:15 3 + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 278380 May 25 23:21 cupsdrvr.dll + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 215848 May 25 23:21 cupsui.dll + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD + +</pre><p> +The driver files now are in the W32X86 architecture "root" of +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i>. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961415"></a>Sixth Step: Tell Samba that these are +<span class="emphasis"><em>Driver</em></span> Files +(<b class="command">adddriver</b>)</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c `adddriver "Windows NT x86" "mydrivername: \ + cupsdrvr.dll:mysmbtstprn.PPD: \ + cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL:RAW[<span class="citation">:</span>]NULL" \ + localhost + + Printer Driver mydrivername successfully installed. + +</pre><p> +Note that your cannot repeat this step if it fails. It could fail even +as a result of a simple typo. It will most likely have moved a part of +the driver files into the "2" subdirectory. If this step fails, you +need to go back to the fourth step and repeat it, before you can try +this one again. In this step you need to choose a name for your +driver. It is normally a good idea to use the same name as is used for +the printername; however, in big installations you may use this driver +for a number of printers which have obviously different names. So the +name of the driver is not fixed. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961469"></a>Seventh Step: Verify where the Driver Files are now</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/ + total 1 + drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 532 May 25 23:22 2 + drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 670 May 16 03:15 3 + + +# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/2 + total 5039 + [....] + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 278380 May 13 13:53 cupsdrvr.dll + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 215848 May 13 13:53 cupsui.dll + -rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD + +</pre><p> +Notice how step 6 did also move the driver files to the appropriate +subdirectory. Compare with the situation after step 5. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961503"></a>Eighth Step (optional): Verify if Samba now recognizes the +Driver</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumdrivers 3' localhost | grep -B2 -A5 mydrivername + + Printer Driver Info 3: + Version: [2] + Driver Name: [mydrivername] + Architecture: [Windows NT x86] + Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll] + Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD] + Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll] + Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp] + +</pre><p> +Remember, this command greps for the name you did choose for the +driver in step Six. This command must succeed before you can proceed. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961536"></a>Ninth Step: Tell Samba which Printer should use these Driver +Files (<b class="command">setdriver</b>)</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'setdriver mysmbtstprn mydrivername' localhost + + Successfully set mysmbtstprn to driver mydrivername + +</pre><p> +Since you can bind any printername (=printqueue) to any driver, this +is a very convenient way to setup many queues which use the same +driver. You don't need to repeat all the previous steps for the +setdriver command to succeed. The only pre-conditions are: +<b class="command">enumdrivers</b> must find the driver and +<b class="command">enumprinters</b> must find the printer. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961586"></a>Tenth Step (optional): Verify if Samba has this Association +recognized</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep driver + drivername:[mydrivername] + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep -C4 driv + servername:[\\kde-bitshop] + printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn] + sharename:[mysmbtstprn] + portname:[Done] + drivername:[mydrivername] + comment:[mysmbtstprn] + location:[] + sepfile:[] + printprocessor:[winprint] + +# rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost + [Windows NT x86] + Printer Driver Info 3: + Version: [2] + Driver Name: [mydrivername] + Architecture: [Windows NT x86] + Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll] + Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD] + Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll] + Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp] + Monitorname: [] + Defaultdatatype: [RAW] + Monitorname: [] + Defaultdatatype: [RAW] + +# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep mysmbtstprn + name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn] + description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,mydrivername,mysmbtstprn] + comment:[mysmbtstprn] + +</pre><p> +Compare these results with the ones from steps 2 and 3. Note that +every single of these commands show the driver is installed. Even +the <b class="command">enumprinters</b> command now lists the driver +on the "description" line. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961666"></a>Eleventh Step (optional): Tickle the Driver into a correct +Device Mode</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +You certainly know how to install the driver on the client. In case +you are not particularly familiar with Windows, here is a short +recipe: browse the Network Neighbourhood, go to the Samba server, look +for the shares. You should see all shared Samba printers. +Double-click on the one in question. The driver should get +installed, and the network connection set up. An alternative way is to +open the "Printers (and Faxes)" folder, right-click on the printer in +question and select "Connect" or "Install". As a result, a new printer +should have appeared in your client's local "Printers (and Faxes)" +folder, named something like "printersharename on Sambahostname". +</p><p> +It is important that you execute this step as a Samba printer admin +(as defined in <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>). Here is another method +to do this on Windows XP. It uses a commandline, which you may type +into the "DOS box" (type root's smbpassword when prompted): +</p><pre class="screen"> + + C:\> runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn" + +</pre><p> +Change any printer setting once (like <span class="emphasis"><em>"portrait" +--> "landscape"</em></span>), click "Apply"; change the setting +back. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961731"></a>Twelfth Step: Install the Printer on a Client +("Point'n'Print")</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + + C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn" + +</pre><p> +If it doesn't work it could be a permission problem with the +<i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> share. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961764"></a>Thirteenth Step (optional): Print a Test Page</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + + C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn" + +</pre><p> +Then hit [TAB] 5 times, [ENTER] twice, [TAB] once and [ENTER] again +and march to the printer. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961790"></a>Fourteenth Step (recommended): Study the Test Page</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Hmmm.... just kidding! By now you know everything about printer +installations and you don't need to read a word. Just put it in a +frame and bolt it to the wall with the heading "MY FIRST +RPCCLIENT-INSTALLED PRINTER" - why not just throw it away! +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2961808"></a>Fifteenth Step (obligatory): Enjoy. Jump. Celebrate your +Success</h4></div></div><div></div></div><pre class="screen"> + +# echo "Cheeeeerioooooo! Success..." >> /var/log/samba/log.smbd + +</pre></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2961830"></a>Troubleshooting revisited</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The setdriver command will fail, if in Samba's mind the queue is not +already there. You had promising messages about the: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + Printer Driver ABC successfully installed. + +</pre><p> +after the "adddriver" parts of the procedure? But you are also seeing +a disappointing message like this one beneath? +</p><pre class="screen"> + + result was NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL + +</pre><p> +It is not good enough that <span class="emphasis"><em>you</em></span> +can see the queue <span class="emphasis"><em>in CUPS</em></span>, using +the <b class="command">lpstat -p ir85wm</b> command. A +bug in most recent versions of Samba prevents the proper update of +the queuelist. The recognition of newly installed CUPS printers +fails unless you re-start Samba or send a HUP to all smbd +processes. To verify if this is the reason why Samba doesn't +execute the setdriver command successfully, check if Samba "sees" +the printer: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'enumprinters 0'| grep ir85wm + printername:[ir85wm] + +</pre><p> +An alternative command could be this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'getprinter ir85wm' + cmd = getprinter ir85wm + flags:[0x800000] + name:[\\transmeta\ir85wm] + description:[\\transmeta\ir85wm,ir85wm,DPD] + comment:[CUPS PostScript-Treiber for WinNT/2K/XP] + +</pre><p> +BTW, you can use these commands, plus a few more, of course, +to install drivers on remote Windows NT print servers too! +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2961930"></a>The printing <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> Files</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Some mystery is associated with the series of files with a +tdb-suffix appearing in every Samba installation. They are +<tt class="filename">connections.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">printing.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">share_info.tdb</tt> , +<tt class="filename">ntdrivers.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">unexpected.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">brlock.tdb</tt> , +<tt class="filename">locking.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">ntforms.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">messages.tdb</tt> , +<tt class="filename">ntprinters.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">sessionid.tdb</tt> and +<tt class="filename">secrets.tdb</tt>. What is their purpose? +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2962033"></a>Trivial DataBase Files</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +A Windows NT (Print) Server keeps track of all information needed to serve +its duty toward its clients by storing entries in the Windows +"Registry". Client queries are answered by reading from the registry, +Administrator or user configuration settings are saved by writing into +the Registry. Samba and Unix obviously don't have such a kind of +Registry. Samba instead keeps track of all client related information in a +series of <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files. (TDB = Trivial Data +Base). These are often located in <tt class="filename">/var/lib/samba/</tt> +or <tt class="filename">/var/lock/samba/</tt> . The printing related files +are <tt class="filename">ntprinters.tdb</tt>, +<tt class="filename">printing.tdb</tt>,<tt class="filename">ntforms.tdb</tt> and +<tt class="filename">ntdrivers.tdb</tt>. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2962103"></a>Binary Format</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +<tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files are not human readable. They are +written in a binary format. "Why not ASCII?", you may ask. "After all, +ASCII configuration files are a good and proofed tradition on UNIX." +-- The reason for this design decision by the Samba Team is mainly +performance. Samba needs to be fast; it runs a separate +<b class="command">smbd</b> process for each client connection, in some +environments many thousand of them. Some of these smbds might need to +write-access the same <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> file <span class="emphasis"><em>at the +same time</em></span>. The file format of Samba's +<tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files allows for this provision. Many smbd +processes may write to the same <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> file at the +same time. This wouldn't be possible with pure ASCII files. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2962165"></a>Losing <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> Files</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +It is very important that all <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files remain +consistent over all write and read accesses. However, it may happen +that these files <span class="emphasis"><em>do</em></span> get corrupted. (A +<b class="command">kill -9 `pidof smbd`</b> while a write access is in +progress could do the damage as well as a power interruption, +etc.). In cases of trouble, a deletion of the old printing-related +<tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files may be the only option. You need to +re-create all print related setup after that. Or you have made a +backup of the <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files in time. +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2962224"></a>Using <span class="emphasis"><em>tdbbackup</em></span></h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Samba ships with a little utility which helps the root user of your +system to back up your <tt class="filename">*.tdb</tt> files. If you run it +with no argument, it prints a little usage message: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# tdbbackup + Usage: tdbbackup [options] <fname...> + + Version:3.0a + -h this help message + -s suffix set the backup suffix + -v verify mode (restore if corrupt) + +</pre><p> +Here is how I backed up my printing.tdb file: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# ls + . browse.dat locking.tdb ntdrivers.tdb printing.tdb share_info.tdb + .. connections.tdb messages.tdb ntforms.tdb printing.tdbkp unexpected.tdb + brlock.tdb gmon.out namelist.debug ntprinters.tdb sessionid.tdb + + kde-bitshop:/var/lock/samba # tdbbackup -s .bak printing.tdb + printing.tdb : 135 records + + kde-bitshop:/var/lock/samba # ls -l printing.tdb* + -rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb + -rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb.bak + +</pre></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2962290"></a>CUPS Print Drivers from Linuxprinting.org</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS ships with good support for HP LaserJet type printers. You can +install the generic driver as follows: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -m laserjet.ppd + +</pre><p> +The <i class="parameter"><tt>-m</tt></i> switch will retrieve the +<tt class="filename">laserjet.ppd</tt> from the standard repository for +not-yet-installed-PPDs, which CUPS typically stores in +<tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/model</tt>. Alternatively, you may use +<i class="parameter"><tt>-P /path/to/your.ppd</tt></i>. +</p><p> +The generic laserjet.ppd however does not support every special option +for every LaserJet-compatible model. It constitutes a sort of "least +denominator" of all the models. If for some reason it is ruled out to +you to pay for the commercially available ESP Print Pro drivers, your +first move should be to consult the database on <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi</a>. +Linuxprinting.org has excellent recommendations about which driver is +best used for each printer. Its database is kept current by the +tireless work of Till Kamppeter from MandrakeSoft, who is also the +principal author of the foomatic-rip utility. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +The former "cupsomatic" concept is now be replaced by the new, much +more powerful "foomatic-rip". foomatic-rip is the successor of +cupsomatic. cupsomatic is no longer maintained. Here is the new URL +to the Foomatic-3.0 database:<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/driver_list.cgi" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/driver_list.cgi</a>. +If you upgrade to foomatic-rip, don't forget to also upgrade to the +new-style PPDs for your foomatic-driven printers. foomatic-rip will +not work with PPDs generated for the old cupsomatic. The new-style +PPDs are 100% compliant to the Adobe PPD specification. They are +intended to be used by Samba and the cupsaddsmb utility also, to +provide the driver files for the Windows clients also! +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2962398"></a>foomatic-rip and Foomatic explained</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Nowadays most Linux distros rely on the utilities of Linuxprinting.org +to create their printing related software (which, BTW, works on all +UNIXes and on Mac OS X or Darwin too). It is not known as well as it +should be, that it also has a very end-user friendly interface which +allows for an easy update of drivers and PPDs, for all supported +models, all spoolers, all operating systems and all package formats +(because there is none). Its history goes back a few years. +</p><p> +Recently Foomatic has achieved the astonishing milestone of <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone" target="_top">1000 +listed</a> printer models. Linuxprinting.org keeps all the +important facts about printer drivers, supported models and which +options are available for the various driver/printer combinations in +its <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html" target="_top">Foomatic</a> +database. Currently there are <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/driver_list.cgi" target="_top">245 drivers</a> +in the database: many drivers support various models, and many models +may be driven by different drivers; it's your choice! +</p><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962453"></a>690 "perfect" Printers</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +At present there are 690 devices dubbed as working "perfectly", 181 +"mostly", 96 "partially" and 46 are "Paperweights". Keeping in mind +that most of these are non-PostScript models (PostScript printers are +automatically supported supported by CUPS to perfection, by using +their own manufacturer-provided Windows-PPD...), and that a +multifunctional device never qualifies as working "perfectly" if it +doesn't also scan and copy and fax under GNU/Linux: then this is a +truly astonishing achievement. Three years ago the number was not +more than 500, and Linux or UNIX "printing" at the time wasn't +anywhere near the quality it is today! +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962477"></a>How the "Printing HOWTO" started it all</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +A few years ago <a href="http://www2.picante.com:81/~gtaylor/" target="_top">Grant Taylor</a> +started it all. The roots of today's Linuxprinting.org are in the +first <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/howto/" target="_top">Linux Printing +HOWTO</a> which he authored. As a side-project to this document, +which served many Linux users and admins to guide their first steps in +this complicated and delicate setup (to a scientist, printing is +"applying a structured deposition of distinct patterns of ink or toner +particles on paper substrates" <span class="emphasis"><em>;-)</em></span>, he started to +build in a little Postgres database with information about the +hardware and driver zoo that made up Linux printing of the time. This +database became the core component of today's Foomatic collection of +tools and data. In the meantime it has moved to an XML representation +of the data. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962522"></a>Foomatic's strange Name</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +"Why the funny name?", you ask. When it really took off, around spring +2000, CUPS was far less popular than today, and most systems used LPD, +LPRng or even PDQ to print. CUPS shipped with a few generic "drivers" +(good for a few hundred different printer models). These didn't +support many device-specific options. CUPS also shipped with its own +built-in rasterization filter ("pstoraster", derived from +Ghostscript). On the other hand, CUPS provided brilliant support for +<span class="emphasis"><em>controlling</em></span> all printer options through +standardized and well-defined "PPD files" (PostScript Printers +Description files). Plus, CUPS was designed to be easily extensible. +</p><p> +Grant already had in his database a respectable compilation +of facts about a many more printers, and the Ghostscript "drivers" +they run with. His idea, to generate PPDs from the database info +and use them to make standard Ghostscript filters work within CUPS, +proved to work very well. It also "killed several birds with one +stone": +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>It made all current and future Ghostscript filter +developments available for CUPS;</p></li><li><p>It made available a lot of additional printer models +to CUPS users (because often the "traditional" Ghostscript way of +printing was the only one available);</p></li><li><p>It gave all the advanced CUPS options (web interface, +GUI driver configurations) to users wanting (or needing) to use +Ghostscript filters.</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962589"></a>cupsomatic, pdqomatic, lpdomatic, directomatic</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +CUPS worked through a quickly-hacked up filter script named <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=cupsomatic&show=0" target="_top">cupsomatic</a>. +cupsomatic ran the printfile through Ghostscript, constructing +automatically the rather complicated command line needed. It just +required to be copied into the CUPS system to make it work. To +"configure" the way cupsomatic controls the Ghostscript rendering +process, it needs a CUPS-PPD. This PPD is generated directly from the +contents of the database. For CUPS and the respective printer/filter +combo another Perl script named "CUPS-O-Matic" did the PPD +generation. After that was working, Grant implemented within a few +days a similar thing for two other spoolers. Names chosen for the +config-generator scripts were <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=lpdomatic&show=0" target="_top">PDQ-O-Matic</a> +(for PDQ) and <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=lpdomatic&show=0" target="_top">LPD-O-Matic</a> +(for - you guessed it - LPD); the configuration here didn't use PPDs +but other spooler-specific files. +</p><p> +From late summer of that year, <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/till/" target="_top">Till Kamppeter</a> +started to put work into the database. Till had been newly employed by +<a href="http://www.mandrakesoft.com/" target="_top">MandrakeSoft</a> to +convert their printing system over to CUPS, after they had seen his +<a href="http://www.fltk.org/" target="_top">FLTK</a>-based <a href="http://cups.sourceforge.net/xpp/" target="_top">XPP</a> (a GUI frontend to +the CUPS lp-command). He added a huge amount of new information and new +printers. He also developed the support for other spoolers, like +<a href="http://ppr.sourceforge.net/" target="_top">PPR</a> (via ppromatic), +<a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lpr/" target="_top">GNUlpr</a> and +<a href="http://www.lprng.org/" target="_top">LPRng</a> (both via an extended +lpdomatic) and "spoolerless" printing (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=directomatic&show=0" target="_top">directomatic</a>).... +</p><p> +So, to answer your question: "Foomatic" is the general name for all +the overlapping code and data behind the "*omatic" scripts.... -- +Foomatic up to versions 2.0.x required (ugly) Perl data structures +attached the Linuxprinting.org PPDs for CUPS. It had a different +"*omatic" script for every spooler, as well as different printer +configuration files.. +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962725"></a>7.13.1.5.The <span class="emphasis"><em>Grand Unification</em></span> +achieved...</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +This all has changed in Foomatic versions 2.9 (Beta) and released as +"stable" 3.0. This has now achieved the convergence of all *omatic +scripts: it is called the <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=0" target="_top">foomatic-rip</a>. +This single script is the unification of the previously different +spooler-specific *omatic scripts. foomatic-rip is used by all the +different spoolers alike. Because foomatic-rip can read PPDs (both the +original PostScript printer PPDs and the Linuxprinting.org-generated +ones), all of a sudden all supported spoolers can have the power of +PPDs at their disposal; users only need to plug "foomatic-rip" into +their system.... For users there is improved media type and source +support; paper sizes and trays are easier to configure. +</p><p> +Also, the New Generation of Linuxprinting.org PPDs doesn't contain +Perl data structures any more. If you are a distro maintainer and have +used the previous version of Foomatic, you may want to give the new +one a spin: but don't forget to generate a new-version set of PPDs, +via the new <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download/foomatic/foomatic-db-engine-3.0.0beta1.tar.gz" target="_top">foomatic-db-engine</a>! +Individual users just need to generate a single new PPD specific to +their model by <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/II.Foomatic-User/II.tutorial-handout-foomatic-user.html" target="_top">following +the steps</a> outlined in the Foomatic tutorial or further +below. This new development is truly amazing. +</p><p> +foomatic-rip is a very clever wrapper around the need to run +Ghostscript with a different syntax, different options, different +device selections and/or different filters for each different printer +or different spooler. At the same time it can read the PPD associated +with a print queue and modify the print job according to the user +selections. Together with this comes the 100% compliance of the new +Foomatic PPDs with the Adobe spec. Some really innovative features of +the Foomatic concept will surprise users: it will support custom paper +sizes for many printers; and it will support printing on media drawn +from different paper trays within the same job (in both cases: even +where there is no support for this from Windows-based vendor printer +drivers). +</p></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962810"></a>Driver Development outside</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Most driver development itself does not happen within +Linuxprinting.org. Drivers are written by independent maintainers. +Linuxprinting.org just pools all the information, and stores it in its +database. In addition, it also provides the Foomatic glue to integrate +the many drivers into any modern (or legacy) printing system known to +the world. +</p><p> +Speaking of the different driver development groups: most of +the work is currently done in three projects. These are: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p><a href="http://www-124.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/linux/projects/omni/" target="_top">Omni</a> +-- a Free Software project by IBM which tries to convert their printer +driver knowledge from good-ol' OS/2 times into a modern, modular, +universal driver architecture for Linux/Unix (still Beta). This +currently supports 437 models.</p></li><li><p><a href="http://hpinkjet.sf.net/" target="_top">HPIJS</a> -- +a Free Software project by HP to provide the support for their own +range of models (very mature, printing in most cases is perfect and +provides true photo quality). This currently supports 369 +models.</p></li><li><p><a href="http://gimp-print.sf.net/" target="_top">Gimp-Print</a> -- a Free software +effort, started by Michael Sweet (also lead developer for CUPS), now +directed by Robert Krawitz, which has achieved an amazing level of +photo print quality (many Epson users swear that its quality is +better than the vendor drivers provided by Epson for the Microsoft +platforms). This currently supports 522 models.</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962892"></a>Forums, Downloads, Tutorials, Howtos -- also for Mac OS X and +commercial Unix</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Linuxprinting.org today is the one-stop "shop" to download printer +drivers. Look for printer information and <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org//kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/" target="_top">tutorials</a> +or solve printing problems in its popular <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/" target="_top">forums</a>. But +it's not just for GNU/Linux: users and admins of <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/macosx/" target="_top">commercial UNIX +systems</a> are also going there, and the relatively new <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/thread.php3?name=linuxprinting.macosx.general" target="_top">Mac +OS X forum</a> has turned out to be one of the most frequented +fora after only a few weeks. +</p><p> +Linuxprinting.org and the Foomatic driver wrappers around Ghostscript +are now a standard toolchain for printing on all the important +distros. Most of them also have CUPS underneath. While in recent years +most printer data had been added by Till (who works at Mandrake), many +additional contributions came from engineers with SuSE, RedHat, +Connectiva, Debian and others. Vendor-neutrality is an important goal +of the Foomatic project. +</p><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +Till Kamppeter from MandrakeSoft is doing an excellent job in his +spare time to maintain Linuxprinting.org and Foomatic. So if you use +it often, please send him a note showing your appreciation. +</p></div></div><div class="sect3" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a name="id2962963"></a>Foomatic Database generated PPDs</h4></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The Foomatic database is an amazing piece of ingenuity in itself. Not +only does it keep the printer and driver information, but it is +organized in a way that it can generate "PPD" files "on the fly" from +its internal XML-based datasets. While these PPDs are modelled to the +Adobe specification of "PostScript Printer Descriptions" (PPDs), the +Linuxprinting.org/Foomatic-PPDs don't normally drive PostScript +printers: they are used to describe all the bells and whistles you +could ring or blow on an Epson Stylus inkjet, or a HP Photosmart or +what-have-you. The main "trick" is one little additional line, not +envisaged by the PPD specification, starting with the "*cupsFilter" +keyword: it tells the CUPS daemon how to proceed with the PostScript +print file (old-style Foomatic-PPDs named the +<span class="emphasis"><em>cupsomatic</em></span> filter script, while the new-style +PPDs now call <span class="emphasis"><em>foomatic-rip</em></span>). This filter +script calls Ghostscript on the host system (the recommended variant +is ESP Ghostscript) to do the rendering work. foomatic-rip knows which +filter or internal device setting it should ask from Ghostscript to +convert the PostScript printjob into a raster format ready for the +target device. This usage of PPDs to describe the options of non-PS +printers was the invention of the CUPS developers. The rest is easy: +GUI tools (like KDE's marvellous <a href="http://printing.kde.org/overview/kprinter.phtml" target="_top">"kprinter"</a>, +or the GNOME <a href="http://gtklp.sourceforge.net/" target="_top">"gtklp"</a>, "xpp" and the CUPS +web interface) read the PPD too and use this information to present +the available settings to the user as an intuitive menu selection. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963027"></a>foomatic-rip and Foomatic-PPD Download and Installation</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Here are the steps to install a foomatic-rip driven "LaserJet 4 Plus" +compatible printer in CUPS (note that recent distributions of SuSE, +UnitedLinux and Mandrake may ship with a complete package of +Foomatic-PPDs plus the foomatic-rip utility. going directly to +Linuxprinting.org ensures you to get the latest driver/PPD files): +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Surf to <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi</a> +</p></li><li><p>Check the complete list of printers in the database: +<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone</a> +</p></li><li><p>There select your model and click on the +link.</p></li><li><p>You'll arrive at a page listing all drivers working +with this model (for all printers, there will always be +<span class="emphasis"><em>one</em></span> recommended driver. Try this one +first).</p></li><li><p>In our case ("HP LaserJet 4 Plus"), we'll arrive here: +<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus</a> +</p></li><li><p>The recommended driver is "ljet4".</p></li><li><p>There are several links provided here. You should +visit them all, if you are not familiar with the Linuxprinting.org +database.</p></li><li><p>There is a link to the database page for the "ljet4": +<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4</a> +On the driver's page, you'll find important and detailed information +about how to use that driver within the various available +spoolers.</p></li><li><p>Another link may lead you to the homepage of the +driver author or the driver.</p></li><li><p>Important links are the ones which provide hints with +setup instructions for CUPS (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/cups-doc.html" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/cups-doc.html</a>), +PDQ (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/pdq-doc.html" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/pdq-doc.html</a>), +LPD, LPRng and GNUlpr (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/lpd-doc.html" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/lpd-doc.html</a>) +as well as PPR (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppr-doc.html" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppr-doc.html)</a> +or "spooler-less" printing (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/direct-doc.html" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/direct-doc.html</a> +).</p></li><li><p>You can view the PPD in your browser through this +link: <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=1" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=1</a> +</p></li><li><p>You can also (most importantly) +generate and download the PPD: <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=0" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=0</a> +</p></li><li><p>The PPD contains all the information needed to use our +model and the driver; this is, once installed, working transparently +for the user. Later you'll only need to choose resolution, paper size +etc. from the web-based menu, or from the print dialog GUI, or from +the commandline.</p></li><li><p>Should you have ended up on the driver's page (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4</a>), +you can choose to use the "PPD-O-Matic" online PPD generator +program.</p></li><li><p>Select the exact model and check either "download" or +"display PPD file" and click on "Generate PPD file".</p></li><li><p>If you save the PPD file from the browser view, please +don't use "cut'n'past" (since it could possibly damage line endings +and tabs, which makes the PPD likely to fail its duty), but use "Save +as..." in your browser's menu. (Best is to use the "download" option +from the web page directly).</p></li><li><p>Another very interesting part on each driver page is +the <span class="emphasis"><em>Show execution details</em></span> button. If you +select your printer model and click that button, you will get +displayed a complete Ghostscript command line, enumerating all options +available for that driver/printermodel combo. This is a great way to +"Learn Ghostscript By Doing". It is also an excellent "cheat sheet" +for all experienced users who need to re-construct a good command line +for that damn printing script, but can't remember the exact +syntax. ;-)</p></li><li><p>Some time during your visit to Linuxprinting.org, save +the PPD to a suitable place on your harddisk, say +<tt class="filename">/path/to/my-printer.ppd</tt> (if you prefer to install +your printers with the help of the CUPS web interface, save the PPD to +the <tt class="filename">/usr/share/cups/model/</tt> path and re-start +cupsd).</p></li><li><p>Then install the printer with a suitable commandline, +e.g.: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -P path/to/my-printer.ppd + +</pre></li><li><p>Note again this: for all the new-style "Foomatic-PPDs" +from Linuxprinting.org, you also need a special "CUPS filter" named +"foomatic-rip".Get the latest version of "foomatic-rip" from: <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=0" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=0</a> +</p></li><li><p>The foomatic-rip Perlscript itself also makes some +interesting reading (<a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=1" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=1</a>), +because it is very well documented by Till's inline comments (even +non-Perl hackers will learn quite a bit about printing by reading +it... ;-)</p></li><li><p>Save foomatic-rip either directly in +<tt class="filename">/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip</tt> or somewhere in +your $PATH (and don't forget to make it world-executable). Again, +don't save by "copy'n'paste" but use the appropriate link, or the +"Save as..." menu item in your browser.</p></li><li><p>If you save foomatic-rip in your $PATH, create a symlink: +<b class="command">cd /usr/lib/cups/filter/ ; ln -s `which +foomatic-rip`</b>. For CUPS to discover this new +available filter at startup, you need to re-start +cupsd.</p></li></ul></div><p> +Once you print to a printqueue set up with the Foomatic-PPD, CUPS will +insert the appropriate commands and comments into the resulting +PostScript jobfile. foomatic-rip is able to read and act upon +these. foomatic-rip uses some specially encoded Foomatic comments, +embedded in the jobfile. These in turn are used to construct +(transparently for you, the user) the complicated ghostscript command +line telling for the printer driver how exactly the resulting raster +data should look like and which printer commands to embed into the +data stream. +</p><p> +You need: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>A "foomatic+something" PPD -- but it this not enough +to print with CUPS (it is only <span class="emphasis"><em>one</em></span> important +component)</p></li><li><p>The "foomatic-rip" filter script (Perl) in +/usr/lib/cups/filters/</p></li><li><p>Perl to make foomatic-rip run</p></li><li><p>Ghostscript (because it is doing the main work, +controlled by the PPD/foomatic-rip combo) to produce the raster data +fit for your printermodel's consumption</p></li><li><p>Ghostscript <span class="emphasis"><em>must</em></span> (depending on +the driver/model) contain support for a certain "device", representing +the selected "driver" for your model (as shown by "gs +-h")</p></li><li><p>foomatic-rip needs a new version of PPDs (PPD versions +produced for cupsomatic don't work with +foomatic-rip).</p></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2963488"></a>Page Accounting with CUPS</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Often there are questions regarding "print quotas" wherein Samba users +(that is, Windows clients) should not be able to print beyond a +certain amount of pages or data volume per day, week or month. This +feature is dependent on the real print subsystem you're using. +Samba's part is always to receive the job files from the clients +(filtered <span class="emphasis"><em>or</em></span> unfiltered) and hand it over to this +printing subsystem. +</p><p> +Of course one could "hack" things with one's own scripts. But then +there is CUPS. CUPS supports "quotas" which can be based on sizes of +jobs or on the number of pages or both, and are spanning any time +period you want. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963519"></a>Setting up Quotas</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +This is an example command how root would set a print quota in CUPS, +assuming an existing printer named "quotaprinter": +</p><pre class="screen"> + + lpadmin -p quotaprinter -o job-quota-period=604800 -o job-k-limit=1024 -o job-page-limit=100 + +</pre><p> +This would limit every single user to print 100 pages or 1024 KB of +data (whichever comes first) within the last 604,800 seconds ( = 1 +week). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963551"></a>Correct and incorrect Accounting</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +For CUPS to count correctly, the printfile needs to pass the CUPS +"pstops" filter, otherwise it uses a "dummy" count of "1". Some +printfiles don't pass it (eg: image files) but then those are mostly 1 +page jobs anyway. This also means that proprietary drivers for the +target printer running on the client computers and CUPS/Samba, which +then spool these files as "raw" (i.e. leaving them untouched, not +filtering them), will be counted as "1-pagers" too! +</p><p> +You need to send PostScript from the clients (i.e. run a PostScript +driver there) to have the chance to get accounting done. If the +printer is a non-PostScript model, you need to let CUPS do the job to +convert the file to a print-ready format for the target printer. This +will be working for currently about 1,000 different printer models, +see <a href="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi" target="_top">http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi</a>). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963592"></a>Adobe and CUPS PostScript Drivers for Windows Clients</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Before CUPS-1.1.16 your only option was to use the Adobe PostScript +Driver on the Windows clients. The output of this driver was not +always passed through the "pstops" filter on the CUPS/Samba side, and +therefore was not counted correctly (the reason is that it often, +depending on the "PPD" being used, wrote a "PJL"-header in front of +the real PostScript which caused CUPS to skip pstops and go directly +to the "pstoraster" stage). +</p><p> +From CUPS-1.1.16 onward you can use the "CUPS PostScript Driver for +Windows NT/2K/XP clients" (which is tagged in the download area of +http://www.cups.org/ as the "cups-samba-1.1.16.tar.gz" package). It does +<span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> work for Win9x/ME clients. But it guarantees: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>to not write an PJL-header</p></li><li><p>to still read and support all PJL-options named in the +driver PPD with its own means</p></li><li><p> that the file will pass through the "pstops" filter +on the CUPS/Samba server</p></li><li><p>to page-count correctly the +printfile</p></li></ul></div><p> +You can read more about the setup of this combination in the manpage +for "cupsaddsmb" (which is only present with CUPS installed, and only +current from CUPS 1.1.16). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963663"></a>The page_log File Syntax</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +These are the items CUPS logs in the "page_log" for every +single <span class="emphasis"><em>page</em></span> of a job: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Printer name</p></li><li><p>User name</p></li><li><p>Job ID</p></li><li><p>Time of printing</p></li><li><p>the page number</p></li><li><p>the number of copies</p></li><li><p>a billing information string +(optional)</p></li><li><p>the host which sent the job (included since version +1.1.19)</p></li></ul></div><p> +Here is an extract of my CUPS server's page_log file to illustrate the +format and included items: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + infotec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 1 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13 + infotec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 2 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13 + infotec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 3 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13 + infotec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 4 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13 + DigiMaster9110 boss 402 [22/Apr/2003:10:33:22 +0100] 1 440 finance-dep 10.160.51.33 + +</pre><p> +This was job ID "401", printed on "infotec_IS2027" by user "kurt", a +64-page job printed in 3 copies and billed to "#marketing", sent +from IP address 10.160.50.13. The next job had ID "402", was sent by +user "boss" from IP address 10.160.51.33,printed from one page 440 +copies and is set to be billed to "finance-dep". +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963765"></a>Possible Shortcomings</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +What flaws or shortcomings are there with this quota system? +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>the ones named above (wrongly logged job in case of +printer hardware failure, etc.)</p></li><li><p>in reality, CUPS counts the job pages that are being +processed in <span class="emphasis"><em>software</em></span> (that is, going through the +"RIP") rather than the physical sheets successfully leaving the +printing device. Thus if there is a jam while printing the 5th sheet out +of 1000 and the job is aborted by the printer, the "page count" will +still show the figure of 1000 for that job</p></li><li><p>all quotas are the same for all users (no flexibility +to give the boss a higher quota than the clerk) no support for +groups</p></li><li><p>no means to read out the current balance or the +"used-up" number of current quota</p></li><li><p>a user having used up 99 sheets of 100 quota will +still be able to send and print a 1,000 sheet job</p></li><li><p>a user being denied a job because of a filled-up quota +doesn't get a meaningful error message from CUPS other than +"client-error-not-possible".</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963836"></a>Future Developments</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +This is the best system currently available, and there are huge +improvements under development for CUPS 1.2: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>page counting will go into the "backends" (these talk +directly to the printer and will increase the count in sync with the +actual printing process: thus a jam at the 5th sheet will lead to a +stop in the counting)</p></li><li><p>quotas will be handled more flexibly</p></li><li><p>probably there will be support for users to inquire +their "accounts" in advance</p></li><li><p>probably there will be support for some other tools +around this topic</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2963884"></a>Other Accounting Tools</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +PrintAnalyzer, pyKota, printbill, LogReport. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2963899"></a>Additional Material</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +A printer queue with <span class="emphasis"><em>no</em></span> PPD associated to it is a +"raw" printer and all files will go directly there as received by the +spooler. The exceptions are file types "application/octet-stream" +which need "passthrough feature" enabled. "Raw" queues don't do any +filtering at all, they hand the file directly to the CUPS backend. +This backend is responsible for the sending of the data to the device +(as in the "device URI" notation: <tt class="filename">lpd://, socket://, +smb://, ipp://, http://, parallel:/, serial:/, usb:/</tt> etc.) +</p><p> +"cupsomatic"/Foomatic are <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> native CUPS drivers +and they don't ship with CUPS. They are a Third Party add-on, +developed at Linuxprinting.org. As such, they are a brilliant hack to +make all models (driven by Ghostscript drivers/filters in traditional +spoolers) also work via CUPS, with the same (good or bad!) quality as +in these other spoolers. "cupsomatic" is only a vehicle to execute a +ghostscript commandline at that stage in the CUPS filtering chain, +where "normally" the native CUPS "pstoraster" filter would kick +in. cupsomatic by-passes pstoraster, "kidnaps" the printfile from CUPS +away and re-directs it to go through Ghostscript. CUPS accepts this, +because the associated CUPS-O-Matic-/Foomatic-PPD specifies: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic" + +</pre><p> +This line persuades CUPS to hand the file to cupsomatic, once it has +successfully converted it to the MIME type +"application/vnd.cups-postscript". This conversion will not happen for +Jobs arriving from Windows which are auto-typed +"application/octet-stream", with the according changes in +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> in place. +</p><p> +CUPS is widely configurable and flexible, even regarding its filtering +mechanism. Another workaround in some situations would be to have in +<tt class="filename">/etc/cups/mime.types</tt> entries as follows: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - + application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - + +</pre><p> +This would prevent all Postscript files from being filtered (rather, +they will through the virtual <span class="emphasis"><em>nullfilter</em></span> +denoted with "-"). This could only be useful for PS printers. If you +want to print PS code on non-PS printers (provided they support ASCII +text printing) an entry as follows could be useful: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + */* application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - + +</pre><p> +and would effectively send <span class="emphasis"><em>all</em></span> files to the +backend without further processing. +</p><p> +Lastly, you could have the following entry: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 my_PJL_stripping_filter + +</pre><p> +You will need to write a <span class="emphasis"><em>my_PJL_stripping_filter</em></span> +(could be a shellscript) that parses the PostScript and removes the +unwanted PJL. This would need to conform to CUPS filter design +(mainly, receive and pass the parameters printername, job-id, +username, jobtitle, copies, print options and possibly the +filename). It would be installed as world executable into +<tt class="filename">/usr/lib/cups/filters/</tt> and will be called by CUPS +if it encounters a MIME type "application/vnd.cups-postscript". +</p><p> +CUPS can handle <span class="emphasis"><em>-o job-hold-until=indefinite</em></span>. +This keeps the job in the queue "on hold". It will only be printed +upon manual release by the printer operator. This is a requirement in +many "central reproduction departments", where a few operators manage +the jobs of hundreds of users on some big machine, where no user is +allowed to have direct access (such as when the operators often need +to load the proper paper type before running the 10,000 page job +requested by marketing for the mailing, etc.). +</p></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2964092"></a>Auto-Deletion or Preservation of CUPS Spool Files</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Samba print files pass through two "spool" directories. One is the +incoming directory managed by Samba, (set in the <span class="emphasis"><em>path = +/var/spool/samba</em></span> directive in the +<span class="emphasis"><em>[printers]</em></span> section of +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>). The other is the spool directory of +your UNIX print subsystem. For CUPS it is normally +<tt class="filename">/var/spool/cups/</tt>, as set by the cupsd.conf +directive <tt class="filename">RequestRoot /var/spool/cups</tt>. +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964138"></a>CUPS Configuration Settings explained</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +Some important parameter settings in the CUPS configuration file +<tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> are: +</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">PreserveJobHistory Yes</span></dt><dd><p> +This keeps some details of jobs in cupsd's mind (well it keeps the +"c12345", "c12346" etc. files in the CUPS spool directory, which do a +similar job as the old-fashioned BSD-LPD control files). This is set +to "Yes" as a default. +</p></dd><dt><span class="term">PreserveJobFiles Yes</span></dt><dd><p> +This keeps the job files themselves in cupsd's mind +(well it keeps the "d12345", "d12346" etc. files in the CUPS spool +directory...). This is set to "No" as the CUPS +default. +</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>"MaxJobs 500"</em></span></span></dt><dd><p> +This directive controls the maximum number of jobs +that are kept in memory. Once the number of jobs reaches the limit, +the oldest completed job is automatically purged from the system to +make room for the new one. If all of the known jobs are still +pending or active then the new job will be rejected. Setting the +maximum to 0 disables this functionality. The default setting is +0. +</p></dd></dl></div><p> +(There are also additional settings for "MaxJobsPerUser" and +"MaxJobsPerPrinter"...) +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964221"></a>Pre-conditions</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +For everything to work as announced, you need to have three +things: +</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>a Samba-smbd which is compiled against "libcups" (Check +on Linux by running "ldd `which smbd`")</p></li><li><p>a Samba-<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> setting of +"printing = cups"</p></li><li><p>another Samba-<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> setting of +"printcap = cups"</p></li></ul></div><div class="note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> +In this case all other manually set printing-related commands (like +"print command", "lpq command", "lprm command", "lppause command" or +"lpresume command") are ignored and they should normally have no +influence what-so-ever on your printing. +</p></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964281"></a>Manual Configuration</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +If you want to do things manually, replace the "printing = +cups" by "printing = bsd". Then your manually set commands may work +(haven't tested this), and a "print command = lp -d %P %s; rm %s" +may do what you need. +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2964299"></a>When <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> to use Samba to print to +CUPS</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +[TO BE DONE] +</p></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2964316"></a>In Case of Trouble.....</h2></div></div><div></div></div><p> +If you have more problems, post the output of these commands +to the CUPS or Samba mailing lists (choose the one which seems more +relevant to your problem): +</p><pre class="screen"> + + grep -v ^# /etc/cups/cupsd.conf | grep -v ^$ + grep -v ^# /etc/samba/smb.conf | grep -v ^$ | grep -v "^;" + +</pre><p> +(adapt paths as needed). These commands leave out the empty +lines and lines with comments, providing the "naked settings" in a +compact way. Don't forget to name the CUPS and Samba versions you +are using! This saves bandwidth and makes for easier readability +for experts (and you are expecting experts to read them, right? +;-) +</p><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964352"></a>Where to find Documentation</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +[TO BE DONE] +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964364"></a>How to ask for Help</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +[TO BE DONE] +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964377"></a>Where to find Help</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +[TO BE DONE] +</p></div></div><div class="sect1" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="id2964391"></a>Appendix</h2></div></div><div></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964398"></a>Printing <span class="emphasis"><em>from</em></span> CUPS to Windows attached +Printers</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +From time to time the question arises, how you can print +<span class="emphasis"><em>to</em></span> a Windows attached printer +<span class="emphasis"><em>from</em></span> Samba. Normally the local connection +"Windows host <--> printer" would be done by USB or parallel +cable, but this doesn't matter to Samba. From here only an SMB +connection needs to be opened to the Windows host. Of course, this +printer must be "shared" first. As you have learned by now, CUPS uses +<span class="emphasis"><em>backends</em></span> to talk to printers and other +servers. To talk to Windows shared printers you need to use the +<span class="emphasis"><em>smb</em></span> (surprise, surprise!) backend. Check if this +is in the CUPS backend directory. This resides usually in +<tt class="filename">/usr/lib/cups/backend/</tt>. You need to find a "smb" +file there. It should be a symlink to <tt class="filename">smbspool</tt> +which file must exist and be executable: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + # ls -l /usr/lib/cups/backend/ + total 253 + drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 720 Apr 30 19:04 . + drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 125 Dec 19 17:13 .. + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 10692 Feb 16 21:29 canon + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 10692 Feb 16 21:29 epson + lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 Apr 17 22:50 http -> ipp + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 17316 Apr 17 22:50 ipp + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 15420 Apr 20 17:01 lpd + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 8656 Apr 20 17:01 parallel + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2162 Mar 31 23:15 pdfdistiller + lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 Apr 30 19:04 ptal -> /usr/local/sbin/ptal-cups + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 6284 Apr 20 17:01 scsi + lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 Apr 2 03:11 smb -> /usr/bin/smbspool + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 7912 Apr 20 17:01 socket + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 9012 Apr 20 17:01 usb + +# ls -l `which smbspool` + -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 563245 Dec 28 14:49 /usr/bin/smbspool + +</pre><p> +If this symlink doesn't exist, create it: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# ln -s `which smbspool` /usr/lib/cups/backend/smb + +</pre><p> +smbspool has been written by Mike Sweet from the CUPS folks. It is +included and ships with Samba. It may also be used with print +subsystems other than CUPS, to spool jobs to Windows printer shares. To +set up printer "winprinter" on CUPS, you need to have a "driver" for +it. Essentially this means to convert the print data on the CUPS/Samba +host to a format that the printer can digest (the Windows host is +unable to convert any files you may send). This also means you should +be able to print to the printer if it were hooked directly at your +Samba/CUPS host. For troubleshooting purposes, this is what you +should do, to determine if that part of the process chain is in +order. Then proceed to fix the network connection/authentication to +the Windows host, etc. +</p><p> +To install a printer with the smb backend on CUPS, use this command: +</p><pre class="screen"> + +# lpadmin -p winprinter -v smb://WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename -P /path/to/PPD + +</pre><p> +The <span class="emphasis"><em>PPD</em></span> must be able to direct CUPS to generate +the print data for the target model. For PostScript printers just use +the PPD that would be used with the Windows NT PostScript driver. But +what can you do if the printer is only accessible with a password? Or +if the printer's host is part of another workgroup? This is provided +for: you can include the required parameters as part of the +<tt class="filename">smb://</tt> device-URI. Like this: +</p><pre class="screen"> + + smb://WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename + smb://username:password@WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename + smb://username:password@WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename + +</pre><p> +Note that the device-URI will be visible in the process list of the +Samba server (e.g. when someone uses the <b class="command">ps -aux</b> +command on Linux), even if the username and passwords are sanitized +before they get written into the log files. So this is an inherently +insecure option. However it is the only one. Don't use it if you want +to protect your passwords. Better share the printer in a way that +doesn't require a password! Printing will only work if you have a +working netbios name resolution up and running. Note that this is a +feature of CUPS and you don't necessarily need to have smbd running +(but who wants that? :-). +</p></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964612"></a>More CUPS filtering Chains</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +The following diagrams reveal how CUPS handles print jobs. +</p><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# CUPS in and of itself has this (general) filter chain (CAPITAL +# letters are FILE-FORMATS or MIME types, other are filters (this is +# true for pre-1.1.15 of pre-4.3 versions of CUPS and ESP PrintPro): +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstoraster # as shipped with CUPS, independent from any Ghostscipt +# | # installation on the system +# | (= "postscipt interpreter") +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER +# | +# V +# rastertosomething (e.g. Gimp-Print filters may be plugged in here) +# | (= "raster driver") +# V +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC +# | +# V +# backend +# +# +# ESP PrintPro has some enhanced "rastertosomething" filters as compared to +# CUPS, and also a somewhat improved "pstoraster" filter. +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +######################################################################### +</pre><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# This is how "cupsomatic" comes into play: +# ========================================= +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT ----------------+ +# | V +# V cupsomatic +# pstoraster (constructs complicated +# | (= "postscipt interpreter") Ghostscript commandline +# | to let the file be +# V processed by a +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER "-sDEVICE=s.th." +# | call...) +# V | +# rastertosomething V +# | (= "raster driver") +-------------------------+ +# | | Ghostscript at work.... | +# V | | +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC *-------------------------+ +# | | +# V | +# backend <------------------------------------+ +# | +# V +# THE PRINTER +# +# +# Note, that cupsomatic "kidnaps" the printfile after the +# "APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRPT" stage and deviates it gh +# the CUPS-external, systemwide Ghostscript installation, bypassing the +# "pstoraster" filter (therefore also bypassing the CUPS-raster-drivers +# "rastertosomething", and hands the rasterized file directly to the CUPS +# backend... +# +# cupsomatic is not made by the CUPS developers. It is an independent +# contribution to printing development, made by people from +# Linuxprinting.org. (see also http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html) +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +######################################################################### +</pre><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# And this is how it works for ESP PrintPro from 4.3: +# =================================================== +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# gsrip +# | (= "postscipt interpreter") +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER +# | +# V +# rastertosomething (e.g. Gimp-Print filters may be plugged in here) +# | (= "raster driver") +# V +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC +# | +# V +# backend +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +######################################################################### +</pre><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# This is how "cupsomatic" would come into play with ESP PrintPro: +# ================================================================ +# +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT ----------------+ +# | V +# V cupsomatic +# gsrip (constructs complicated +# | (= "postscipt interpreter") Ghostscript commandline +# | to let the file be +# V processed by a +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER "-sDEVICE=s.th." +# | call...) +# V | +# rastertosomething V +# | (= "raster driver") +-------------------------+ +# | | Ghostscript at work.... | +# V | | +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC *-------------------------+ +# | | +# V | +# backend <------------------------------------+ +# | +# V +# THE PRINTER +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +######################################################################### +</pre><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15: +# ============================================== +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT-----+ +# +------------------v------------------------------+ +# | Ghostscript | +# | at work... | +# | (with | +# | "-sDEVICE=cups") | +# | | +# | (= "postscipt interpreter") | +# | | +# +------------------v------------------------------+ +# | +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER >-------+ +# | +# V +# rastertosomething +# | (= "raster driver") +# V +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC +# | +# V +# backend +# +# +# NOTE: since version 1.1.15 CUPS "outsourced" the pstoraster process to +# Ghostscript. GNU Ghostscript needs to be patched to handle the +# CUPS requirement; ESP Ghostscript has this builtin. In any case, +# "gs -h" needs to show up a "cups" device. pstoraster is now a +# calling an appropriate "gs -sDEVICE=cups..." commandline to do +# the job. It will output "application/vnd.cup-raster", which will +# be finally processed by a CUPS raster driver "rastertosomething" +# Note the difference to "cupsomatic", which will <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> output +# CUPS-raster, but a final version of the printfile, ready to be +# sent to the printer. cupsomatic also doesn't use the "cups" +# devicemode in Ghostscript, but one of the classical devicemodes.... +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +######################################################################### +</pre><pre class="screen"> +######################################################################### +# +# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15, with cupsomatic included: +# ======================================================================== +# +# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT +# | +# V +# somethingtops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT +# | +# V +# pstops +# | +# V +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT-----+ +# +------------------v------------------------------+ +# | Ghostscript . Ghostscript at work.... | +# | at work... . (with "-sDEVICE= | +# | (with . s.th." | +# | "-sDEVICE=cups") . | +# | . | +# | (CUPS standard) . (cupsomatic) | +# | . | +# | (= "postscript interpreter") | +# | . | +# +------------------v--------------v---------------+ +# | | +# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER >-------+ | +# | | +# V | +# rastertosomething | +# | (= "raster driver") | +# V | +# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC >------------------------+ +# | +# V +# backend +# +# +# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +# CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +# +########################################################################## +</pre></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2964919"></a>Trouble Shooting Guidelines to fix typical Samba printing +Problems</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +This is a short description of how to debug printing problems +with Samba. This describes how to debug problems with printing from +a SMB client to a Samba server, not the other way around. +</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Win9x client can't install driver</span></dt><dd><p>For Win9x clients require the printer names to be 8 +chars (or "8 plus 3 chars suffix") max; otherwise the driver files +won't get transferred when you want to download them from +Samba.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">testparm</span></dt><dd><p>Run <b class="command">testparm</b>: It will tell you if +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt> parameters are in the wrong +section. Many people have had the "printer admin" parameter in the +<i class="parameter"><tt>[printers]</tt></i> section and experienced +problems. "testparm" will tell you if it sees +this.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">"cupsaddsmb" keeps asking for a root password in a +neverending loop</span></dt><dd><p>Have you <i class="parameter"><tt>security = user</tt></i>? Have +you used <b class="command">smbpasswd</b> to give root a Samba account? +You can do 2 things: open another terminal and execute +<b class="command">smbpasswd -a root</b> to create the account, and +continue with entering the password into the first terminal. Or break +out of the loop by hitting ENTER twice (without trying to type a +password).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">"cupsaddsmb" gives "No PPD file for printer..." +message (but I swear there is one!)</span></dt><dd><div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Have you enabled printer sharing on CUPS? This means: +do you have a <i class="parameter"><tt><Location +/printers>....</Location></tt></i> section in CUPS +server's <tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> which doesn't deny access to +the host you run "cupsaddsmb" from? It <span class="emphasis"><em>could</em></span> be +an issue if you use cupsaddsmb remotely, or if you use it with a +<i class="parameter"><tt>-h</tt></i> parameter: <b class="command">cupsaddsmb -H +sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername</b>. +</p></li><li><p>Is your +"TempDir" directive in +<span class="emphasis"><em>cupsd.conf</em></span> +set to a valid value and is it writeable? +</p></li></ul></div></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't connect client to Samba printer.</span></dt><dd><p>Use <b class="command">smbstatus</b> to check which user +you are from Samba's point of view. Do you have the privileges to +write into the <i class="parameter"><tt>[print$]</tt></i> +share?</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't reconnect to Samba under a new account +from Win2K/XP</span></dt><dd><p>Once you are connected as the "wrong" user (for +example as "nobody", which often occurs if you have <i class="parameter"><tt>map to +guest = bad user</tt></i>), Windows Explorer will not accept an +attempt to connect again as a different user. There won't be any byte +transfered on the wire to Samba, but still you'll see a stupid error +message which makes you think that Samba has denied access. Use +<b class="command">smbstatus</b> to check for active connections. Kill the +PIDs. You still can't re-connect and get the dreaded +<tt class="computeroutput">You can't connect with a second account from the same +machine</tt> message, as soon as you are trying? And you +don't see any single byte arriving at Samba (see logs; use "ethereal") +indicating a renewed connection attempt? Shut all Explorer Windows. +This makes Windows forget what it has cached in its memory as +established connections. Then re-connect as the right user. Best +method is to use a DOS terminal window and <span class="emphasis"><em>first</em></span> +do <b class="command">net use z: \\SAMBAHOST\print$ /user:root</b>. Check +with <b class="command">smbstatus</b> that you are connected under a +different account. Now open the "Printers" folder (on the Samba server +in the <span class="emphasis"><em>Network Neighbourhood</em></span>), right-click the +printer in question and select +<span class="emphasis"><em>Connect...</em></span></p></dd><dt><span class="term">Avoid being connected to the Samba server as the +"wrong" user</span></dt><dd><p>You see per <b class="command">smbstatus</b> that you are +connected as user "nobody"; while you wanted to be "root" or +"printeradmin"? This is probably due to <i class="parameter"><tt>map to guest = bad +user</tt></i>, which silently connects you under the guest account, +when you gave (maybe by accident) an incorrect username. Remove +<i class="parameter"><tt>map to guest</tt></i>, if you want to prevent +this.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Upgrading to CUPS drivers from Adobe drivers on +NT/2K/XP clients gives problems</span></dt><dd><p>First delete all "old" Adobe-using printers. Then +delete all "old" Adobe drivers. (On Win2K/XP, right-click in +background of "Printers" folder, select "Server Properties...", select +tab "Drivers" and delete here).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't use "cupsaddsmb"on a Samba server which is +a PDC</span></dt><dd><p>Do you use the "naked" root user name? Try to do it +this way: <span class="emphasis"><em>cupsaddsmb -U DOMAINNAME\\root -v +printername</em></span> (note the two backslashes: the first one is +required to "escape" the second one).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I deleted a printer on Win2K; but I still see +its driver</span></dt><dd><p>Deleting a printer on the client won't delete the +driver too (to verify, right-click on the white background of the +"Printers" folder, select "Server Properties" and click on the +"Drivers" tab). These same old drivers will be re-used when you try to +install a printer with the same name. If you want to update to a new +driver, delete the old ones first. Deletion is only possible if no +other printer uses the same driver.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Win2K/XP "Local Security +Policies"</span></dt><dd><p><span class="emphasis"><em>Local Security Policies</em></span> may not +allow the installation of unsigned drivers. "Local Security Policies" +may not allow the installation of printer drivers at +all.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">WinXP clients: "Administrator can not install +printers for all local users"</span></dt><dd><p>Windows XP handles SMB printers on a "per-user" basis. +This means every user needs to install the printer himself. To have a +printer available for everybody, you might want to use the built-in +IPP client capabilities of WinXP. Add a printer with the print path of +<span class="emphasis"><em>http://cupsserver:631/printers/printername</em></span>. +Still looking into this one: maybe a "logon script" could +automatically install printers for all +users.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">"Print Change Notify" functions on +NT-clients</span></dt><dd><p>For "print change notify" functions on NT++ clients, +these need to run the "Server" service first (re-named to +<span class="emphasis"><em>File & Print Sharing for MS Networks</em></span> in +XP).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">WinXP-SP1</span></dt><dd><p>WinXP-SP1 introduced a <span class="emphasis"><em>Point and Print +Restriction Policy</em></span> (this restriction doesn't apply to +"Administrator" or "Power User" groups of users). In Group Policy +Object Editor: go to <span class="emphasis"><em>User Configuration --> +Administrative Templates --> Control Panel --> +Printers</em></span>. The policy is automatically set to +<span class="emphasis"><em>Enabled</em></span> and the <span class="emphasis"><em>Users can only Point +and Print to machines in their Forest</em></span> . You probably need +to change it to <span class="emphasis"><em>Disabled</em></span> or <span class="emphasis"><em>Users can +only Point and Print to these servers</em></span> in order to make +driver downloads from Samba possible.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't set and save default print options for all +users on Win2K/XP</span></dt><dd><p>How are you doing it? I bet the wrong way (it is not +very easy to find out, though). There are 3 different ways to bring +you to a dialog that <span class="emphasis"><em>seems</em></span> to set everything. All +three dialogs <span class="emphasis"><em>look</em></span> the same. Only one of them +<span class="emphasis"><em>does</em></span> what you intend. You need to be +Administrator or Print Administrator to do this for all users. Here +is how I do in on XP: +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="A"><li><p>The first "wrong" way: + +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p>Open the <span class="emphasis"><em>Printers</em></span> +folder.</p></li><li><p>Right-click on the printer +(<span class="emphasis"><em>remoteprinter on cupshost</em></span>) and +select in context menu <span class="emphasis"><em>Printing +Preferences...</em></span></p></li><li><p>Look at this dialog closely and remember what it looks +like.</p></li></ol></div><p> +</p></li><li><p>The second "wrong" way: + +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p>Open the <span class="emphasis"><em>Printers</em></span> +folder.</p></li><li><p>Right-click on the printer (<span class="emphasis"><em>remoteprinter on +cupshost</em></span>) and select in the context menu +<span class="emphasis"><em>Properties</em></span></p></li><li><p>Click on the <span class="emphasis"><em>General</em></span> +tab</p></li><li><p>Click on the button <span class="emphasis"><em>Printing +Preferences...</em></span></p></li><li><p>A new dialog opens. Keep this dialog open and go back +to the parent dialog.</p></li></ol></div><p> +</p></li><li><p>The third, the "correct" way: (should you do +this from the beginning, just carry out steps 1. and 2. from second +"way" above) + +</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol type="1"><li><p>Click on the <span class="emphasis"><em>Advanced</em></span> +tab. (Hmmm... if everything is "Grayed Out", then you are not logged +in as a user with enough privileges).</p></li><li><p>Click on the <span class="emphasis"><em>Printing +Defaults...</em></span> button.</p></li><li><p>On any of the two new tabs, click on the +<span class="emphasis"><em>Advanced...</em></span> +button.</p></li><li><p>A new dialog opens. Compare this one to the other, +identical looking one from "B.5" or A.3".</p></li></ol></div><p> +</p></li></ol></div><p> +Do you see any difference? I don't either... However, only the last +one, which you arrived at with steps "C.1.-6." will save any settings +permanently and be the defaults for new users. If you want all clients +to get the same defaults, you need to conduct these steps <span class="emphasis"><em>as +Administrator</em></span> (<i class="parameter"><tt>printer admin</tt></i> in +<tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>) <span class="emphasis"><em>before</em></span> a client +downloads the driver (the clients can later set their own +<span class="emphasis"><em>per-user defaults</em></span> by following the +procedures <span class="emphasis"><em>A.</em></span> or <span class="emphasis"><em>B.</em></span> +above).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">What are the most common blunders in driver +settings on Windows clients?</span></dt><dd><p>Don't use <span class="emphasis"><em>Optimize for +Speed</em></span>: use <span class="emphasis"><em>Optimize for +Portability</em></span> instead (Adobe PS Driver) Don't use +<span class="emphasis"><em>Page Independence: No</em></span>: always +settle with <span class="emphasis"><em>Page Independence: +Yes</em></span> (Microsoft PS Driver and CUPS PS Driver for +WinNT/2K/XP) If there are problems with fonts: use +<span class="emphasis"><em>Download as Softfont into +printer</em></span> (Adobe PS Driver). For +<span class="emphasis"><em>TrueType Download Options</em></span> +choose <span class="emphasis"><em>Outline</em></span>. Use PostScript +Level 2, if you are having trouble with a non-PS printer, and if +there is a choice.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't make <b class="command">cupsaddsmb</b> work +with newly installed printer</span></dt><dd><p>Symptom: the last command of +<b class="command">cupsaddsmb</b> doesn't complete successfully: +<b class="command">cmd = setdriver printername printername</b> result was +NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL then possibly the printer was not yet +"recognized" by Samba. Did it show up in <span class="emphasis"><em>Network +Neighbourhood</em></span>? Did it show up in <b class="command">rpcclient +hostname -c 'enumprinters'</b>? Restart smbd (or send a +<b class="command">kill -HUP</b> to all processes listed by +<b class="command">smbstatus</b> and try +again.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">My permissions on +<tt class="filename">/var/spool/samba/</tt> get reset after each +reboot</span></dt><dd><p>Have you by accident set the CUPS spool directory to +the same location? (<i class="parameter"><tt>RequestRoot +/var/spool/samba/</tt></i> in <tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> or +the other way round: <tt class="filename">/var/spool/cups/</tt> is set as +<i class="parameter"><tt>path</tt></i> in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[printers]</tt></i> +section). These <span class="emphasis"><em>must</em></span> be different. Set +<i class="parameter"><tt>RequestRoot /var/spool/cups/</tt></i> in +<tt class="filename">cupsd.conf</tt> and <i class="parameter"><tt>path = +/var/spool/samba</tt></i> in the <i class="parameter"><tt>[printers]</tt></i> +section of <tt class="filename">smb.conf</tt>. Otherwise cupsd will +sanitize permissions to its spool directory with each restart, and +printing will not work reliably.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">My printers work fine: just the printer named "lp" +intermittently swallows jobs and spits out completely different +ones</span></dt><dd><p>It is a very bad idea to name any printer "lp". This +is the traditional Unix name for the default printer. CUPS may be set +up to do an automatic creation of "Implicit Classes". This means, to +group all printers with the same name to a pool of devices, and +loadbalancing the jobs across them in a round-robin fashion. Chances +are high that someone else has an "lp" named printer too. You may +receive his jobs and send your own to his device unwittingly. To have +tight control over the printer names, set <i class="parameter"><tt>BrowseShortNames +No</tt></i>. It will present any printer as "printername@cupshost" +then, giving you a better control over what may happen in a large +networked environment.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">How do I "watch" my Samba server?</span></dt><dd><p>You can use <b class="command">tail -f +/var/log/samba/log.smbd</b> (you may need a different path) to +see a live scrolling of all log messages. <b class="command">smbcontrol smbd +debuglevel</b> tells you which verbosity goes into the +logs. <b class="command">smbcontrol smbd debug 3</b> sets the verbosity to +a quite high level (you can choose from 0 to 10 or 100). This works +"on the fly", without the need to restart the smbd daemon. Don't use +more than 3 initially; or you'll drown in an ocean of +messages.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">I can't use Samba from my WinXP Home box, while +access from WinXP Prof works flawlessly</span></dt><dd><p>You have our condolences! WinXP home has been +completely neutered by Microsoft as compared to WinXP Prof: you can +not log into a WinNT domain. It cannot join a Win NT domain as a +member server. While it is possible to access domain resources, users +don't have "single sign-on". They need to supply username and password +each time they connect to a resource. Logon scripts and roaming +profiles are not supported. It can serve file and print shares; but +only in "share-mode security" level. It can not use "user-mode +security" (what Windows 95/98/ME still can +do).</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Where do I find the Adobe PostScript driver files +I need for "cupsaddsmb"?</span></dt><dd><p>Use <b class="command">smbclient</b> to connect to any +Windows box with a shared PostScript printer: <b class="command">smbclient +//windowsbox/print\$ -U guest</b>. You can navigate to the +<tt class="filename">W32X86/2</tt> subdir to <b class="command">mget ADOBE*</b> +and other files or to <tt class="filename">WIN40/0</tt> to do the same. -- +Another option is to download the <tt class="filename">*.exe</tt> packaged +files from the Adobe website.</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="sect2" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="id2966041"></a>An Overview of the CUPS Printing Processes</h3></div></div><div></div></div><p> +</p><div class="figure"><a name="id2966052"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 19.15. CUPS Printing Overview</b></p><div class="mediaobject"><img src="projdoc/imagefiles/a_small.png" alt="CUPS Printing Overview"></div></div><p> +</p></div></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="printing.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="optional.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="VFS.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Chapter 18. Classical Printing Support </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Chapter 20. Stackable VFS modules</td></tr></table></div></body></html> |