From b217f7fa035fc6b210e999b01e8cb78f1d00f04f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: John Terpstra Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 15:32:45 +0000 Subject: Obsoleted files. All content of value is now in the HOWTO Collection. (This used to be commit 6e97a81a1f135bff4d9b4dbfa72f5d23be9ba197) --- docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt | 1201 ----------------------------------- 1 file changed, 1201 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt (limited to 'docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt') diff --git a/docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt b/docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt deleted file mode 100644 index bd10c2e53e..0000000000 --- a/docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1201 +0,0 @@ -There are Six (6) Extracts here from mail in the Samba Mailing List. -The key contribution here is from Kurt Pfeifle. - -I added them to this repository in the hope that someone would find the information helpful. - -John T. - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 1 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: Print Filtering Mechanism Explained -============================================ - -Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 15:38:02 +0200 -From: "Kurt Pfeifle" -Reply-To: kpfeifle@danka.de -Organization: Danka Deutschland GmbH -To: samba@lists.samba.org -Subject: CUPS filtering mechanism explained, was: [cups raw mode, was Re: [Samba] unlink data file in cups_job_submit] - -Paul Janzen wrote on Samba digest: - - > Message: 7 - > To: Gerald Carter - > Cc: samba@lists.samba.org - > From: Paul Janzen - > Subject: cups raw mode, was Re: [Samba] unlink data file in cups_job_submit - > Date: 21 Sep 2002 12:09:23 -0700 - > - > - > Gerald Carter writes: - > - > > Looks right to me [:-)] Applying it now. Thanks. I've been meaning to - > > track this one down. - > - > - > Thanks! - > - > While we are on the subject... [:-)] - > - > If I am using native printer drivers on Windows clients, I would like - > the "raw" option to get propagated to CUPS. Otherwise cups does not - > pass the data on to the printer. - -Paul, - -I see you know about what you call the "raw data passthrough feature". -I guess you mean the lines in "/etc/cups/mime.types" and -"/etc/cups/mime.convs" which need to be uncommented to allow "raw" -printing ? - -Here is some clarification (likely not very useful for you, but -possibly for some other readers of the Samba list): - -### If you have "printing = cups" and "printcap = cups" enabled, ---- everything is handled by Samba accessing the CUPS API. (And any - "print command" directive in Samba will be ignored.) If the CUPS - API is not available (because Samba might not be compiled against -libcups), it automatically maps to the "System V" command set, with -"-oraw" enabled automatically. - - > (If I enable cups's application/ - > octet-stream raw-data passthrough feature, both cupsomatic and the - > Windows driver add PJL headers and footers, which is not what I want - > either.) - -### According to my experience, cupsomatic on the Samba/CUPS server ---- does *not* add any features if a file is really printed "raw". - However, if you have loaded the driver for the Windows client -from the CUPS server, using the "cupsaddsmb" utility, and if this -driver is one using a "Foomatic" PPD, the PJL header in question is -already added on the Windows client, at the time when the driver -initially generated the PostScript data -- and CUPS in true "-oraw" -manner doesn't remove this PJL header and passes the file "as is" -to its printer communication backend. - -NOTE, please, that the editing in the "mime.convs" and the ------ "mime.types" file does not *enforce* "raw" printing, it - only *allows* it. Any file arriving from Windows is -"auto-typed" by CUPS, which might consecutively lead to its -treatment by various filters automatically (depending on the -actual outcome of the auto-typing and the configuration of the -printqueue in question): - - --> Files generated by PCL drivers and destined to PCL - printers get auto-typed "application/octet-stream" - and are indeed printed "raw". Also, unknown file - types are getting tagged as "application/octet-stream". - - --> Files generated by a PostScript driver (and destined - for any target printer type) are auto-typed. Depending - on the driver, the discovered MIME type may be - - * application/postscript or - * application/vnd.cups-postscript - -"application/postscript" goes first thru the "pstops" filter - (where also the page counting and accounting takes place - currently), and the outcome will be of MIME type - "application/vnd.cups-postscript". The pstopsfilter reads and - uses information from the PPD and inserts user-provided options - into the PostScript file. As a consequence, the filtered file - will possibly have the PJL header you don't want. - -"application/postscript" will be all files with a ".ps", ".ai", - ".eps" suffix or which have as their first character string one - of "%!" or "<04>%". - -"application/vnd.cups-postscript" will be those files which do both, - first... - ...carry a string "LANGUAGE=POSTSCRIPT" (or similar variations - with different capitalization) amongst the first 512 bytes, - *plus*... - ...contain the "PJL super escape code" amongst the first 128 - bytes ("<1B>%-12345X"). Very likely, most PostScript files - generated on Windows using a CUPS- or other PPD, will have - to be auto-typed as "vnd.cups-postscript". - Probably a file produced with a "Generic PostScript driver" - will be just "application/postscript" (have not checked). - -Once the file is in "application/vnd.cups-postscript" format, -either "pstoraster" or "cupsomatic" will take over (depending -on the printer configuration, as determined by the PPD in use). - -NOTE: a printer queue with *no* PPD associated to it is a "raw" ------ printer and all files will go directly there as received - by the spooler; the exeption are file types -"application/octet-stream" which need the mentioned "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 visible -in the "device URI" notation as lpd://, socket://, smb://, ipp://, -http://, parallel:/, serial:/, usb:/ etc.) - -NOTE, please, also the following fact: "cupsomatic"/Foomatic are ------ *not* 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 Ghostscipt. CUPS accepts this, -because the associated CUPS-O-Matic-/Foomatic-PPD carries a line -reading - - *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic" - -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 autotyped -"application/octet-stream", with the according changes in -"/etc/cups/mime.types" in place. - -See small drawings at the end... - -I am not a programmer, so please correct me if I am wrong. - - > With traditional lpr, you can just add "-oraw" to the "print command" - > line in smb.conf. With cups, you don't have that alternative. - -You *do* have it, I think. - -But you need to disable the settings "printing = cups" and "printcap = -= cups" and use "printing = bsd" and "printcap = /etc/printcap" -instead. [Additionally, you will probably have to enable and configure -the CUPS mini-LPD daemon ("cups-lpd") run from inetd... but I have not -checked, so take this item with a grain of salt and a proper dose of -caution, please.] - - > The result is that to support both unix printing and native-driver - > Windows printing from CUPS, you have to have two logical printers per - > physical printer: one ("cooked") for Unix clients and one ("raw") for - > Samba to use. - -Yes, that is one current workaround, if you don't want the auto-typing -of CUPS influencing Samba/Windows client PostScript jobs. - -CUPS is widely configurable and flexible, even regarding its filtering -mechanism. Another workaround in some situations would be to have -lines in "/etc/cups/mime.types" saying - - application/postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - - application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - - -This would prevent all Postscript files to be filtered (or rather, they -will go thru the virtual "nullfilter" denoted with "-". (This could only -be useful for PS printers, or if you want to print PS code on non-PS -printers ;-) - -A single line of - - */* application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - - -would effectively send *all* files towards the backend immediately -(good luck!) - -Last, you could have the following (without the need for a Samba -patch): - - application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 my_PJL_stripping_filter - -You'd need to write a "my_PJL_stripping_filter" (could be a shellscript) -which parses the PostScript and removes the undesired PJL. This would -need to conform to CUPS filter design (mainly, receive and pass the -parameters printername, job-id, username, jobtitle, copies, printoptions -and possibly the filename). It would just go as world executably into -"/usr/lib/cups/filters/" and work from there, called by cups if it -encounters a MIME type "application/vnd.cups-postscript" - - > The attached patch allows you to specify an option string for cups - > printers in smb.conf. - -I think your patch is in any case very useful (if it works as -advertised ;-). It is the most generic, simple and flexible -approach to complement CUPS. - - > So, if you want to use native Windows drivers, - > all you need is - > - > cups printer options = raw - > - > in smb.conf. You can add any other options that cups and the printer - > understand. - -Now this last sentence makes me very curious. Do you mean you can add -*multiple* options to this directive? Which syntax would be required -for this ? (Some CUPS options are specified by an "-o option=value" -pair on the commandline, some are single values, like the "-o raw" -one...) - -I am thinking on one specific usage now: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --> passing any available IPP job attribute to the printer / the spooler ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - -For example, CUPS can handle "-o job-hold-until=indefinite". 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. (The operators often need to -load the proper paper type before running the 10.000 page job -requested by marketing for the mailing, etc.). - -A lot more useful applications come to mind, if I could pass -"any other options that cups and the printer understand" via -the smb.conf directive!! - -Thanks a lot! - -Cheers, -Kurt - -P.S.: List, please give me some feedback, if you think this type of - explanation could be useful in the Samba HOWTO Collection. In - that case, I'll try to write it up in a nicer form. - - -######################################################################### -# -# 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): -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# 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 -# rasterto (f.e. Gimp-Print filters may be plugged in here) -# | (= "raster driver") -# | -# V -# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC -# | -# | -# V -# backend -# -# -# ESP PrintPro has some enhanced "rasterto" 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 rasterto is noted. -# -# -######################################################################### -# -# This is how "cupsomatic" comes into play: -# ========================================= -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# 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=" -# | call...) -# | | -# V | -# rasterto 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 through -# the CUPS-external, systemwide Ghostscript installation, bypassing the -# "pstoraster" filter (therefor also bypassing the CUPS-raster-drivers -# "rasterto", 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 rasterto is noted. -# -# -######################################################################### -# -# And this is how it works for ESP PrintPro from 4.3: -# =================================================== -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# V -# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT -# | -# | -# V -# pstops -# | -# | -# V -# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT -# | -# | -# V -# gsrip -# | (= "postscipt interpreter") -# | -# V -# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER -# | -# | -# V -# rasterto (f.e. 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 rasterto is noted. -# -# -######################################################################### -# -# This is how "cupsomatic" would come into play with ESP PrintPro: -# ================================================================ -# -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# 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=" -# | call...) -# | | -# V | -# rasterto 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 rasterto is noted. -# -######################################################################### -# -# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15: -# ============================================== -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# 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 -# rasterto -# | (= "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 "rasterto" -# Note the difference to "cupsomatic", which will *not* 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 rasterto is noted. -# -######################################################################### -# -# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15, with cupsomatic included: -# ======================================================================== -# -# -FILEFORMAT -# | -# | -# V -# tops -# | -# | -# V -# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT -# | -# | -# V -# pstops -# | -# | -# V -# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT-----+ -# | -# +------------------v------------------------------+ -# | Ghostscript . Ghostscript at work.... | -# | at work... . (with "-sDEVICE= | -# | (with . " | -# | "-sDEVICE=cups") . | -# | . | -# | (CUPS standard) . (cupsomatic) | -# | . | -# | (= "postscript interpreter") | -# | . | -# +------------------v--------------v---------------+ -# | | -# | | -# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER <-------+ | -# | | -# | | -# V | -# rasterto | -# | (= "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 rasterto is noted. -# -########################################################################## - -I hope this helps more people understand how CUPS works and how they -can possibly tweak it to their needs. - - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 2 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: Print Drivers and Devices with CUPS -============================================ - -CUPS ships a well-working Laserjet driver. Install it (as root) with - - "lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -m laserjet.ppd" - -(The "-m" switch will retrieve the "laserjet.ppd" from the standard repository -for not-yet-installed-PPDs, which CUPS keeps at "/usr/share/cups/model/". Alter- -natively, you may use "-P /absolute/filesystem/path/to/where/there/is/PPD/your.ppd") - -You didn't state if the print system is working on the Linux side of things. -Even if it does -- to print from Windows, involves some more steps.... - -But let me first point out some more general things about printer "drivers" -for Linux/Unix (yes, and for Mac OS X now!), be it you use CUPS or one of -the venerable (I'd even call them "ancient" and "rusty" now...) printing -systems. - -You -- and everybody else, for that matter -- should always also consult the -database on linuxprinting.org for all recommendations about "which driver -is best used for which printer": - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi - -There select your model and click on "Show". You'll arrive at a page listing -all drivers working with your model. There will always be *one* "recommended" -one. Try this one first. In your case ("HP LaserJet 4 Plus"), you'll arrive -here: - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=75104 - -The recommended driver is "ljet4". It has a link to the page for the ljet4 -driver too: - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4 - -On the driver's page, you'll find various important and detailed infos about -how to use that driver within various spoolers. You can generate a PPD for -CUPS. The PPD contains all the info about how to use your model and the driver; -this is, once installed, working transparently for the user -- 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... - -On the driver's page, choose to use the "PPD-O-Matic" online PPD generator -program. Select your model and click "Generate PPD file". When you safe the -appearing ASCII text file, don't use "cut'n'past" (as it will possible corrupt -line endings and tabs), but use "Save as..." in your browser's menu. Save it -at "/some/path/on/your/filesystem/somewhere/my-name-for-my-printer.ppd" - -Then install the printer: - - "lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -P /some/path/on/your/filesystem/somewhere/my-name-for-my-printer.ppd" - -Note, that for all the "Foomatic-PPDs" from Linuxprinting.org, you also need -a special "CUPS filter" named "cupsomatic". Get the latest version of -"cupsomatic" from - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/cupsomatic - -This needs to be copied to "/usr/lib/cups/filter/cupsomatic" and be made world -executable. This filter is needed to read and act upon the specially encoded -Foomatic comments, embedded in the printfile, which in turn are used to -construct (transparently for you, the user) the complicated ghostscript command -line needed for your printer/driver combo. - -You can have a look at all the options for the Ghostscript commandline supported -by your printer and the ljet4 driver by going to the section "Execution details", -selecting your model (Laserjet 4 Plus) and clicking on "Show execution details". -This will bring up this web page: - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/execution.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=75104&.submit=Show+execution+details - -The ingenious thing is this: the database is kept very current. If there -is a bug fix and an improvement somewhere in the database, you will -always get the most current and stable and feature-rich driver by following -the steps described above... Till Kamppeter from MandrakeSoft is doing an -excellent job here, and too few people still know about it. (So if you use -it often, please send him a note of your appreciation sometime...) - -(The latest and greatest improvement now is support for "custom page sizes" -for all those printers which support it...) - -"cupsomatic" is documented here: - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/cups-doc.html - -More printing tutorial info may be found here: - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/ - -Note, that *all* the Foomatic drivers listed on Linuxprinting.org (now -approaching the "all-time high" number of 1.000 for the supported models) -are using a special filtering chain involving Ghostscript, as described -in great detail in the Samba CVS sources (for 2.2.x) in - - docs/textdocs/CUPS-PrintingInfo.txt - -To sum it up: - -* having a "foomatic+" PPD is not enough to print with CUPS - (but it is *one* important component) -* you also need the "cupsomatic" filter script (Perl) in "/usr/lib/cups/filters/" -* you need Perl to make cupsomatic run -* you also need Ghostscript (because it is called and controlled by the - PPD/cupsomatic combo in a way to fit your printermodel/driver combo...) -* your Ghostscript *must*, depending on the driver/model, contain support - for a certain "device" (as shown by "gs -h") - -In the case of the "hpijs" driver, you need a Ghostscript version, which -is showing a "ijs" amongst its supported devices in "gs -h". In the case of -"hpijs+foomatic", a valid ghostscript commandline would be reading like this: - - gs -q -dBATCH -dPARANOIDSAFER -dQUIET -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=ijs \ - -sIjsServer=hpijs -dDuplex= \ - -r,PS:MediaPosition= -dIjsUseOutputFD \ - -sOutputFile=- - - -Note, that with CUPS and the "hpijs+foomatic" PPD (plus Perl and cupsomatic) -you don't need to remember this. You can choose the available print options -thru a GUI print command (like "glp" from ESP's commercially supported -PrintPro software, or KDE's "kprinter", or GNOME's "gtklp" or the independent -"xpp") or the CUPS web interface via human-readable drop-down selection -menus..... - -If you use "ESP Ghostscript" (also under the GPL, provided by Easy Software -Products, the makers of CUPS, downloadable from http://www.cups.org/software.html, -co-maintained by the developers of linuxprinting.org), you are guaranteed to -have in use the most uptodate, bug-fixed, enhanced and stable version of a Free -Ghostscript. It contains support for ~300 devices, whereas plain vanilla -GNU Ghostscript 7.05 only has ~200.... - ->>/ However, I can only print a Cups test page, from the web interface. when I -/>>/ try to print a windows test page, it acts like the job was never sent. -/ - * Can you print "standard" jobs from the CUPS machine? - - * Are the jobs from Windows visible in the Web interface on CUPS - (http://localhost:631/)? - -*Most important:* What kind of printer driver are you using on the Windows clients??? - -You can try to get a more detailed debugging info by setting "LogLevel debug" in -"/etc/cups/cupsd.conf", re-start cupsd and investigate "/var/log/cups/error_log" -for the whereabouts of your Windows-originating printjobs: - - * what does the "auto-typing" line say? which is the "MIME type" CUPS thinks - is arriving from the Windows clients? - * are there "filter" available for this MIME type? - * are there "filter rules" defined in "/etc/cups/mime.convs" for this MIME type? - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 3 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: Printer Drivers -======================== - ->> Where can I find a program or how can I configure my samba server in order ->> to limit the number of pages to be printed by users. - -The feature you want is dependent on the real print subsystem -you're using. Samba's part is always to receive the job files -from the clients (filtered *or* unfiltered) and hand it over -to this printing subsystem. - -Of course one could "hack" things with one's own scripts. - -But there is CUPS (Common Unix Printing System). CUPS supports "quotas". -Quotas can be based on sizes of jobs or on the number of pages or both, -and are spanning any time period you want. - -This is an example command how root would set a print quota in CUPS, -assuming an existing printer named "quotaprinter": - - lpadmin -p quotaprinter -o job-quota-period=604800 -o job-k-limit=1024 -o job-page-limit=100 - -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). - -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 -- f.e. image files -- but then those are -mostly 1 page jobs anyway). This also means, proprietary drivers for -the target printer running on the client computers and CUPS/Samba -then spooling these files as "raw" (i.e. leaving them untouched, not -filtering them), will be counted as "1-pagers" too! - -You need to send PostScript from the clients (i.e. run a PostScript -driver there) for having 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 ~1.000 different printer models, see - - http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi - -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 thru the "pstops" filter on the CUPS/Samba side, and therefor was -not counted correctly (the reason is that it often --- depending on the -"PPD" being used --- did write a "PJL"-header in front of the real -PostScript which made CUPS to skip the pstops and go directy to -the "pstoraster" stage). - - From CUPS-1.1.16 onward you can use the "CUPS PostScript Driver -for Windows NT/2K/XP clients" (it is tagged in the download area of -http://www.cups.org/ as the "cups-samba-1.1.16.tar.gz" package). -It is *not* working for Win9x/ME clients. But it.... - - ...it guarantees to not write an PJL-header; - ...it guarantees to still read and support all PJL-options named - in the driver PPD with its own means; - ...it guarantees the file going thru the "pstops" filter on the - CUPS/Samba server; - ...it guarantees to page-count correctly the printfile... - -You can read more about the setup of this combination in the -manpage for "cupsaddsmb" (only present with CUPS installed, only -current with CUPS 1.1.16). - -These are the items CUPS logs in the "page_log" for every single -*page* of a job: - -* Printer name -* User name -* Job ID -* Time of printing -* the page number -* the number of copies -* a billing info string (optional) - -Here is an extract of my CUPS server's page_log file to illustrate -the format and included items: - -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 1 2 #marketing -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 2 2 #marketing -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 3 2 #marketing -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 4 2 #marketing -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 5 2 #marketing -infotec_IS2027 kurt 40 [22/Nov/2002:13:18:03 +0100] 6 2 #marketing - -This was Job ID "40", printed on "infotec_IS2027" by user "kurt", -a 6-page job printed in 2 copies and billed to "#marketing"... - -Which flaws or shortcomings are there? - - * the ones named above; - * CUPS really counts the job pages being *processsed in software* - (going thru the "RIP") rather than the physical sheets successfully - leaving the printing device -- 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; - * all quotas are the same for all users (no flexibility to - give the boss a higher quota than the clerk) - * no support for groups; - * no means to read out the current balance or "used-up" - number of current quota; - * a user having used up 99 sheets of 100 quota will still be - able to send and print a 1.000 sheet job; - * 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". - -But this is the best system out there currently. And there are -huge improvements under development: - ---> 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 -- a jam at the 5th sheet will lead - to a stop in the counting...) - ---> quotas will be handled more flexibly; - ---> probably there will be support for users to inquire their - "accounts" in advance; - ---> probably there will be support for some other tools around - this topic... - -Other than the current stage of the CUPS development, I don't -know any other ready-to-use tool which you could consider. - - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 4 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: More on CUPS Print Drivers -=================================== - ->> If you could get around the EULA, then you could package preinitialized ->> drivers and write the information to smbd's tdbs. We have support for ->> storing driver initialization data already. -> -> Have you heard that you can get CUPS printer drivers exactly for that -> from cups.org? If they are good drivers, this could be very interesting. - -Hi, all, - -I'll give you some more info about the PostScript driver Volker mentioned -above here as a reference. (Maybe one day before the 3.0 release it will -end up as a worked-out paragraph inside the HOWTO collection): - -You can download the driver files from http://www.cups.org/software.html. It -is a separate package from the CUPS base software files, tagged as "CUPS 1.1.16 -Windows NT/2k/XP Printer Driver for SAMBA (tar.gz, 192k)". The filename to -download is "cups-samba-1.1.16.tar.gz". Upon untar-/unzip-ping it will reveal -the files - - cups-samba.install - cups-samba.license - cups-samba.readme - cups-samba.remove - cups-samba.ss - -These have been packaged with the ESP meta packager software "EPM". The -*.install and *.remove files are simple shell script, which untars the -*.ss (which is nothing else than a tar-archive) and puts its contents -into "/usr/share/cups/drivers/". Its contents are 3 files: - - cupsdrvr.dll - cupsui.dll - cups.hlp - -[ ATTENTION: due to a bug the current release puts the "cups.hlp" into - "/usr/share/drivers/" instead of "/usr/share/cups/drivers/". To work - around this, copy/move the file after running the "./cups-samba.install" - script manually to the right place: - - "cp /usr/share/drivers/cups.hlp /usr/share/cups/drivers/" ] - -This new CUPS PostScript driver is currently binary-only, but free (as in -free beer); no source code is provided (yet). The reason is this: it has -been developed with the help of the Microsoft Driver Developer Kit (DDK) -and compiled with Microsoft Visual Studio 6. It is not clear to the driver -developers if they are allowed to distribute the whole of the source code -as Free Software. However, they will likely release 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. - -Once you have run the install script (and possibly manually moved the -"cups.hlp" file to "/usr/share/cups/drivers/"), the driver is ready to be -put into Samba's [print$] share (which often maps to "/etc/samba/drivers/" -and contains a subdir tree with WIN40 and W32X86 branches), by running -"cupsaddsmb" (see also "man cupsaddsmb" for CUPS 1.1.16). [Don't forget to -put root into the smbpasswd file by running "smbpasswd" should you run -this whole procedure for the first time.] Once the driver files are in the -[print$] share, they are ready to be downloaded and installed by the -Win NT/2k/XP clients. - -NOTE 1: Win 9x/ME clients won't work with this driver. For these you'd - still need to use the ADOBE*.* drivers as previously. - -NOTE 2: It is not harming if you've still the ADOBE*.* driver files from - previous installations in the "/usr/share/cups/drivers/" directory. - The new cupsaddsmb (from 1.1.16) will automatically use the - "newest" installed driver (which here then is the CUPS drivers). - -NOTE 3: Should your Win clients have had the old ADOBE*.* files and the - Adobe PostScript drivers installed, the download and installation - of the new CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/2k/XP will fail - at 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 - "Start --> Settings --> Control Panel --> Printers"), right-click - onto the folder background and select "Server Properties". A - new dialog opens; select the "Drivers" tab; on the list select - the driver you want to delete and click on the "Delete" button. - (This will only work if there is no single printer left which - uses that particular driver -- you need to "delete" all printers - using this driver in the "Printers" folder first...) - -NOTE 4: 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" to change a driver for an existing printer.... - - -What are the benefits with the "CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/2k/XP" -as compared to the Adobe drivers? - -* no hassle with the Adobe EULA; no hassle with the question "where do I - get the ADOBE*.* driver files from?" - -* the Adobe drivers (depending on the printer PPD associated with them) - often put a PJL header in front of the core PostScript part of the print - file (thus the file starts with "<1B>%-12345X" or "%-12345X" - instead of "%!PS"). This leads to the CUPS daemon autotyping the - arriving file as a print-ready file, not requiring a pass thru the - "pstops" filter (to speak more technical, it is not regarded as the - generic MIME type "application/postscript", but as the more special - MIME type "application/cups.vnd-postscript"), which therefore also - leads to the page accounting in "/var/log/cups/page_log" not receiving - the exact mumber of pages; instead the dummy page number of "1" is - logged in a standard setup...) - -* the Adobe driver has more options to "mis-configure" the PostScript - generated by it (like setting it inadvertedly to "Optimize for Speed", - instead of "Optimize for Portability", which could lead to CUPS being - unable to process it....) - -* the CUPS PostScript driver output sent by Windows clients to the CUPS - server will be guaranteed to be auto-typed as generic MIME type - "application/postscript", thusly passing thru the CUPS "pstops" filter - and logging the correct number of pages in the page_log for accounting - and quota purposes... - -* the CUPS PostScript driver supports the sending of additional print - options by the Win NT/2k/XP clients, such as naming the CUPS standard - banner pages (or the custom ones, should they be installed at the time - of driver download), using the CUPS "page-label" option, setting a - job-priority and setting the scheduled time of printing (with the option - to support additional useful IPP job attributes in the future). - -* the CUPS PostScript driver supports the inclusion of the new - "*cupsJobTicket" comments at the beginnig 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 application as those - will regard it as a comment and simply ignore it). - -* 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). - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 5 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: Printing with Bells and Whistles -========================================= - -May I suggest a radically different approach to your problem? - -* Let the Windows Clients use a PostScript driver, to produce - PostScript as their print output sent towards the Samba print - server (just like any Linux or Unix Client would also use - PostScript to send to the server...) - -* make the Unix printing subsystem which is underneath Samba - convert the incoming PostScript files to the native print - format of the target printers (would likely be PCL? - I understand you have mainly HP models?) - -* You're afraid, that this would just mean a *Generic* PostScript - driver for the clients? With no Simplex/Duplex selection, - no paper tray choice? But you need them to be able to set up - their jobs, ringing all the bells and whistles of the printers? - - --> Not possible with traditional spooling systems! - - --> But perfectly supported by CUPS (which uses "PPD" files to - describe how to control the print options for PostScript and - non-PostScript devices alike... - - CUPS PPDs are working perfectly on Windows - clients who use Adobe PostScript drivers (or the new CUPS - PostScript driver for Windows NT/2K/XP). Clients can use - them to setup the job to their liking and CUPS will use - the received job options to make the (PCL-, ESC/P- or - PostScript-) printer behave as required. - -* You want to have the additional benefit of page count logging - and accounting? In this case the CUPS PostScript driver - is the best choice (better than the Adobe one). - -* You want to make the drivers downloadable for the clients? - "cupsaddsmb" is your friend. It will setup the [print$] - share on the Samba host to be ready to serve the clients - for a "point and print" driver installation... - -"What strings are attached?", I hear you asking... - -You are right, there are some. But, given the sheer CPU power -you can buy nowadays in German supermarkets, these can be -overcome easily. - -The strings: Well, if the -CUPS/Samba side will have to print a *lot* onto 40 printers -serving 500 users, you probably will need to set up a second -server (which can do automatic load balancing with the first -one, plus a degree of fail-over mechanism). Converting the -incoming PostScript jobs, "interpreting" them for -non-PostScript printers, amounts to the work of a "RIP" -(Raster Image Processor) done in software. This requires -more CPU and RAM than for the mere "raw spooling" task -your current setup is solving... It all depends on the -avarage and peak printing load the server should be -able to handle.... - -============================================================================== -<<< EXTANT 6 >>> -============================================================================== -Subject: Deletion of CUPS spool files -===================================== - -From samba-technical-admin@lists.samba.org Thu Dec 5 17:18:48 2002 -Zdenek Niederle wrote on Samba-digest: - -> Message: 1 -> From: Zdenek Niederle -> Organization: Collicutt Hanover -> To: samba-technical@lists.samba.org -> Subject: Clean up of spool files -> Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 15:13:15 -0700 -> -> I'm using Samba 2.2.5 and CUPS to handle printing on our network. -> Unfortunately, the smbprn.xxxxxx spool files are not being cleaned up and -> instead are quickly filling the spool directory. Is their a setting or -> option to ensure the files are cleaned up once sent to the printer? I am -> aware that using a cron job would work but this can't be the best solution. -> -> Thanks. - - -Hi, Zdenek, - -you need to be aware, that the Samba print files pass thru 2 -different "spool" directories. Once the incoming directory -managed by Samba, (set f.e. in the "path = /var/spool/samba" -directive in the [printers] section of "smb.conf"). Second is -the spool directory of your UNIX print subsystem. For CUPS it is -normally "/var/spool/cups/", as set by the cupsd.conf directive -"RequestRoot /var/spool/cups". - -I am not sure, which one of your directories keeps the files. - From what you say, it is most likely the Samba part. - -For the CUPS part, you may want to consult: - - http://localhost:631/sam.html#PreserveJobFiles and - http://localhost:631/sam.html#PreserveJobHistory and - http://localhost:631/sam.html#MaxJobs - -There are the settings described for your CUPS daemon, which -could lead to completed job files not being deleted. - -"PreserveJobHistory Yes" -- 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. - -"PreserveJobFiles Yes" -- 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. - -"MaxJobs 500" -- 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. - -(There are also additional settings for "MaxJobsPerUser" and -"MaxJobsPerPrinter"...) - -For everything to work as announced, you need to have three -things: - - * a Samba-smbd which is compiled against "libcups" (Check - on Linux by running "ldd `which smbd`") - - * a Samba-smb.conf setting of "printing = cups" - - * another Samba-smb.conf setting of "printcap = cups" - -Note, that 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. - -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. - -You forgot to mention the CUPS version you're using. If you did -set things up as described in the man pages, then the Samba -spool files should be deleted. Otherwise it may be a bug. On -the CUPS side, you can control the behaviour as described -above. - -If you have more problems, post the output of these commands: - - grep -v ^# /etc/cups/cupsd.conf | grep -v ^$ - grep -v ^# /etc/samba/smb.conf | grep -v ^$ | grep -v "^;" - -(adapt paths as needed). These commands sanitize the files -and cut out the empty lines and lines with comments, providing -the "naked settings" in a compact way. - -Cheers, -Kurt - -- cgit