From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Mon May 15 04:20:32 2017 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7D787D6D157 for ; Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (unknown [127.0.1.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 67CD55F0 for ; Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) id 644A2D6D156; Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:32 +0000 (UTC) Delivered-To: questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 63EC3D6D155 for ; Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 38F1D5EE for ; Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPS id v4F4KUSh097712 (version=TLSv1.2 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO); Sun, 14 May 2017 22:20:30 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) with ESMTP id v4F4KUGL097709; Sun, 14 May 2017 22:20:30 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Sun, 14 May 2017 22:20:30 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: Chris Hill cc: FreeBSD Questions List Subject: Re: Printer advice In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: User-Agent: Alpine 2.21 (BSF 202 2017-01-01) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.6.2 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sun, 14 May 2017 22:20:30 -0600 (MDT) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 04:20:32 -0000 On Sun, 14 May 2017, Chris Hill wrote: > OP here. > > First, thanks to all for your responses. > > Second, let me clarify that I would really prefer to stay away from CUPS if > possible. I use lpr and printcap, with occasional printing from applications > whose names start with "gn." What I'm after is a printer that works out of > the box with minimal hassle. > > My main reason for hesitating on the HP M553n was that the specs claim > support for "HP postscript level 3 emulation," which seems to be not the same > thing as actual postscript. Actual PostScript has license fees. But HP's emulated PostScript is quite good and very mature. It is unlikely to find a incompatibility. > It would also be swell if I could avoid complications like hplip. Since the printer accepts PostScript, you can avoid the complication of CUPS and hplip and all that stuff. Send the PS file straight to the printer. That can be done with various protocols: HP port 9100, LPD, even FTP. To use some features of the printer like duplexing, it might be necessary to modify the header of the PS file. This can be done with scripts that modify the file as it is sent to a print queue. A couple of simple examples of such filters are shown in the printing chapter of the Handbook. It would be nice to add examples of printing duplex or other options, although some of them vary from printer to printer. CUPS uses the PPD file to get each printer's abilities, but I've never found the complexity worth it.