From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Thu Oct 23 05:50:02 2008
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A5C7A1065738
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:50:02 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de)
Received: from mx02.qsc.de (mx02.qsc.de [213.148.130.14])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5CC2D8FC21
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:50:02 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de)
Received: from r55.edvax.de (port-92-195-41-11.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.41.11])
	by mx02.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id C307B16C00EE;
	Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:50:00 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from r55.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by r55.edvax.de (8.14.2/8.14.2) with SMTP id m9N5nr0T009305;
	Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:49:59 +0200 (CEST)
	(envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de)
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:49:53 +0200
From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To: Gonzalo Nemmi <gnemmi@gmail.com>
Message-Id: <20081023074953.9b2c4c2d.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <200810230258.42153.gnemmi@gmail.com>
References: <200810222335.26022.gnemmi@gmail.com>
	<200810230107.11493.gnemmi@gmail.com>
	<alpine.BSF.2.00.0810222132530.6349@wonkity.com>
	<200810230258.42153.gnemmi@gmail.com>
Organization: EDVAX
X-Mailer: Sylpheed 2.4.7 (GTK+ 2.12.1; i386-portbld-freebsd7.0)
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: man -t odd page size
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
Reply-To: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:50:02 -0000

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:58:42 -0200, Gonzalo Nemmi <gnemmi@gmail.com> wrote:
> Brainstorming .. im thinking maybe there should be no app defined default (in 
> this case).. Maybe you just threw the key on the table .. and default should 
> be what an enviromental setting says default should be (PAGESIZE=letter, 
> PAGESIZE=a4) and not what the apps thinks it should be ...

There is something similar placable into /etc/make.conf:

	PAGE=           A4
	PAPERSIZE=      a4
	A4=             yes

But this is of course not honoured by applications at run time,
and only by a few at compile time.



> Furthermore .. 
> maybe the app should halt if it finds no enviromental setting is available 
> and ask the user to set it in order to know how to proceed.

Another idea would to conclude the paper size from a locale setting,
let's say, if it's en_US, then select letter, or A4 else.

For example, programs like Gimp require a setting to be done manually
from within the printing dialog. It shouldn't be there. Things like
paper size should be set at system level, not neccessarily at
application level. It will make things easier when administrating
a system - set paper size once, then forget it.

An idea would be to place the paper size setting "near" your
printing filter (not the spooler) and advice applications to read
it from there, maybe from a file, maybe from an environmental
variable.





-- 
Polytropon
>From Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...