From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Sep 17 18:01:41 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A35A4106566C for ; Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:01:41 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frank@esperance-linux.co.uk) Received: from asmtp1.iomartmail.com (asmtp1.iomartmail.com [62.128.201.248]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 352DC8FC0A for ; Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:01:40 +0000 (UTC) Received: from asmtp1.iomartmail.com (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by asmtp1.iomartmail.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o8HHAu85012725; Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:10:56 +0100 Received: from orange.esperance-linux.co.uk (80-45-152-196.static.dsl.as9105.com [80.45.152.196]) (authenticated bits=0) by asmtp1.iomartmail.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o8HHAuBg012719; Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:10:56 +0100 Received: by orange.esperance-linux.co.uk (Postfix, from userid 1001) id 2244C33C3D; Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:10:56 +0100 (BST) Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:10:56 +0100 From: Frank Shute To: Chabane HEMDANI Message-ID: <20100917171056.GA72692@orange.esperance-linux.co.uk> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Face: *}~{PHnDTzvXPe'wl_-f%!@+r5; VLhb':*DsX%wEOPg\fDrXWQJf|2\,92"DdS%63t*BHDyQ|OWo@Gfjcd72eaN!4%NE{0]p)ihQ1MyFNtWL X-Operating-System: FreeBSD 8.1-RELEASE amd64 X-Organisation: 'shute.org.uk' Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: The nightmarish problem of installing a printer X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Frank Shute List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:01:41 -0000 On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 01:45:54AM +0100, Chabane HEMDANI wrote: > > I'm computer science teacher at university of Tizi-ouzou in Algeria. I'm > using FreeBSD since 2007 when I "discover" it by chance when searching in > the Web something about Linux. > Since that date, I always invited and recommended to my students to install > and use this "magical" and my favorite system. > > However, all my students retort me that they have a problem of installing > their printers. I have so this problem, so I can't tell good-bye > definitively to winosor and Linux. I always need them for printing. > > I've search, read, learn, follow instructions about nearly all the > web-documentation about installing a new printer to work under cups without > any success. I've an HP Laser Jet 1018 printer and tools given by package > print/hplip don't work correctly. > > I'm using FreeBSD 8.1-RELEASE > I've rebuild a kernel without ulpt. > I modified my /etc/rc.conf to enable cupsd and hpiod and hpssd. > I modified /etc/devfs.rules like suggested by cups (see pkg_info -D > cups-base-1.4.4 ). > I've made many other configurations like that suggested at > http://diablotins.org/index.php/Imprimer,_hplip > > and finally, I've given to my students the wrong answer that "no one can > print under FreeBSD !" > > > > Please where is the problem? > Please help me to help others. > Please help me to enlarge the FreeBSD users community. Many congratulations on your efforts to promote FreeBSD! I'm not going to tell you how to print with CUPS as it's too complicated and fragile for my liking. Have you thought about using lpd(8)? If your printer can understand Postscript (and I believe HP Laserjets can) then this can be a fairly simple process as you just send the raw PS to the printer with lpr(1) via a spool and filter. My filter: #!/bin/sh cat - echo "\f" # and my printcap(5) isn't overly complicated either and the format is well documented in it's manpage. Most Unix applications can produce Postscript or PDF (which can be converted to PS with ps2pdf which comes with Ghostscript) and LaTeX can produce PS with dvips. I recommend LaTeX for all users, especially university based users who are going to produce thesis/technical docs. Anyway, just a thought. Setting up lpd is documented in the Handbook of course. If your printer can't speak Postscript then you have to use Ghostscript and something like apsfilter with lpd. Regards, -- Frank Contact info: http://www.shute.org.uk/misc/contact.html