Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:12:17 +0200 From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> To: Gary Kline <kline@thought.org> Cc: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com>, FreeBSD Mailing List <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: duplex printing with OOo. Message-ID: <20090819191217.cb48d885.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20090819170020.GA86066@thought.org> References: <20090819063810.GA15231@thought.org> <20090819072307.a5f2a541.wmoran@potentialtech.com> <20090819174050.9e09a934.freebsd@edvax.de> <20090819170020.GA86066@thought.org>
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On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:00:20 -0700, Gary Kline <kline@thought.org> wrote: > It's been years since I tried CUPS; it gives me fits. In > short, it has never worked. With "modern" printers that are not standard compliant, you almost have no way around CUPS. Printers that can do PS don't need any printer filter, and those who talk some standard printer language, such as PCL, are fine with gs drivers, as apsfilter employs them. PCL can, for example, control if the printer should use duplex or not, or from which cassette paper should be taken. This allows you to install several printers, if you wish to use "redirection" to a specific printer according to the features you want. And it's quite easy. Additionally, it'w roth mentioning that (at least office-class) network printers do contain their own printer spooler system that can be remotely controled via FreeBSD. One of the major downsides of CUPS is, in my opinion, that it does not allow you to add a parallel printer that is not connected to the computer at booting time and at the moment you want to make the installtion. Background story: A friend wanted me to install CUPS for his parallel inkjet printer. He told me name and model of the printer, but CUPS didn't let me install it. Sadly, there seem to be various printer filters that can be used on FreeBSD, and you have to select the correct one according to your printer: none, apsfilter, CUPS, hpijs, gimp-print, gutenprint... > My networked 5250 does come with a configuration panel. > Simplex or Duplex. That lets me do % lpr <file> single- > or double-sided. Regardless, my OpenOffice only prints on > one-sided. [?] An idea might be the following: OpenOffice outputs to PCL or PS and defaults to a single page setting that is forced upon the printer and overriding the preferred setting (duplex) from the operator panel. I had this problem with the HP Laserjet 4000 duplex, too. My solution was to explicitely check the filter, a gs command, to take the printer's setting; but that's not CUPS, it's apsfilter, the "more lightweight but limited to quite standard hardware little brother" of CUPS. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
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