1
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
2
<!DOCTYPE chapter PUBLIC "-//Samba-Team//DTD DocBook V4.2-Based Variant V1.0//EN" "http://www.samba.org/samba/DTD/samba-doc">
3
<chapter id="CUPS-printing">
8
<firstname>Kurt</firstname><surname>Pfeifle</surname>
10
<orgname>Danka Deutschland GmbH </orgname>
11
<address><email>kpfeifle@danka.de</email></address>
15
<firstname>Ciprian</firstname><surname>Vizitiu</surname>
17
<address><email>CVizitiu@gbif.org</email></address>
19
<contrib>drawings</contrib>
22
<author>&person.jelmer;<contrib>drawings</contrib></author>
24
<pubdate> (27 Jan 2004) </pubdate>
27
<title>CUPS Printing Support</title>
31
<title>Introduction</title>
34
<title>Features and Benefits</title>
37
<indexterm><primary>default printing</primary></indexterm>
38
The Common UNIX Print System (<ulink url="http://www.cups.org/">CUPS</ulink>)
39
has become quite popular. All major Linux distributions now ship it as their default printing
40
system. To many, it is still a mystical tool. Mostly, it just works. People tend to regard
41
it as a <quote>black box</quote> that they do not want to look into as long as it works. But once
42
there is a little problem, they have trouble finding out where to start debugging it. Refer to
43
<link linkend="classicalprinting">Classical Printing</link>, which contains much information
44
that is also relevant to CUPS.
48
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary></indexterm>
49
CUPS sports quite a few unique and powerful features. While its basic functions may be grasped quite
50
easily, they are also new. Because it is different from other, more traditional printing systems, it is best
51
not to try to apply any prior knowledge about printing to this new system. Rather, try to understand CUPS from
52
the beginning. This documentation will lead you to a complete understanding of CUPS. Let's start with the most
59
<title>Overview</title>
62
<indexterm><primary>print spooling system</primary></indexterm>
63
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary></indexterm>
64
<indexterm><primary>printer management system</primary></indexterm>
65
<indexterm><primary>IETF</primary></indexterm>
66
<indexterm><primary>Internet Printing Protocol</primary><see>IPP</see></indexterm>
67
<indexterm><primary>Internet Engineering Task Force</primary><see>IETF</see></indexterm>
68
<indexterm><primary>GUI</primary></indexterm>
69
<indexterm><primary>KDEPrint</primary></indexterm>
70
CUPS is more than just a print spooling system. It is a complete printer management system that
71
complies with the new Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). IPP is an industry and Internet Engineering Task Force
72
(IETF) standard for network printing. Many of its functions can be managed remotely (or locally) via a Web
73
browser (giving you platform-independent access to the CUPS print server). Additionally, it has the
74
traditional command line and several more modern GUI interfaces (GUI interfaces developed by third parties,
75
like KDE's overwhelming <ulink url="http://printing.kde.org/">KDEPrint</ulink>).
79
<indexterm><primary>raw printers</primary></indexterm>
80
<indexterm><primary>smart printers</primary></indexterm>
81
CUPS allows creation of <emphasis>raw</emphasis> printers (i.e., no print file format translation) as
82
well as <emphasis>smart</emphasis> printers (i.e., CUPS does file format conversion as required for the
83
printer). In many ways, this gives CUPS capabilities similar to the MS Windows print monitoring system. Of
84
course, if you are a CUPS advocate, you would argue that CUPS is better! In any case, let us now explore how
85
to configure CUPS for interfacing with MS Windows print clients via Samba.
93
<title>Basic CUPS Support Configuration</title>
96
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary></indexterm>
97
<indexterm><primary>cupsd.conf</primary></indexterm>
98
<indexterm><primary>/etc/printcap</primary></indexterm>
99
<indexterm><primary>Printcap</primary></indexterm>
100
<indexterm><primary>PrintcapFormat</primary></indexterm>
101
Printing with CUPS in the most basic &smb.conf; setup in Samba-3.0 (as was true for 2.2.x) requires just two
102
parameters: <smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption> and <smbconfoption
103
name="printcap">cups</smbconfoption>. CUPS does not need a printcap file. However, the
104
<filename>cupsd.conf</filename> configuration file knows of two related directives that control how such a
105
file will be automatically created and maintained by CUPS for the convenience of third-party applications
106
(example: <parameter>Printcap /etc/printcap</parameter> and <parameter>PrintcapFormat BSD</parameter>).
107
Legacy programs often require the existence of a printcap file containing printer names or they will refuse to
108
print. Make sure CUPS is set to generate and maintain a printcap file. For details, see <command>man
109
cupsd.conf</command> and other CUPS-related documentation, like the wealth of documents regarding the CUPS
110
server itself available from the <ulink noescape="1"
111
url="http://localhost:631/documentation.html">CUPS</ulink> web site.
115
<title>Linking smbd with libcups.so</title>
118
<indexterm><primary>libcups.so</primary></indexterm>
119
Samba has a special relationship to CUPS. Samba can be compiled with CUPS library support.
120
Most recent installations have this support enabled. By default, CUPS linking is compiled
121
into smbd and other Samba binaries. Of course, you can use CUPS even
122
if Samba is not linked against <filename>libcups.so</filename> &smbmdash; but
123
there are some differences in required or supported configuration.
127
<indexterm><primary>libcups</primary></indexterm>
128
<indexterm><primary>ldd</primary></indexterm>
129
When Samba is compiled and linked with <filename>libcups</filename>, <smbconfoption name="printcap">cups</smbconfoption>
130
uses the CUPS API to list printers, submit jobs, query queues, and so on. Otherwise it maps to the System V
131
commands with an additional <command>-oraw</command> option for printing. On a Linux
132
system, you can use the <command>ldd</command> utility to find out if smbd has been linked with the
133
libcups library (<command>ldd</command> may not be present on other OS platforms, or its function may be embodied
134
by a different command):
136
&rootprompt;<userinput>ldd `which smbd`</userinput>
137
libssl.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6 (0x4002d000)
138
libcrypto.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6 (0x4005a000)
139
libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000)
145
<indexterm><primary>libcups.so.2</primary></indexterm>
146
The line <computeroutput>libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000)</computeroutput> shows
147
there is CUPS support compiled into this version of Samba. If this is the case, and printing = cups
148
is set, then <emphasis>any otherwise manually set print command in &smb.conf; is ignored</emphasis>.
149
This is an important point to remember!
152
<tip><para> Should it be necessary, for any reason, to set your own print commands, you can do this by setting
153
<smbconfoption name="printing">sysv</smbconfoption>. However, you will lose all the benefits
154
of tight CUPS-Samba integration. When you do this, you must manually configure the printing system commands
156
<smbconfoption name="print command"/>; other commands are
157
<smbconfoption name="lppause command"/>,
158
<smbconfoption name="lpresume command"/>,
159
<smbconfoption name="lpq command"/>,
160
<smbconfoption name="lprm command"/>,
161
<smbconfoption name="queuepause command"/> and
162
<smbconfoption name="queue resume command"/>).
168
<title>Simple &smb.conf; Settings for CUPS</title>
171
To summarize, <link linkend="cups-exam-simple">the Simplest Printing-Related
172
&smb.conf; file</link> shows the simplest printing-related setup for &smb.conf; to
173
enable basic CUPS support:
176
<example id="cups-exam-simple">
177
<title>Simplest Printing-Related smb.conf</title>
179
<smbconfsection name="[global]"/>
180
<smbconfoption name="load printers">yes</smbconfoption>
181
<smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>
182
<smbconfoption name="printcap name">cups</smbconfoption>
184
<smbconfsection name="[printers]"/>
185
<smbconfoption name="comment">All Printers</smbconfoption>
186
<smbconfoption name="path">/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption>
187
<smbconfoption name="browseable">no</smbconfoption>
188
<smbconfoption name="guest ok">yes</smbconfoption>
189
<smbconfoption name="writable">no</smbconfoption>
190
<smbconfoption name="printable">yes</smbconfoption>
191
<smbconfoption name="printer admin">root, @ntadmins, @smbprintadm</smbconfoption>
196
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
197
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
198
<indexterm><primary>printer driver</primary></indexterm>
199
This is all you need for basic printing setup for CUPS. It will print all graphic, text, PDF, and PostScript
200
files submitted from Windows clients. However, most of your Windows users would not know how to send these
201
kinds of files to print without opening a GUI application. Windows clients tend to have local printer drivers
202
installed, and the GUI application's print buttons start a printer driver. Your users also rarely send files
203
from the command line. Unlike UNIX clients, they rarely submit graphic, text, or PDF formatted files directly
204
to the spooler. They nearly exclusively print from GUI applications with a <quote>printer driver</quote>
205
hooked between the application's native format and the print data stream. If the backend printer is not a
206
PostScript device, the print data stream is <quote>binary,</quote> sensible only for the target printer. Read
207
on to learn what problem this may cause and how to avoid it.
213
<title>More Complex CUPS &smb.conf; Settings</title>
216
<link linkend="overridesettings">The Overriding Global CUPS Settings for One Printer example</link>
217
is a slightly more complex printing-related setup for &smb.conf;. It enables general CUPS printing
218
support for all printers, but defines one printer share, which is set up differently.
221
<example id="overridesettings">
222
<title>Overriding Global CUPS Settings for One Printer</title>
224
<smbconfsection name="[global]"/>
225
<smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>
226
<smbconfoption name="printcap name">cups</smbconfoption>
227
<smbconfoption name="load printers">yes</smbconfoption>
229
<smbconfsection name="[printers]"/>
230
<smbconfoption name="comment">All Printers</smbconfoption>
231
<smbconfoption name="path">/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption>
232
<smbconfoption name="guest ok">yes</smbconfoption>
233
<smbconfoption name="writable">no</smbconfoption>
234
<smbconfoption name="printable">yes</smbconfoption>
235
<smbconfoption name="printer admin">root, @ntadmins, @smbprintadm</smbconfoption>
237
<smbconfsection name="[special_printer]"/>
238
<smbconfoption name="comment">A special printer with his own settings</smbconfoption>
239
<smbconfoption name="path">/var/spool/samba-special</smbconfoption>
240
<smbconfoption name="printing">sysv</smbconfoption>
241
<smbconfoption name="printcap">lpstat</smbconfoption>
242
<smbconfoption name="print command">echo "NEW: `date`: printfile %f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ; echo " `date`: p-%p s-%s f-%f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ; echo " `date`: j-%j J-%J z-%z c-%c" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ; rm %f </smbconfoption>
243
<smbconfoption name="guest ok">no</smbconfoption>
244
<smbconfoption name="writable">no</smbconfoption>
245
<smbconfoption name="printable">yes</smbconfoption>
246
<smbconfoption name="printer admin">kurt</smbconfoption>
247
<smbconfoption name="hosts deny">0.0.0.0</smbconfoption>
248
<smbconfoption name="hosts allow">turbo_xp, 10.160.50.23, 10.160.51.60</smbconfoption>
253
This special share is only for testing purposes. It does not write the print job to a file. It just logs the job parameters
254
known to Samba into the <filename>/tmp/smbprn.log</filename> file and deletes the job-file. Moreover, the
255
<smbconfoption name="printer admin"/> of this share is <quote>kurt</quote> (not the <quote>@ntadmins</quote> group),
256
guest access is not allowed, the share isn't published to the Network Neighborhood (so you need to know it is there), and it
257
allows access from only three hosts. To prevent CUPS from kicking in and taking over the print jobs for that share, we need to set
258
<smbconfoption name="printing">sysv</smbconfoption> and <smbconfoption name="printcap">lpstat</smbconfoption>.
266
<title>Advanced Configuration</title>
269
Before we delve into all the configuration options, let us clarify a few points. <emphasis>Network printing
270
needs to be organized and set up correctly</emphasis>. This frequently doesn't happen. Legacy systems or small
271
business LAN environments often lack design and good housekeeping.
276
<title>Central Spooling vs. <quote>Peer-to-Peer</quote> Printing</title>
280
<indexterm><primary>spooling</primary></indexterm>
281
<indexterm><primary>spooling</primary><secondary>central</secondary></indexterm>
282
<indexterm><primary>spooling</primary><secondary>peer-to-peer</secondary></indexterm>
283
Many small office or home networks, as well as badly organized larger environments, allow each client a direct
284
access to available network printers. This is generally a bad idea. It often blocks one client's access to the
285
printer when another client's job is printing. It might freeze the first client's application while it is
286
waiting to get rid of the job. Also, there are frequent complaints about various jobs being printed with their
287
pages mixed with each other. A better concept is the use of a print server: it routes all jobs through one
288
central system, which responds immediately, takes jobs from multiple concurrent clients, and transfers them to
289
the printer(s) in the correct order.
295
<title>Raw Print Serving: Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients</title>
298
<indexterm><primary>spooling-only</primary></indexterm>
299
<indexterm><primary>raw printing</primary></indexterm>
300
Most traditionally configured UNIX print servers acting on behalf of
301
Samba's Windows clients represented a really simple setup. Their only
302
task was to manage the <quote>raw</quote> spooling of all jobs handed to them by
303
Samba. This approach meant that the Windows clients were expected to
304
prepare the print job file that is ready to be sent to the printing
305
device. In this case, a native (vendor-supplied) Windows printer driver needs to
306
be installed on each and every client for the target device.
310
<indexterm><primary>render</primary></indexterm>
311
<indexterm><primary>vendor-provided drivers</primary></indexterm>
312
It is possible to configure CUPS, Samba, and your Windows clients in the
313
same traditional and simple way. When CUPS printers are configured
314
for raw print-through mode operation, it is the responsibility of the
315
Samba client to fully render the print job (file). The file must be
316
sent in a format that is suitable for direct delivery to the
317
printer. Clients need to run the vendor-provided drivers to do
318
this. In this case, CUPS will not do any print file format conversion
323
The easiest printing configuration possible is raw print-through.
324
This is achieved by installation of the printer as if it were physically
325
attached to the Windows client. You then redirect output to a raw network
326
print queue. This procedure may be followed to achieve this:
330
<title>Configuration Steps for Raw CUPS Printing Support</title>
333
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.types</primary></indexterm>
334
Edit <filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> to uncomment the line
335
near the end of the file that has:
337
#application/octet-...
342
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.convs</primary></indexterm>
343
Do the same for the file <filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename>.
347
Add a raw printer using the Web interface. Point your browser at
348
<constant>http://localhost:631</constant>. Enter Administration, and add
349
the printer following the prompts. Do not install any drivers for it.
350
Choose Raw. Choose queue name <constant>Raw Queue</constant>.
354
In the &smb.conf; file <constant>[printers]</constant> section add
355
<smbconfoption name="use client driver">Yes</smbconfoption>,
356
and in the <constant>[global]</constant> section add
357
<smbconfoption name="printing">CUPS</smbconfoption>, plus
358
<smbconfoption name="printcap">CUPS</smbconfoption>.
362
Install the printer as if it is a local printer, that is, Printing to <constant>LPT1:</constant>.
366
Edit the configuration under the <guimenu>Detail</guimenu> tab and create a
367
<constant>local port</constant> that points to the raw printer queue that
368
you have configured above. Example: <constant>\\server\raw_q</constant>.
369
Here, the name <constant>raw_q</constant> is the name you gave the print
370
queue in the CUPS environment.
377
<title>Installation of Windows Client Drivers</title>
380
The printer drivers on the Windows clients may be installed
381
in two functionally different ways:
385
<listitem><para>Manually install the drivers locally on each client,
386
one by one; this yields the old LanMan style
387
printing and uses a <filename>\\sambaserver\printershare</filename>
388
type of connection.</para></listitem>
392
<indexterm><primary>point 'n' print</primary></indexterm>
393
Deposit and prepare the drivers (for later download) on
394
the print server (Samba); this enables the clients to use
395
<quote>Point'n'Print</quote> to get drivers semi-automatically installed the
396
first time they access the printer; with this method NT/200x/XP
397
clients use the <emphasis>SPOOLSS/MS-RPC</emphasis>
398
type printing calls.</para></listitem>
402
The second method is recommended for use over the first as it reduces the
403
administrative efforts and prevents that different versions of the drivers
404
are used accidentally.
408
<sect2 id="cups-raw">
409
<title>Explicitly Enable <quote>raw</quote> Printing for <emphasis>application/octet-stream</emphasis></title>
413
<indexterm><primary>application/octet-stream</primary></indexterm>
414
<indexterm><primary>raw printing</primary></indexterm>
415
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary><secondary>raw</secondary></indexterm>
416
If you use the first option (drivers are installed on the client
417
side), there is one setting to take care of: CUPS needs to be told
418
that it should allow <quote>raw</quote> printing of deliberate (binary) file
419
formats. The CUPS files that need to be correctly set for raw mode
420
printers to work are:
424
<listitem><para><filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename></para></listitem>
425
<listitem><para><filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename></para></listitem>
429
Both contain entries (at the end of the respective files) that must be uncommented to allow RAW mode
430
operation. In <filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename>, make sure this line is present:
432
application/octet-stream
434
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.convs</primary></indexterm>
435
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.types</primary></indexterm>
436
In <filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename>, have this line:
437
<indexterm><primary>application/vnd.cups-raw</primary></indexterm>
439
application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
441
If these two files are not set up correctly for raw Windows client
442
printing, you may encounter the dreaded <computeroutput>Unable to
443
convert file 0</computeroutput> in your CUPS <filename>error_log</filename> file.
447
Editing the <filename>mime.convs</filename> and the <filename>mime.types</filename> file does
448
not <emphasis>enforce</emphasis> <quote>raw</quote> printing, it only <emphasis>allows</emphasis> it.
451
<formalpara><title>Background</title>
454
<indexterm><primary>application/octet-stream</primary></indexterm>
455
<indexterm><primary>MIME type</primary></indexterm>
456
That CUPS is a more security-aware printing system than traditional ones does not by default allow a user to
457
send deliberate (possibly binary) data to printing devices. This could be easily abused to launch a
458
<quote>Denial of Service</quote> attack on your printer(s), causing at least the loss of a lot of paper and
459
ink. <quote>Unknown</quote> data are tagged by CUPS as <parameter>MIME type: application/octet-stream</parameter>
460
and not allowed to go to the printer. By default, you can only send other (known) MIME types <quote>raw.</quote>
461
Sending data <quote>raw</quote> means that CUPS does not try to convert them and passes them to the printer
467
This is all you need to know to get the CUPS/Samba combo printing
468
<quote>raw</quote> files prepared by Windows clients, which have vendor drivers
469
locally installed. If you are not interested in background information about
470
more advanced CUPS/Samba printing, simply skip the remaining sections
477
<title>Driver Upload Methods</title>
480
This section describes three familiar methods, plus one new one, by which
481
printer drivers may be uploaded.
485
<indexterm><primary>point'n'print</primary></indexterm>
486
If you want to use the MS-RPC-type printing, you must upload the
487
drivers onto the Samba server first (<smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
488
share). For a discussion on how to deposit printer drivers on the
489
Samba host (so the Windows clients can download and use them via
490
<quote>Point'n'Print</quote>), please refer to the <link linkend="classicalprinting">Classical Printing
491
chapter</link> of this book. There you will find a description or reference to
492
three methods of preparing the client drivers on the Samba server:
497
<indexterm><primary>add printer wizard</primary></indexterm>
498
The GUI, <quote>Add Printer Wizard</quote> <emphasis>upload-from-a-Windows-client</emphasis> method.
502
The command line, <quote>smbclient/rpcclient</quote> upload-from-a-UNIX-workstation method.
506
<indexterm><primary>imprints</primary></indexterm>
507
The Imprints tool set method.
512
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
513
These three methods apply to CUPS all the same. The <command>cupsaddsmb</command> utility is a new and more
514
convenient way to load the Windows drivers into Samba and is provided if you use CUPS.
518
<command>cupsaddsmb</command> is discussed in much detail later in this chapter. But we first
519
explore the CUPS filtering system and compare the Windows and UNIX printing architectures.
527
<title>Advanced Intelligent Printing with PostScript Driver Download</title>
530
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary><seealso>Ghostscript</seealso></indexterm>
531
We now know how to set up a <quote>dump</quote> print server, that is, a server that spools
532
print jobs <quote>raw</quote>, leaving the print data untouched.
536
You might need to set up CUPS in a smarter way. The reasons could be manifold:
539
<indexterm><primary>print statistics</primary></indexterm>
540
<indexterm><primary>average print run</primary></indexterm>
541
<indexterm><primary>print quota</primary></indexterm>
543
<listitem><para>Maybe your boss wants to get monthly statistics: Which
544
printer did how many pages? What was the average data size of a job?
545
What was the average print run per day? What are the typical hourly
546
peaks in printing? Which department prints how much?</para></listitem>
548
<listitem><para>Maybe you are asked to set up a print quota system:
549
Users should not be able to print more jobs once they have surpassed
550
a given limit per period.</para></listitem>
552
<listitem><para>Maybe your previous network printing setup is a mess
553
and must be re-organized from a clean beginning.</para></listitem>
555
<listitem><para>Maybe you are experiencing too many <quote>blue screens</quote>
556
originating from poorly debugged printer drivers running in NT <quote>kernel mode</quote>?</para></listitem>
560
These goals cannot be achieved by a raw print server. To build a
561
server meeting these requirements, you'll first need to learn
562
how CUPS works and how you can enable its features.
566
What follows is the comparison of some fundamental concepts for
567
Windows and UNIX printing, then a description of the
568
CUPS filtering system, how it works, and how you can tweak it.
572
<title>GDI on Windows, PostScript on UNIX</title>
575
<indexterm><primary>GDI</primary></indexterm>
576
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
577
Network printing is one of the most complicated and error-prone
578
day-to-day tasks any user or administrator may encounter. This is
579
true for all OS platforms, and there are reasons it is so.
584
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm>
585
<indexterm><primary>PDL</primary></indexterm>
586
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
587
<indexterm><primary>Adobe</primary></indexterm>
588
<indexterm><primary>page description languages</primary><see>PDL</see></indexterm>
589
You can't expect to throw just any file format at a printer and have it get printed. A file format conversion
590
must take place. The problem is that there is no common standard for print file formats across all
591
manufacturers and printer types. While PostScript (trademark held by Adobe) and, to an extent, PCL (trademark
592
held by Hewlett-Packard) have developed into semi-official <quote>standards</quote> by being the most widely
593
used page description languages (PDLs), there are still many manufacturers who <quote>roll their own</quote>
594
(their reasons may be unacceptable license fees for using printer-embedded PostScript interpreters, and so on).
600
<title>Windows Drivers, GDI, and EMF</title>
603
<indexterm><primary>GDI</primary></indexterm>
604
<indexterm><primary>EMF</primary></indexterm>
605
<indexterm><primary>WYSIWYG</primary></indexterm>
606
<indexterm><primary>Enhanced MetaFile</primary><see>EMF</see></indexterm>
607
In Windows OS, the format conversion job is done by the printer drivers. On MS Windows OS platforms all
608
application programmers have at their disposal a built-in API, the graphical device interface (GDI), as part
609
and parcel of the OS itself to base themselves on. This GDI core is used as one common unified ground for all
610
Windows programs to draw pictures, fonts, and documents <emphasis>on screen</emphasis> as well as <emphasis>on
611
paper</emphasis> (print). Therefore, printer driver developers can standardize on a well-defined GDI output
612
for their own driver input. Achieving WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) is relatively easy, because the
613
on-screen graphic primitives, as well as the on-paper drawn objects, come from one common source. This source,
614
the GDI, often produces a file format called Enhanced MetaFile (EMF). The EMF is processed by the printer
615
driver and converted to the printer-specific file format.
619
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
620
<indexterm><primary>Xprint</primary></indexterm>
621
<indexterm><primary>core graphic engine</primary></indexterm>
622
To the GDI foundation in MS Windows, Apple has chosen to put paper and screen output on a common foundation
623
for its (BSD-UNIX-based, did you know?) Mac OS X and Darwin operating <indexterm><primary>X Window
624
System</primary></indexterm> <indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
625
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm> <indexterm><primary>Xprint</primary></indexterm> systems.
626
Apple's <emphasis>core graphic engine</emphasis> uses a <emphasis>PDF</emphasis> derivative for all display work.
630
The example in <link linkend="1small">Windows Printing to a Local Printer</link> illustrates local Windows
635
<title>Windows Printing to a Local Printer.</title>
636
<imagefile>1small</imagefile>
642
<title>UNIX Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics</title>
645
<indexterm><primary>X Window System</primary></indexterm>
646
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
647
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm>
648
<indexterm><primary>Xprint</primary></indexterm>
649
In UNIX and Linux, there is no comparable layer built into the OS kernel(s) or the X (screen display) server.
650
Every application is responsible for itself to create its print output. Fortunately, most use PostScript and
651
that at least gives some common ground. Unfortunately, there are many different levels of quality for this
652
PostScript. And worse, there is a huge difference (and no common root) in the way the same document is
653
displayed on screen and how it is presented on paper. WYSIWYG is more difficult to achieve. This goes back to
654
the time, decades ago, when the predecessors of X.org, designing the UNIX foundations and protocols for
655
graphical user interfaces, refused to take responsibility for <quote>paper output</quote>, as some had
656
demanded at the time, and restricted itself to <quote>on-screen only.</quote> (For some years now, the
657
<quote>Xprint</quote> project has been under development, attempting to build printing support into the X
658
framework, including a PostScript and a PCL driver, but it is not yet ready for prime time.) You can see this
659
unfavorable inheritance up to the present day by looking into the various <quote>font</quote> directories on
660
your system; there are separate ones for fonts used for X display and fonts to be used on paper.
664
<title>Background</title>
667
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
668
<indexterm><primary>color</primary></indexterm>
669
<indexterm><primary>linewidth</primary></indexterm>
670
<indexterm><primary>scale</primary></indexterm>
671
<indexterm><primary>distort</primary></indexterm>
672
<indexterm><primary>rotate</primary></indexterm>
673
<indexterm><primary>shift</primary></indexterm>
674
<indexterm><primary>raster images</primary></indexterm>
675
<indexterm><primary>display PostScript</primary></indexterm>
676
<indexterm><primary>graphical objects</primary></indexterm>
677
The PostScript programming language is an <quote>invention</quote> by Adobe, but its specifications have been
678
published extensively. Its strength lies in its powerful abilities to describe graphical objects (fonts,
679
shapes, patterns, lines, curves, and dots), their attributes (color, linewidth), and the way to manipulate
680
(scale, distort, rotate, shift) them. Because of its open specification, anybody with the skill can start
681
writing his or her own implementation of a PostScript interpreter and use it to display PostScript files on
682
screen or on paper. Most graphical output devices are based on the concept of <quote>raster images</quote> or
683
<quote>pixels</quote> (one notable exception is pen plotters). Of course, you can look at a PostScript file in
684
its textual form and you will be reading its PostScript code, the language instructions that need to be
685
interpreted by a rasterizer. Rasterizers produce pixel images, which may be displayed on screen by a viewer
686
program or on paper by a printer.
691
<sect2 id="post-and-ghost">
692
<title>PostScript and Ghostscript</title>
695
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
696
<indexterm><primary>GhostScript</primary><seealso>PostScript</seealso></indexterm>
697
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary><secondary>RIP</secondary></indexterm>
698
<indexterm><primary>PostScript interpreter</primary></indexterm>
699
<indexterm><primary>raster image processor</primary><see>RIP</see></indexterm>
700
So UNIX is lacking a common ground for printing on paper and displaying on screen. Despite this unfavorable
701
legacy for UNIX, basic printing is fairly easy if you have PostScript printers at your disposal. The reason is
702
that these devices have a built-in PostScript language <quote>interpreter,</quote> also called a raster image
703
processor (RIP), (which makes them more expensive than other types of printers; throw PostScript toward them,
704
and they will spit out your printed pages. The RIP does all the hard work of converting the PostScript drawing
705
commands into a bitmap picture as you see it on paper, in a resolution as done by your printer. This is no
706
different than PostScript printing a file from a Windows origin.
710
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
711
<indexterm><primary>PPD-aware</primary></indexterm>
712
<indexterm><primary>PostScript Printer Description</primary><see>PPD</see></indexterm>
713
Traditional UNIX programs and printing systems &smbmdash; while using PostScript &smbmdash; are largely not
714
PPD-aware. PPDs are <quote>PostScript Printer Description</quote> files. They enable you to specify and
715
control all options a printer supports: duplexing, stapling, and punching. Therefore, UNIX users for a long
716
time couldn't choose many of the supported device and job options, unlike Windows or Apple users. But now
717
there is CUPS. as illustrated in <link linkend="2small">Printing to a PostScript Printer</link>.
722
<title>Printing to a PostScript Printer.</title>
723
<imagefile>2small</imagefile>
727
<indexterm><primary>PDL</primary></indexterm>
728
However, there are other types of printers out there. These do not know how to print PostScript. They use
729
their own PDL, often proprietary. To print to them is much more demanding. Since your UNIX applications mostly
730
produce PostScript, and since these devices do not understand PostScript, you need to convert the print files
731
to a format suitable for your printer on the host before you can send it away.
737
<title>Ghostscript: The Software RIP for Non-PostScript Printers</title>
740
<indexterm><primary>GhostScript</primary></indexterm>
741
Here is where Ghostscript kicks in. Ghostscript is the traditional (and quite powerful) PostScript interpreter
742
used on UNIX platforms. It is a RIP in software, capable of doing a <emphasis>lot</emphasis> of file format
743
conversions for a very broad spectrum of hardware devices as well as software file formats. Ghostscript
744
technology and drivers are what enable PostScript printing to non-PostScript hardware. This is shown in
745
<link linkend="3small">Ghostscript as a RIP for Non-PostScript Printers</link>.
749
<title>Ghostscript as a RIP for Non-PostScript Printers.</title>
750
<imagefile>3small</imagefile>
754
<indexterm><primary>PNG</primary></indexterm>
755
<indexterm><primary>AFPL</primary></indexterm>
756
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary></indexterm>
757
Use the <quote>gs -h</quote> command to check for all built-in <quote>devices</quote> on your Ghostscript
758
version. If you specify a parameter of <parameter>-sDEVICE=png256</parameter> on your Ghostscript command
759
line, you are asking Ghostscript to convert the input into a PNG file. Naming a <quote>device</quote> on the
760
command line is the most important single parameter to tell Ghostscript exactly how it should render the
761
input. New Ghostscript versions are released at fairly regular intervals, now by artofcode LLC. They are
762
initially put under the <quote>AFPL</quote> license, but re-released under the GNU GPL as soon as the next
763
AFPL version appears. GNU Ghostscript is probably the version installed on most Samba systems. But it has some
764
deficiencies. <indexterm><primary>Ghostscript</primary><secondary>ESP</secondary><see>ESP
765
GhostScript</see></indexterm> Therefore, ESP Ghostscript was developed as an enhancement over GNU Ghostscript,
766
with lots of bug-fixes, additional devices, and improvements. It is jointly maintained by developers from
767
CUPS, Gutenprint, MandrakeSoft, SuSE, Red Hat, and Debian. It includes the <quote>cups</quote> device
768
(essential to print to non-PS printers from CUPS).
774
<title>PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification</title>
777
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
778
<indexterm><primary>PDL</primary></indexterm>
779
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
780
While PostScript in essence is a PDL to represent the page layout in a device-independent way, real-world
781
print jobs are always ending up being output on hardware with device-specific features. To take care of all
782
the differences in hardware and to allow for innovations, Adobe has specified a syntax and file format for
783
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files. Every PostScript printer ships with one of these files.
787
PPDs contain all the information about general and special features of the
788
given printer model: Which different resolutions can it handle? Does
789
it have a duplexing unit? How many paper trays are there? What media
790
types and sizes does it take? For each item, it also names the special
791
command string to be sent to the printer (mostly inside the PostScript
792
file) in order to enable it.
796
Information from these PPDs is meant to be taken into account by the
797
printer drivers. Therefore, installed as part of the Windows
798
PostScript driver for a given printer is the printer's PPD. Where it
799
makes sense, the PPD features are presented in the drivers' UI dialogs
800
to display to the user a choice of print options. In the end, the
801
user selections are somehow written (in the form of special
802
PostScript, PJL, JCL, or vendor-dependent commands) into the PostScript
803
file created by the driver.
807
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
808
<indexterm><primary>PDF distilling</primary></indexterm>
809
A PostScript file that was created to contain device-specific commands
810
for achieving a certain print job output (e.g., duplexed, stapled, and
811
punched) on a specific target machine may not print as expected, or
812
may not be printable at all on other models; it also may not be fit
813
for further processing by software (e.g., by a PDF distilling program).
818
<title>Using Windows-Formatted Vendor PPDs</title>
821
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary></indexterm>
822
<indexterm><primary>PPDs</primary></indexterm>
823
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
824
CUPS can handle all spec-compliant PPDs as supplied by the manufacturers for their PostScript models. Even if
825
a vendor does not mention our favorite OS in his or her manuals and brochures, you can safely trust this:
826
<emphasis>If you get the Windows NT version of the PPD, you can use it unchanged in CUPS</emphasis> and thus
827
access the full power of your printer just like a Windows NT user could!
831
To check the spec compliance of any PPD online, go to <ulink noescape="1"
832
url="http://www.cups.org/testppd.php">http://www.cups.org/testppd.php</ulink> and upload your PPD. You will
833
see the results displayed immediately. CUPS in all versions after 1.1.19 has a much stricter internal PPD
834
parsing and checking code enabled; in case of printing trouble, this online resource should be one of your
839
<indexterm><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
840
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
841
For real PostScript printers, <emphasis>do not</emphasis> use the <emphasis>Foomatic</emphasis> or
842
<emphasis>cupsomatic</emphasis> PPDs from Linuxprinting.org. With these devices, the original vendor-provided
843
PPDs are always the first choice.
847
<indexterm><primary>W32X86/2</primary></indexterm>
848
If you are looking for an original vendor-provided PPD of a specific device, and you know that an NT4 box (or
849
any other Windows box) on your LAN has the PostScript driver installed, just use <command>smbclient
850
//NT4-box/print\$ -U username</command> to access the Windows directory where all printer driver files are
851
stored. First look in the <filename>W32X86/2</filename> subdirectory for the PPD you are seeking.
856
<title>CUPS Also Uses PPDs for Non-PostScript Printers</title>
859
<indexterm><primary>non-PostScript</primary></indexterm>
860
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
861
<indexterm><primary>CUPS filtering</primary></indexterm>
862
CUPS also uses specially crafted PPDs to handle non-PostScript printers. These PPDs are usually not available
863
from the vendors (and no, you can't just take the PPD of a PostScript printer with the same model name and
864
hope it works for the non-PostScript version too). To understand how these PPDs work for non-PS printers, we
865
first need to dive deeply into the CUPS filtering and file format conversion architecture. Stay tuned.
873
<title>The CUPS Filtering Architecture</title>
876
<indexterm><primary>CUPS filtering</primary></indexterm>
877
<indexterm><primary>Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
878
<indexterm><primary>MIME type</primary></indexterm>
879
<indexterm><primary>MIME recognition</primary></indexterm>
880
<indexterm><primary>MIME conversion rules</primary></indexterm>
881
The core of the CUPS filtering system is based on Ghostscript. In addition to Ghostscript, CUPS uses some
882
other filters of its own. You (or your OS vendor) may have plugged in even more filters. CUPS handles all data
883
file formats under the label of various MIME types. Every incoming print file is subjected to an initial
884
autotyping. The autotyping determines its given MIME type. A given MIME type implies zero or more possible
885
filtering chains relevant to the selected target printer. This section discusses how MIME types recognition
886
and conversion rules interact. They are used by CUPS to automatically set up a working filtering chain for any
887
given input data format.
891
If CUPS rasterizes a PostScript file natively to a bitmap, this is done in two stages:
896
<indexterm><primary>generic raster format</primary></indexterm>
897
<indexterm><primary>CUPS raster</primary></indexterm>
898
The first stage uses a Ghostscript device named <quote>cups</quote>
899
(this is since version 1.1.15) and produces a generic raster format
900
called <quote>CUPS raster</quote>.
904
<indexterm><primary>raster driver</primary></indexterm>
905
The second stage uses a <quote>raster driver</quote> that converts
906
the generic CUPS raster to a device-specific raster.
911
<indexterm><primary>Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
912
<indexterm><primary>GNU Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
913
<indexterm><primary>ESP Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
914
Make sure your Ghostscript version has the <quote>cups</quote> device compiled in (check with <command>gs -h |
915
grep cups</command>). Otherwise you may encounter the dreaded <computeroutput>Unable to convert file
916
0</computeroutput> in your CUPS error_log file. To have <quote>cups</quote> as a device in your Ghostscript,
917
you either need to patch GNU Ghostscript and recompile or use
918
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>Ghostscript</secondary></indexterm><ulink
919
url="http://www.cups.org/ghostscript.php">ESP Ghostscript</ulink>. The superior alternative is ESP
920
Ghostscript. It supports not just CUPS, but 300 other devices (while GNU Ghostscript supports only about 180).
921
Because of this broad output device support, ESP Ghostscript is the first choice for non-CUPS spoolers, too.
922
It is now recommended by Linuxprinting.org for all spoolers.
926
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
927
<indexterm><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
928
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
929
<indexterm><primary>ESP Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
930
CUPS printers may be set up to use external rendering paths. One of the most common is provided by the
931
Foomatic/cupsomatic concept from <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/">Linuxprinting.org</ulink>. This
932
uses the classical Ghostscript approach, doing everything in one step. It does not use the
933
<quote>cups</quote> device, but one of the many others. However, even for Foomatic/cupsomatic usage, best
934
results and <indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>Ghostscript</secondary></indexterm> broadest printer
935
model support is provided by ESP Ghostscript (more about Foomatic/cupsomatic, particularly the new version
936
called now <emphasis>foomatic-rip</emphasis>, follows).
940
<title>MIME Types and CUPS Filters</title>
944
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary><secondary>filters</secondary></indexterm>
945
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary></indexterm>
946
<indexterm><primary>mime.types</primary></indexterm>
947
<indexterm><primary>application/pdf</primary></indexterm>
948
<indexterm><primary>autotyping</primary></indexterm>
949
CUPS reads the file <filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> (and all other files carrying a
950
<filename>*.types</filename> suffix in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain the MIME type
951
recognition rules that are applied when CUPS runs its autotyping routines. The rule syntax is explained in the
952
man page for <filename>mime.types</filename> and in the comments section of the
953
<filename>mime.types</filename> file itself. A simple rule reads like this:
954
<indexterm><primary>application/pdf</primary></indexterm>
956
application/pdf pdf string(0,%PDF)
958
<indexterm><primary>%PDF</primary></indexterm>
959
<indexterm><primary>.pdf</primary></indexterm>
960
This means if a filename has a <filename>.pdf</filename> suffix or if the magic string
961
<emphasis>%PDF</emphasis> is right at the beginning of the file itself (offset 0 from the start), then it is a
962
PDF file (<parameter>application/pdf</parameter>). Another rule is this:
964
application/postscript ai eps ps string(0,%!) string(0,<04>%!)
966
<indexterm><primary>suffixes</primary></indexterm>
967
<indexterm><primary>.ai</primary></indexterm>
968
<indexterm><primary>.eps</primary></indexterm>
969
<indexterm><primary>.ps</primary></indexterm>
970
<indexterm><primary>generic PostScript</primary></indexterm>
971
<indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
972
If the filename has one of the suffixes <filename>.ai</filename>, <filename>.eps</filename>,
973
<filename>.ps</filename>, or if the file itself starts with one of the strings <emphasis>%!</emphasis> or
974
<emphasis><![CDATA[<04>%!]]></emphasis>, it is a generic PostScript file
975
(<parameter>application/postscript</parameter>).
979
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/</primary></indexterm>
980
Don't confuse the other mime.types files your system might be using
981
with the one in the <filename>/etc/cups/</filename> directory.
985
<indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
986
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
987
<indexterm><primary>filter</primary></indexterm>
988
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
989
<indexterm><primary>transformation</primary></indexterm>
990
There is an important difference between two similar MIME types in CUPS: one is
991
<parameter>application/postscript</parameter>, the other is
992
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>. While <parameter>application/postscript</parameter> is
993
meant to be device-independent, job options for the file are still outside the PS file content, embedded in
994
command line or environment variables by CUPS, <parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter> may have
995
the job options inserted into the PostScript data itself (where applicable). The transformation of the generic
996
PostScript (<parameter>application/postscript</parameter>) to the device-specific version
997
(<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>) is the responsibility of the CUPS
998
<parameter>pstops</parameter> filter. pstops uses information contained in the PPD to do the transformation.
1002
<indexterm><primary>ASCII</primary></indexterm>
1003
<indexterm><primary>HP-GL</primary></indexterm>
1004
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
1005
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1006
<indexterm><primary>DVI</primary></indexterm>
1007
<indexterm><primary>GIF</primary></indexterm>
1008
<indexterm><primary>PNG</primary></indexterm>
1009
<indexterm><primary>TIFF</primary></indexterm>
1010
<indexterm><primary>JPEG</primary></indexterm>
1011
<indexterm><primary>Photo-CD</primary></indexterm>
1012
<indexterm><primary>SUN-Raster</primary></indexterm>
1013
<indexterm><primary>PNM</primary></indexterm>
1014
<indexterm><primary>PBM</primary></indexterm>
1015
<indexterm><primary>SGI-RGB</primary></indexterm>
1016
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary></indexterm>
1017
<indexterm><primary>filters</primary></indexterm>
1018
CUPS can handle ASCII text, HP-GL, PDF, PostScript, DVI, and
1019
many image formats (GIF, PNG, TIFF, JPEG, Photo-CD, SUN-Raster,
1020
PNM, PBM, SGI-RGB, and more) and their associated MIME types
1027
<title>MIME Type Conversion Rules</title>
1031
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary></indexterm>
1032
<indexterm><primary>application/pdf</primary></indexterm>
1033
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.convs</primary></indexterm>
1034
<indexterm><primary>application/pdf</primary></indexterm>
1035
<indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
1036
CUPS reads the file <filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename>
1037
(and all other files named with a <filename>*.convs</filename>
1038
suffix in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain
1039
lines naming an input MIME type, an output MIME type, a format
1040
conversion filter that can produce the output from the input type,
1041
and virtual costs associated with this conversion. One example line
1044
application/pdf application/postscript 33 pdftops
1046
<indexterm><primary>pdftops</primary></indexterm>
1047
This means that the <parameter>pdftops</parameter> filter will take
1048
<parameter>application/pdf</parameter> as input and produce
1049
<parameter>application/postscript</parameter> as output; the virtual
1050
cost of this operation is 33 CUPS-$. The next filter is more
1051
expensive, costing 66 CUPS-$:
1052
<indexterm><primary>pdf</primary></indexterm>
1054
application/vnd.hp-HPGL application/postscript 66 hpgltops
1056
<indexterm><primary>hpgltops</primary></indexterm>
1057
This is the <parameter>hpgltops</parameter>, which processes HP-GL
1058
plotter files to PostScript.
1059
<indexterm><primary>application/octet-stream</primary></indexterm>
1061
application/octet-stream
1063
Here are two more examples:
1064
<indexterm><primary>text/plain</primary></indexterm>
1065
<indexterm><primary>application/x-shell</primary></indexterm>
1066
<indexterm><primary>text/plain</primary></indexterm>
1067
<indexterm><primary>texttops</primary></indexterm>
1069
application/x-shell application/postscript 33 texttops
1070
text/plain application/postscript 33 texttops
1072
<indexterm><primary>application/x-shell</primary></indexterm>
1073
The last two examples name the <parameter>texttops</parameter> filter to work on
1074
<parameter>text/plain</parameter> as well as on <parameter>application/x-shell</parameter>. (Hint: This
1075
differentiation is needed for the syntax highlighting feature of <parameter>texttops</parameter>).
1080
<title>Filtering Overview</title>
1083
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary></indexterm>
1084
There are many more combinations named in <filename>mime.convs</filename>. However, you are not limited to use
1085
the ones predefined there. You can plug in any filter you like to the CUPS framework. It must meet, or must be
1086
made to meet, some minimal requirements. If you find (or write) a cool conversion filter of some kind, make
1087
sure it complies with what CUPS needs and put in the right lines in <filename>mime.types</filename> and
1088
<filename>mime.convs</filename>; then it will work seamlessly inside CUPS.
1092
<title>Filter Requirements</title>
1095
The <quote>CUPS requirements</quote> for filters are simple. Take filenames or <filename>stdin</filename> as
1096
input and write to <filename>stdout</filename>. They should take these arguments:
1100
<varlistentry><term>printer</term>
1102
The name of the printer queue (normally this is the name of the filter being run).
1106
<varlistentry><term>job</term>
1108
The numeric job ID for the job being printed.
1112
<varlistentry><term>user</term>
1114
The string from the originating-user-name attribute.
1118
<varlistentry><term>title</term>
1120
The string from the job-name attribute.
1124
<varlistentry><term>copies</term>
1126
The numeric value from the number-copies attribute.
1130
<varlistentry><term>options</term>
1136
<varlistentry><term>filename</term>
1138
(optionally) The print request file (if missing, filters expect data
1139
fed through <filename>stdin</filename>). In most cases, it is easy to
1140
write a simple wrapper script around existing filters to make them work with CUPS.
1150
<title>Prefilters</title>
1153
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1154
<indexterm><primary>non-PostScript printers</primary></indexterm>
1155
<indexterm><primary>raster</primary></indexterm>
1156
As previously stated, PostScript is the central file format to any UNIX-based
1157
printing system. From PostScript, CUPS generates raster data to feed
1158
non-PostScript printers.
1162
<indexterm><primary>prefilters</primary></indexterm>
1163
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1164
<indexterm><primary>ASCII text</primary></indexterm>
1165
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
1166
<indexterm><primary>DVI</primary></indexterm>
1167
<indexterm><primary>HP-GL.</primary></indexterm>
1168
<indexterm><primary>MIME type</primary></indexterm>
1169
<indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
1170
<indexterm><primary>pstops</primary></indexterm>
1171
<indexterm><primary>application/vnd.cups-postscript</primary></indexterm>
1172
But what happens if you send one of the supported non-PS formats to print? Then CUPS runs
1173
<quote>prefilters</quote> on these input formats to generate PostScript first. There are prefilters to create
1174
PostScript from ASCII text, PDF, DVI, or HP-GL. The outcome of these filters is always of MIME type
1175
<parameter>application/postscript</parameter> (meaning that any device-specific print options are not yet
1176
embedded into the PostScript by CUPS and that the next filter to be called is pstops). Another prefilter is
1177
running on all supported image formats, the <parameter>imagetops</parameter> filter. Its outcome is always of
1178
MIME type <parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter> (not application/postscript), meaning it has
1179
the print options already embedded into the file. This is shown in <link linkend="4small">Prefiltering in
1180
CUPS to Form PostScript</link>.
1183
<figure id="4small">
1184
<title>Prefiltering in CUPS to Form PostScript.</title>
1185
<imagefile scale="25">4small</imagefile>
1191
<title>pstops</title>
1194
<indexterm><primary>pstops</primary></indexterm>
1195
<indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
1196
<indexterm><primary>application/vnd.cups-postscript</primary></indexterm>
1197
<indexterm><primary>output duplexing</primary></indexterm>
1198
<indexterm><primary>stapling</primary></indexterm>
1199
<indexterm><primary>punching</primary></indexterm>
1200
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1201
<emphasis>pstops</emphasis> is a filter that is used to convert <parameter>application/postscript</parameter> to
1202
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>. As stated earlier, this filter inserts all
1203
device-specific print options (commands to the printer to ask for the duplexing of output, or stapling and
1204
punching it, and so on) into the PostScript file. An example is illustrated in <link
1205
linkend="5small">Adding Device-Specific Print Options</link>.
1208
<figure id="5small">
1209
<title>Adding Device-Specific Print Options.</title>
1210
<imagefile scale="25">5small</imagefile>
1214
This is not all. Other tasks performed by it are:
1219
Selecting the range of pages to be printed (e.g., you can choose to
1220
print only pages <quote>3, 6, 8-11, 16, and 19-21</quote>, or only odd-numbered
1225
Putting two or more logical pages on one sheet of paper (the
1226
so-called <quote>number-up</quote> function).
1229
<listitem><para>Counting the pages of the job to insert the accounting
1230
information into the <filename>/var/log/cups/page_log</filename>.
1236
<title>pstoraster</title>
1239
<indexterm><primary>pstoraster</primary></indexterm>
1240
<indexterm><primary>rasterization</primary></indexterm>
1241
<indexterm><primary>raster drivers</primary></indexterm>
1242
<parameter>pstoraster</parameter> is at the core of the CUPS filtering system. It is responsible for the first
1243
stage of the rasterization process. Its input is of MIME type application/vnd.cups-postscript; its output is
1244
application/vnd.cups-raster. This output format is not yet meant to be printable. Its aim is to serve as a
1245
general-purpose input format for more specialized <emphasis>raster drivers</emphasis> that are able to
1246
generate device-specific printer data. This is shown in <link linkend="cups-raster">the PostScript to
1247
Intermediate Raster Format diagram</link>.
1250
<figure id="cups-raster">
1251
<title>PostScript to Intermediate Raster Format.</title>
1252
<imagefile scale="25">6small</imagefile>
1256
<indexterm><primary>CUPS raster</primary></indexterm>
1257
<indexterm><primary>generic raster</primary></indexterm>
1258
<indexterm><primary>IANA</primary></indexterm>
1259
<indexterm><primary>raster drivers</primary></indexterm>
1260
CUPS raster is a generic raster format with powerful features. It is able to include per-page information,
1261
color profiles, and more, to be used by the downstream raster drivers. Its MIME type is registered with IANA
1262
and its specification is, of course, completely open. It is designed to make it quite easy and inexpensive for
1263
manufacturers to develop Linux and UNIX raster drivers for their printer models should they choose to do so.
1264
CUPS always takes care of the first stage of rasterization so these vendors do not need to care about
1265
Ghostscript complications (in fact, there are currently more than one vendor financing the development of CUPS
1266
raster drivers). This is illustrated in <link linkend="cups-raster2">the CUPS-Raster Production Using
1267
Ghostscript illustration</link>.
1270
<figure id="cups-raster2">
1271
<title>CUPS-Raster Production Using Ghostscript.</title>
1272
<imagefile>7small</imagefile>
1276
<indexterm><primary>pstoraster</primary></indexterm>
1277
<indexterm><primary>GNU Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
1278
<indexterm><primary>AFPL Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
1279
<indexterm><primary>standalone filter</primary></indexterm>
1280
CUPS versions before version 1.1.15 shipped a binary (or source code) standalone filter, named
1281
<parameter>pstoraster</parameter>. <parameter>pstoraster</parameter>, which was derived from GNU Ghostscript
1282
5.50 and could be installed instead of and in addition to any GNU or AFPL Ghostscript package without
1287
Since version 1.1.15, this feature has changed. The functions for this filter have been integrated back
1288
into Ghostscript (now based on GNU Ghostscript version 7.05). The <parameter>pstoraster</parameter> filter is
1289
now a simple shell script calling <command>gs</command> with the <command>-sDEVICE=cups</command> parameter.
1290
If your Ghostscript fails when this command is executed: <command>gs -h |grep cups</command>, you might not
1291
be able to print, update your Ghostscript.
1296
<title>imagetops and imagetoraster</title>
1299
<indexterm><primary>prefilter</primary></indexterm>
1300
<indexterm><primary>imagetoraster</primary></indexterm>
1301
In the section about prefilters, we mentioned the prefilter
1302
that generates PostScript from image formats. The <parameter>imagetoraster</parameter>
1303
filter is used to convert directly from image to raster, without the
1304
intermediate PostScript stage. It is used more often than the previously
1305
mentioned prefilters. We summarize in a flowchart the image file
1306
filtering in <link linkend="small8">the Image Format to CUPS-Raster Format Conversion illustration</link>.
1309
<figure id="small8">
1310
<title>Image Format to CUPS-Raster Format Conversion.</title>
1311
<imagefile>8small</imagefile>
1317
<title>rasterto [printers specific]</title>
1320
<indexterm><primary>rastertoalps</primary></indexterm>
1321
<indexterm><primary>rastertobj</primary></indexterm>
1322
<indexterm><primary>rastertoepson</primary></indexterm>
1323
<indexterm><primary>rastertoescp</primary></indexterm>
1324
<indexterm><primary>rastertopcl</primary></indexterm>
1325
<indexterm><primary>rastertoturboprint</primary></indexterm>
1326
<indexterm><primary>rastertoescp</primary></indexterm>
1327
<indexterm><primary>rastertohp</primary></indexterm>
1328
<indexterm><primary>rastertoprinter</primary></indexterm>
1329
<indexterm><primary>rastertoprinter</primary></indexterm>
1330
<indexterm><primary>Gutenprint</primary></indexterm>
1331
CUPS ships with quite a variety of raster drivers for processing CUPS raster. On my system, I find in
1332
/usr/lib/cups/filter/ the following: <parameter>rastertoalps</parameter>, <parameter>rastertobj</parameter>,
1333
<parameter>rastertoepson</parameter>, <parameter>rastertoescp</parameter>, <parameter>rastertopcl</parameter>,
1334
<parameter>rastertoturboprint</parameter>, <parameter>rastertoapdk</parameter>,
1335
<parameter>rastertodymo</parameter>, <parameter>rastertoescp</parameter>, <parameter>rastertohp</parameter>,
1336
and <parameter>rastertoprinter</parameter>. Don't worry if you have fewer drivers than this; some of these are
1337
installed by commercial add-ons to CUPS (like <parameter>rastertoturboprint</parameter>), and others (like
1338
<parameter>rastertoprinter</parameter>) by third-party driver development projects (such as Gutenprint)
1339
wanting to cooperate as closely as possible with CUPS. See <link linkend="small9">the Raster to
1340
Printer-Specific Formats illustration</link>.
1343
<figure id="small9">
1344
<title>Raster to Printer-Specific Formats.</title>
1345
<imagefile>9small</imagefile>
1350
<title>CUPS Backends</title>
1353
<indexterm><primary>CUPS filtering chain</primary></indexterm>
1354
<indexterm><primary>print queue</primary></indexterm>
1355
The last part of any CUPS filtering chain is a backend. Backends
1356
are special programs that send the print-ready file to the final
1357
device. There is a separate backend program for any transfer
1358
protocol for sending print jobs over the network, and one for every local
1359
interface. Every CUPS print queue needs to have a CUPS <quote>device-URI</quote>
1360
associated with it. The device URI is the way to encode the backend
1361
used to send the job to its destination. Network device-URIs use
1362
two slashes in their syntax, local device URIs only one, as you can
1363
see from the following list. Keep in mind that local interface names
1364
may vary greatly from my examples, if your OS is not Linux:
1368
<varlistentry><term>usb</term>
1370
This backend sends print files to USB-connected printers. An
1371
example for the CUPS device-URI to use is
1372
<filename>usb:/dev/usb/lp0</filename>.
1373
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1375
<varlistentry><term>serial</term>
1377
This backend sends print files to serially connected printers.
1378
An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is
1379
<filename>serial:/dev/ttyS0?baud=11500</filename>.
1380
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1382
<varlistentry><term>parallel</term>
1384
This backend sends print files to printers connected to the
1385
parallel port. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is
1386
<filename>parallel:/dev/lp0</filename>.
1387
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1389
<varlistentry><term>SCSI</term>
1391
This backend sends print files to printers attached to the
1392
SCSI interface. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is
1393
<filename>scsi:/dev/sr1</filename>.
1394
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1396
<varlistentry><term>lpd</term>
1398
This backend sends print files to LPR/LPD-connected network
1399
printers. An example for the CUPS device-URI to use is
1400
<filename>lpd://remote_host_name/remote_queue_name</filename>.
1401
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1403
<varlistentry><term>AppSocket/HP JetDirect</term>
1405
This backend sends print files to AppSocket (a.k.a., HP
1406
JetDirect) connected network printers. An example for the CUPS
1407
device-URI to use is
1408
<filename>socket://10.11.12.13:9100</filename>.
1409
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1411
<varlistentry><term>ipp</term>
1413
This backend sends print files to IPP-connected network
1414
printers (or to other CUPS servers). Examples for CUPS device-URIs
1416
<filename>ipp:://192.193.194.195/ipp</filename>
1417
(for many HP printers) and
1418
<filename>ipp://remote_cups_server/printers/remote_printer_name</filename>.
1419
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1421
<varlistentry><term>http</term>
1423
This backend sends print files to HTTP-connected printers.
1424
(The http:// CUPS backend is only a symlink to the ipp:// backend.)
1425
Examples for the CUPS device-URIs to use are
1426
<filename>http:://192.193.194.195:631/ipp</filename>
1427
(for many HP printers) and
1428
<filename>http://remote_cups_server:631/printers/remote_printer_name</filename>.
1429
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1431
<varlistentry><term>smb</term>
1433
This backend sends print files to printers shared by a Windows
1434
host. Examples of CUPS device-URIs that may be used includes:
1439
<member><filename>smb://workgroup/server/printersharename</filename></member>
1440
<member><filename>smb://server/printersharename</filename></member>
1441
<member><filename>smb://username:password@workgroup/server/printersharename</filename></member>
1442
<member><filename>smb://username:password@server/printersharename</filename></member>
1447
The smb:// backend is a symlink to the Samba utility
1448
<parameter>smbspool</parameter> (does not ship with CUPS). If the
1449
symlink is not present in your CUPS backend directory, have your
1450
root user create it: <command>ln -s `which smbspool'
1451
/usr/lib/cups/backend/smb</command>.
1452
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
1456
It is easy to write your own backends as shell or Perl scripts if you
1457
need any modification or extension to the CUPS print system. One
1458
reason could be that you want to create <quote>special</quote> printers that send
1459
the print jobs as email (through a <quote>mailto:/</quote> backend), convert them to
1460
PDF (through a <quote>pdfgen:/</quote> backend) or dump them to <quote>/dev/null</quote>. (In
1461
fact, I have the systemwide default printer set up to be connected to
1462
a devnull:/ backend: there are just too many people sending jobs
1463
without specifying a printer, and scripts and programs that do not name
1464
a printer. The systemwide default deletes the job and sends a polite
1465
email back to the $USER asking him or her to always specify the correct
1470
<indexterm><primary>lpinfo</primary></indexterm>
1471
<indexterm><primary>CUPS backends</primary></indexterm>
1472
Not all of the mentioned backends may be present on your system or
1473
usable (depending on your hardware configuration). One test for all
1474
available CUPS backends is provided by the <emphasis>lpinfo</emphasis>
1475
utility. Used with the <option>-v</option> parameter, it lists
1476
all available backends:
1480
&prompt;<userinput>lpinfo -v</userinput>
1485
<title>The Role of <parameter>cupsomatic/foomatic</parameter></title>
1488
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
1489
<indexterm><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
1490
<indexterm><primary>PPDs</primary></indexterm>
1491
<indexterm><primary>Foomatic Printer</primary></indexterm>
1492
<indexterm><primary>Linuxprinting.org</primary></indexterm>
1493
<parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> filters may be the most widely used on CUPS
1494
installations. You must be clear that these were not
1495
developed by the CUPS people. They are a third-party add-on to
1496
CUPS. They utilize the traditional Ghostscript devices to render jobs
1497
for CUPS. When troubleshooting, you should know about the
1498
difference. Here the whole rendering process is done in one stage,
1499
inside Ghostscript, using an appropriate device for the target
1500
printer. <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> uses PPDs that are generated from the Foomatic
1501
Printer & Driver Database at Linuxprinting.org.
1505
You can recognize these PPDs from the line calling the
1506
<parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> filter:
1508
*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic"
1510
You may find this line among the first 40 or so lines of the PPD
1511
file. If you have such a PPD installed, the printer shows up in the
1512
CUPS Web interface with a <parameter>foomatic</parameter> namepart for
1513
the driver description. <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> is a Perl script that runs
1514
Ghostscript with all the complicated command line options
1515
autoconstructed from the selected PPD and command line options given to
1520
<indexterm><primary>point'n'print</primary></indexterm>
1521
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
1522
<indexterm><primary>Adobe specifications</primary></indexterm>
1523
<indexterm><primary>hi-res photo</primary></indexterm>
1524
<indexterm><primary>normal color</primary></indexterm>
1525
<indexterm><primary>grayscale</primary></indexterm>
1526
<indexterm><primary>draft</primary></indexterm>
1527
<indexterm><primary>media type</primary></indexterm>
1528
<indexterm><primary>resolution</primary></indexterm>
1529
<indexterm><primary>inktype</primary></indexterm>
1530
<indexterm><primary>dithering algorithm</primary></indexterm>
1531
However, <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> is now deprecated. Its PPDs (especially the first
1532
generation of them, still in heavy use out there) are not meeting the
1533
Adobe specifications. You might also suffer difficulties when you try
1534
to download them with <quote>Point'n'Print</quote> to Windows clients. A better
1535
and more powerful successor is now available: it is called <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter>. To use
1536
<parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter> as a filter with CUPS, you need the new type of PPDs, which
1537
have a similar but different line:
1539
*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 foomatic-rip"
1541
The PPD-generating engine at Linuxprinting.org has been revamped.
1542
The new PPDs comply with the Adobe spec. They also provide a
1543
new way to specify different quality levels (hi-res photo, normal
1544
color, grayscale, and draft) with a single click, whereas before you
1545
could have required five or more different selections (media type,
1546
resolution, inktype, and dithering algorithm). There is support for
1547
custom-size media built in. There is support to switch
1548
print options from page to page in the middle of a job. And the
1549
best thing is that the new <constant>foomatic-rip</constant> works seamlessly with all
1550
legacy spoolers too (like LPRng, BSD-LPD, PDQ, PPR, and so on), providing
1551
for them access to use PPDs for their printing.
1556
<title>The Complete Picture</title>
1559
If you want to see an overview of all the filters and how they
1560
relate to each other, the complete picture of the puzzle is at the end
1566
<title><filename>mime.convs</filename></title>
1569
CUPS autoconstructs all possible filtering chain paths for any given
1570
MIME type and every printer installed. But how does it decide in
1571
favor of or against a specific alternative? (There may be cases
1572
where there is a choice of two or more possible filtering chains for
1573
the same target printer.) Simple. You may have noticed the figures in
1574
the third column of the mime.convs file. They represent virtual costs
1575
assigned to this filter. Every possible filtering chain will sum up to
1576
a total <quote>filter cost.</quote> CUPS decides for the most <quote>inexpensive</quote> route.
1580
<indexterm><primary>cupsd.conf</primary></indexterm>
1581
<indexterm><primary>FilterLimit</primary></indexterm>
1582
Setting <parameter>FilterLimit 1000</parameter> in
1583
<filename>cupsd.conf</filename> will not allow more filters to
1584
run concurrently than will consume a total of 1000 virtual filter
1585
cost. This is an efficient way to limit the load of any CUPS
1586
server by setting an appropriate <quote>FilterLimit</quote> value. A FilterLimit of
1587
200 allows roughly one job at a time, while a FilterLimit of 1000 allows
1588
approximately five jobs maximum at a time.
1593
<title><quote>Raw</quote> Printing</title>
1596
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
1597
<indexterm><primary>lpadmin</primary></indexterm>
1598
<indexterm><primary>rawprinter</primary></indexterm>
1599
You can tell CUPS to print (nearly) any file <quote>raw</quote>. <quote>Raw</quote> means it will not be
1600
filtered. CUPS will send the file to the printer <quote>as is</quote> without bothering if the printer is able
1601
to digest it. Users need to take care themselves that they send sensible data formats only. Raw printing can
1602
happen on any queue if the <quote><parameter>-o raw</parameter></quote> option is specified on the command
1603
line. You can also set up raw-only queues by simply not associating any PPD with it. This command:
1605
&prompt;<userinput>lpadmin -P rawprinter -v socket://11.12.13.14:9100 -E</userinput>
1607
sets up a queue named <quote>rawprinter</quote>, connected via the <quote>socket</quote> protocol (a.k.a.
1608
<quote>HP JetDirect</quote>) to the device at IP address 11.12.1.3.14, using port 9100. (If you had added a
1609
PPD with <command>-P /path/to/PPD</command> to this command line, you would have installed a
1610
<quote>normal</quote> print queue.)
1614
CUPS will automatically treat each job sent to a queue as a <quote>raw</quote> one
1615
if it can't find a PPD associated with the queue. However, CUPS will
1616
only send known MIME types (as defined in its own mime.types file) and
1622
<title>application/octet-stream Printing</title>
1625
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.types</primary></indexterm>
1626
<indexterm><primary>application/octet-stream</primary></indexterm>
1627
Any MIME type with no rule in the <filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> file is regarded as unknown
1628
or <parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter> and will not be
1629
sent. Because CUPS refuses to print unknown MIME types by default,
1630
you will probably have experienced that print jobs originating
1631
from Windows clients were not printed. You may have found an error
1632
message in your CUPS logs like:
1635
<para><computeroutput>
1636
Unable to convert file 0 to printable format for job
1637
</computeroutput></para>
1640
To enable the printing of <parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter> files, edit
1645
<listitem><para><filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename></para></listitem>
1647
<listitem><para><filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename></para></listitem>
1651
<indexterm><primary>raw mode</primary></indexterm>
1652
Both contain entries (at the end of the respective files) that must be uncommented to allow raw mode
1653
operation for <parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter>. In <filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename>
1654
make sure this line is present:
1655
<indexterm><primary>application/octet-stream</primary></indexterm>
1657
application/octet-stream
1659
This line (with no specific autotyping rule set) makes all files
1660
not otherwise auto-typed a member of <parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter>. In
1661
<filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename>, have this
1664
application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
1666
<indexterm><primary>MIME</primary></indexterm>
1667
This line tells CUPS to use the <emphasis>Null Filter</emphasis>
1668
(denoted as <quote>-</quote>, doing nothing at all) on
1669
<parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter>, and tag the result as
1670
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-raw</parameter>. This last one is
1671
always a green light to the CUPS scheduler to now hand the file over
1672
to the backend connecting to the printer and sending it over.
1676
Editing the <filename>mime.convs</filename> and the <filename>mime.types</filename> file does not
1677
<emphasis>enforce</emphasis> <quote>raw</quote> printing, it only <emphasis>allows</emphasis> it.
1681
<title>Background</title>
1684
<indexterm><primary>security-aware</primary></indexterm>
1685
<indexterm><primary>MIME type</primary></indexterm>
1686
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.types</primary></indexterm>
1687
<indexterm><primary>/etc/cups/mime.convs</primary></indexterm>
1688
That CUPS is a more security-aware printing system than traditional ones
1689
does not by default allow one to send deliberate (possibly binary)
1690
data to printing devices. (This could be easily abused to launch a
1691
Denial of Service attack on your printer(s), causing at least the loss
1692
of a lot of paper and ink.) <quote>Unknown</quote> data are regarded by CUPS
1693
as <emphasis>MIME type</emphasis> <emphasis>application/octet-stream</emphasis>. While you
1694
<emphasis>can</emphasis> send data <quote>raw</quote>, the MIME type for these must
1695
be one that is known to CUPS and allowed by it. The file
1696
<filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> defines the <quote>rules</quote> of how CUPS
1697
recognizes MIME types. The file <filename>/etc/cups/mime.convs</filename> decides which file
1698
conversion filter(s) may be applied to which MIME types.
1704
<title>PostScript Printer Descriptions for Non-PostScript Printers</title>
1707
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
1708
<indexterm><primary>non-PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1709
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1710
<indexterm><primary>RIP</primary></indexterm>
1711
<indexterm><primary>Ghostscript</primary></indexterm>
1712
<indexterm><primary>device-specific commands</primary></indexterm>
1713
Originally PPDs were meant to be used for PostScript printers
1714
only. Here, they help to send device-specific commands and settings
1715
to the RIP, which processes the job file. CUPS has extended this
1716
scope for PPDs to cover non-PostScript printers too. This was not
1717
difficult, because it is a standardized file format. In a way
1718
it was logical too: CUPS handles PostScript and uses a PostScript
1719
RIP (Ghostscript) to process the job files. The only difference is that
1720
a PostScript printer has the RIP built-in, for other types of
1721
printers the Ghostscript RIP runs on the host computer.
1725
PPDs for a non-PostScript printer have a few lines that are unique to
1726
CUPS. The most important one looks similar to this:
1727
<indexterm><primary>application/vnd.cups-raster</primary></indexterm>
1729
*cupsFilter: application/vnd.cups-raster 66 rastertoprinter
1731
It is the last piece in the CUPS filtering puzzle. This line tells the
1732
CUPS daemon to use as a last filter <parameter>rastertoprinter</parameter>. This filter
1733
should be served as input an <parameter>application/vnd.cups-raster</parameter> MIME type
1734
file. Therefore, CUPS should autoconstruct a filtering chain, which
1735
delivers as its last output the specified MIME type. This is then
1736
taken as input to the specified <parameter>rastertoprinter</parameter> filter. After
1737
the last filter has done its work (<parameter>rastertoprinter</parameter> is a Gutenprint
1738
filter), the file should go to the backend, which sends it to the
1743
CUPS by default ships only a few generic PPDs, but they are good for
1744
several hundred printer models. You may not be able to control
1745
different paper trays, or you may get larger margins than your
1746
specific model supports. See Table 21.1<link linkend="cups-ppds"></link> for summary information.
1749
<table frame="all" id="cups-ppds">
1750
<title>PPDs Shipped with CUPS</title>
1751
<tgroup cols="2" align="left">
1752
<colspec align="left"/>
1753
<colspec align="justify" colwidth="1*"/>
1754
<thead><row><entry>PPD file</entry><entry>Printer type</entry></row></thead>
1756
<row><entry>deskjet.ppd</entry><entry>older HP inkjet printers and compatible</entry></row>
1758
<row><entry>deskjet2.ppd</entry> <entry>newer HP inkjet printers and compatible </entry> </row>
1760
<row><entry>dymo.ppd</entry> <entry>label printers </entry> </row>
1762
<row><entry>epson9.ppd</entry> <entry>Epson 24-pin impact printers and compatible </entry> </row>
1764
<row><entry>epson24.ppd</entry> <entry>Epson 24-pin impact printers and compatible </entry> </row>
1766
<row><entry>okidata9.ppd</entry> <entry>Okidata 9-pin impact printers and compatible </entry> </row>
1768
<row><entry>okidat24.ppd</entry> <entry>Okidata 24-pin impact printers and compatible </entry> </row>
1770
<row><entry>stcolor.ppd</entry> <entry>older Epson Stylus Color printers </entry> </row>
1772
<row><entry>stcolor2.ppd</entry> <entry>newer Epson Stylus Color printers </entry> </row>
1774
<row><entry>stphoto.ppd</entry> <entry>older Epson Stylus Photo printers </entry> </row>
1776
<row><entry>stphoto2.ppd</entry> <entry>newer Epson Stylus Photo printers </entry> </row>
1778
<row><entry>laserjet.ppd</entry> <entry>all PCL printers </entry> </row>
1787
<title><emphasis>cupsomatic/foomatic-rip</emphasis> Versus <emphasis>Native CUPS</emphasis> Printing</title>
1790
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
1791
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
1792
Native CUPS rasterization works in two steps:
1797
<indexterm><primary>pstoraster</primary></indexterm>
1798
First is the <parameter>pstoraster</parameter> step. It uses the special CUPS
1799
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>Ghostscript</secondary></indexterm>
1800
device from ESP Ghostscript 7.05.x as its tool.
1804
Second is the <parameter>rasterdriver</parameter> step. It uses various
1805
device-specific filters; there are several vendors who provide good
1806
quality filters for this step. Some are free software, some are
1807
shareware, and some are proprietary.
1812
Often this produces better quality (and has several more advantages) than other methods.
1813
This is shown in <link linkend="cupsomatic-dia"> the cupsomatic/foomatic Processing Versus Native CUPS
1814
illustration</link>.
1817
<figure id="cupsomatic-dia">
1818
<title>cupsomatic/foomatic Processing Versus Native CUPS.</title>
1819
<imagefile>10small</imagefile>
1823
One other method is the <parameter>cupsomatic/foomatic-rip</parameter>
1824
way. Note that <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> is <emphasis>not</emphasis> made by the CUPS
1825
developers. It is an independent contribution to printing development,
1826
made by people from Linuxprinting.org.<footnote><para>See also <ulink
1827
noescape="1" url="http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html">http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html</ulink></para></footnote>
1828
<parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> is no longer developed, maintained, or supported. It now been
1829
replaced by <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter>. <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter> is a complete rewrite
1830
of the old <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> idea, but very much improved and generalized to
1831
other (non-CUPS) spoolers. An upgrade to <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter> is strongly
1832
advised, especially if you are upgrading to a recent version of CUPS,
1837
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
1838
<indexterm><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
1839
Like the old <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> method, the <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter> (new) method
1840
from Linuxprinting.org uses the traditional Ghostscript print file processing, doing everything in a single
1841
step. It therefore relies on all the other devices built into Ghostscript. The quality is as good (or bad) as
1842
Ghostscript rendering is in other spoolers. The advantage is that this method supports many printer models not
1843
supported (yet) by the more modern CUPS method.
1847
Of course, you can use both methods side by side on one system (and even for one printer, if you set up
1848
different queues) and find out which works best for you.
1852
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
1853
<indexterm><primary>pstoraster</primary></indexterm>
1854
<indexterm><primary>rastertosomething</primary></indexterm>
1855
<indexterm><primary>rasterization</primary></indexterm>
1856
<indexterm><primary>Foomatic/cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
1857
<indexterm><primary>rendering</primary></indexterm>
1858
<parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> kidnaps the print file after the
1859
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter> stage and deviates it through the CUPS-external,
1860
systemwide Ghostscript installation. Therefore, the print file bypasses the <parameter>pstoraster</parameter>
1861
filter (and also bypasses the CUPS raster drivers <parameter>rastertosomething</parameter>). After Ghostscript
1862
finished its rasterization, <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> hands the rendered file directly to the CUPS
1863
backend. <link linkend="cupsomatic-dia">cupsomatic/foomatic Processing Versus Native
1864
CUPS</link>, illustrates the difference between native CUPS rendering and the
1865
<parameter>Foomatic/cupsomatic</parameter> method.
1870
<title>Examples for Filtering Chains</title>
1873
Here are a few examples of commonly occurring filtering chains to
1874
illustrate the workings of CUPS.
1878
<indexterm><primary>HP JetDirect</primary></indexterm>
1879
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
1880
<indexterm><primary>two-up</primary></indexterm>
1881
<indexterm><primary>duplex</primary></indexterm>
1882
Assume you want to print a PDF file to an HP JetDirect-connected
1883
PostScript printer, but you want to print pages 3-5, 7, and 11-13
1884
only, and you want to print them <quote>two-up</quote> and <quote>duplex</quote>:
1888
<listitem><para>Your print options (page selection as required, two-up,
1889
duplex) are passed to CUPS on the command line.</para></listitem>
1891
<listitem><para>The (complete) PDF file is sent to CUPS and autotyped as
1892
<parameter>application/pdf</parameter>.</para></listitem>
1894
<listitem><para>The file therefore must first pass the
1895
<parameter>pdftops</parameter> prefilter, which produces PostScript
1896
MIME type <parameter>application/postscript</parameter> (a preview here
1897
would still show all pages of the original PDF).</para></listitem>
1899
<listitem><para>The file then passes the <parameter>pstops</parameter>
1900
filter that applies the command line options: it selects pages
1901
2-5, 7, and 11-13, creates the imposed layout <quote>two pages on one sheet</quote>, and
1902
inserts the correct <quote>duplex</quote> command (as defined in the printer's
1903
PPD) into the new PostScript file; the file is now of PostScript MIME
1905
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>.</para></listitem>
1907
<listitem><para>The file goes to the <parameter>socket</parameter>
1908
backend, which transfers the job to the printers.</para></listitem>
1912
The resulting filter chain, therefore, is as shown in <link linkend="pdftosocket">the PDF to socket chain
1913
illustration</link>.
1916
<indexterm><primary>pdftosocket</primary></indexterm>
1917
<figure id="pdftosocket">
1918
<title>PDF to Socket Chain.</title>
1919
<imagefile>pdftosocket</imagefile>
1923
<indexterm><primary>USB</primary></indexterm>
1924
<indexterm><primary>Epson Stylus</primary></indexterm>
1925
<indexterm><primary>stphoto2.ppd</primary></indexterm>
1926
Assume you want to print the same filter to an USB-connected Epson Stylus Photo Printer installed with the CUPS
1927
<filename>stphoto2.ppd</filename>. The first few filtering stages are nearly the same:
1932
Your print options (page selection as required, two-up,
1933
duplex) are passed to CUPS on the command line.
1937
The (complete) PDF file is sent to CUPS and autotyped as
1938
<parameter>application/pdf</parameter>.
1942
<indexterm><primary>pdftops</primary></indexterm>
1943
<indexterm><primary>PDF</primary></indexterm>
1944
The file must first pass the <parameter>pdftops</parameter> prefilter, which produces PostScript
1945
MIME type <parameter>application/postscript</parameter> (a preview here would still show all
1946
pages of the original PDF).
1950
<indexterm><primary>pstops</primary></indexterm>
1951
<indexterm><primary>duplex printing</primary></indexterm>
1952
The file then passes the <quote>pstops</quote> filter that applies
1953
the command line options: it selects the pages 2-5, 7, and 11-13,
1954
creates the imposed layout <quote>two pages on one sheet,</quote> and inserts the
1955
correct <quote>duplex</quote> command (oops &smbmdash; this printer and PPD
1956
do not support duplex printing at all, so this option will
1957
be ignored) into the new PostScript file; the file is now of PostScript
1958
MIME type <parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>.
1962
The file then passes the <parameter>pstoraster</parameter> stage and becomes MIME type
1963
<parameter>application/cups-raster</parameter>.
1967
<indexterm><primary>rastertoepson</primary></indexterm>
1968
Finally, the <parameter>rastertoepson</parameter> filter
1969
does its work (as indicated in the printer's PPD), creating the
1970
printer-specific raster data and embedding any user-selected
1971
print options into the print data stream.
1975
The file goes to the <parameter>usb</parameter> backend, which transfers the job to the printers.
1980
The resulting filter chain therefore is as shown in <link linkend="pdftoepsonusb">the PDF to USB Chain
1981
illustration</link>.
1984
<figure id="pdftoepsonusb">
1985
<title>PDF to USB Chain.</title>
1986
<imagefile>pdftoepsonusb</imagefile>
1991
<title>Sources of CUPS Drivers/PPDs</title>
1994
On the Internet you can now find many thousands of CUPS-PPD files
1995
(with their companion filters), in many national languages
1996
supporting more than 1,000 non-PostScript models.
2000
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>Print Pro</secondary></indexterm>
2001
<indexterm><primary>PrintPro</primary><see>ESP Print Pro</see></indexterm>
2003
<ulink url="http://www.easysw.com/printpro/">ESP PrintPro</ulink>
2004
(commercial, non-free) is packaged with more than 3,000 PPDs, ready for
2005
successful use <quote>out of the box</quote> on Linux, Mac OS X, IBM-AIX,
2006
HP-UX, Sun-Solaris, SGI-IRIX, Compaq Tru64, Digital UNIX, and
2007
other commercial Unices (it is written by the CUPS developers
2008
themselves and its sales help finance the further development of
2009
CUPS, as they feed their creators).
2013
The <ulink url="http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/">Gutenprint Project</ulink>
2014
(GPL, free software) provides around 140 PPDs (supporting nearly 400 printers, many driven
2015
to photo quality output), to be used alongside the Gutenprint CUPS filters.
2019
<ulink url="http://www.turboprint.de/english.html/">TurboPrint </ulink> (shareware, non-free) supports
2020
roughly the same number of printers in excellent quality.
2024
<ulink url="http://www-124.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/linux/projects/omni/">OMNI </ulink>
2025
(LPGL, free) is a package made by IBM, now containing support for more
2026
than 400 printers, stemming from the inheritance of IBM OS/2 know-how
2027
ported over to Linux (CUPS support is in a beta stage at present).
2031
<ulink url="http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/">HPIJS </ulink> (BSD-style licenses, free)
2032
supports approximately 150 of HP's own printers and also provides
2033
excellent print quality now (currently available only via the Foomatic path).
2037
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/">Foomatic/cupsomatic </ulink>
2038
(LPGL, free) from Linuxprinting.org provide PPDs for practically every Ghostscript
2039
filter known to the world (including Omni, Gutenprint, and HPIJS).
2046
<title>Printing with Interface Scripts</title>
2049
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm>
2050
<indexterm><primary>lpadmin</primary></indexterm>
2051
CUPS also supports the use of <quote>interface scripts</quote> as known from
2052
System V AT&T printing systems. These are often used for PCL
2053
printers, from applications that generate PCL print jobs. Interface
2054
scripts are specific to printer models. They have a role similar to
2055
PPDs for PostScript printers. Interface scripts may inject the Escape
2056
sequences as required into the print data stream if the user, for example, selects
2057
a certain paper tray, or changes paper orientation, or uses A3
2058
paper. Interface scripts are practically unknown in the Linux
2059
realm. On HP-UX platforms they are more often used. You can use any
2060
working interface script on CUPS too. Just install the printer with
2061
the <command>-i</command> option:
2063
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p pclprinter -v socket://11.12.13.14:9100 \
2064
-i /path/to/interface-script</userinput>
2068
Interface scripts might be the <quote>unknown animal</quote> to many. However,
2069
with CUPS they provide the easiest way to plug in your own custom-written filtering
2070
script or program into one specific print queue (some information about the traditional
2071
use of interface scripts is found at
2072
<ulink noescape="1" url="http://playground.sun.com/printing/documentation/interface.html">
2073
http://playground.sun.com/printing/documentation/interface.html</ulink>).
2079
<title>Network Printing (Purely Windows)</title>
2082
Network printing covers a lot of ground. To understand what exactly
2083
goes on with Samba when it is printing on behalf of its Windows
2084
clients, let's first look at a <quote>purely Windows</quote> setup: Windows clients
2085
with a Windows NT print server.
2089
<title>From Windows Clients to an NT Print Server</title>
2092
Windows clients printing to an NT-based print server have two
2094
<indexterm><primary>GDI</primary></indexterm>
2095
<indexterm><primary>EMF</primary></indexterm>
2100
<listitem><para>Execute the driver locally and render the GDI output
2101
(EMF) into the printer-specific format on their own.
2104
<listitem><para>Send the GDI output (EMF) to the server, where the
2105
driver is executed to render the printer-specific output.
2110
Both print paths are shown in the flowcharts in <link linkend="small11">
2111
Print Driver Execution on the Client</link>, and
2112
<link linkend="small12">Print Driver Execution on the Server</link>.
2117
<title>Driver Execution on the Client</title>
2120
In the first case, the print server must spool the file as raw, meaning it shouldn't touch the job file and try
2121
to convert it in any way. This is what a traditional UNIX-based print server can do too, and at a better
2122
performance and more reliably than an NT print server. This is what most Samba administrators probably are
2123
familiar with. One advantage of this setup is that this <quote>spooling-only</quote> print server may be used
2124
even if no driver(s) for UNIX is available. It is sufficient to have the Windows client drivers available and
2125
installed on the clients. This is illustrated in <link linkend="small11">the Print Driver Execution on the
2126
Client diagram</link>.
2129
<figure id="small11">
2130
<title>Print Driver Execution on the Client.</title>
2131
<imagefile>11small</imagefile>
2137
<title>Driver Execution on the Server</title>
2141
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2142
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm>
2143
<indexterm><primary>ESC/P</primary></indexterm>
2144
<indexterm><primary>EMF</primary></indexterm>
2145
<indexterm><primary>GDI</primary></indexterm>
2146
The other path executes the printer driver on the server. The client transfers print files in EMF format to
2147
the server. The server uses the PostScript, PCL, ESC/P, or other driver to convert the EMF file into the
2148
printer-specific language. It is not possible for UNIX to do the same. Currently, there is no program or
2149
method to convert a Windows client's GDI output on a UNIX server into something a printer could understand.
2150
This is illustrated in <link linkend="small12">the Print Driver Execution on the Server diagram</link>.
2153
<figure id="small12">
2154
<title>Print Driver Execution on the Server.</title>
2155
<imagefile>12small</imagefile>
2159
However, something similar is possible with CUPS, so read on.
2165
<title>Network Printing (Windows Clients and UNIX/Samba Print
2169
Since UNIX print servers <emphasis>cannot</emphasis> execute the Win32
2170
program code on their platform, the picture is somewhat
2171
different. However, this does not limit your options all that
2172
much. On the contrary, you may have a way here to implement printing
2173
features that are not possible otherwise.
2177
<title>From Windows Clients to a CUPS/Samba Print Server</title>
2180
Here is a simple recipe showing how you can take advantage of CUPS's
2181
powerful features for the benefit of your Windows network printing
2186
<listitem><para>Let the Windows clients send PostScript to the CUPS
2187
server.</para></listitem>
2189
<listitem><para>Let the CUPS server render the PostScript into device-specific raster format.</para></listitem>
2193
This requires the clients to use a PostScript driver (even if the
2194
printer is a non-PostScript model. It also requires that you have a
2195
driver on the CUPS server.
2199
First, to enable CUPS-based printing through Samba, the following options should be set in your &smb.conf;
2200
file <parameter>[global]</parameter> section:
2204
<smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>
2205
<smbconfoption name="printcap">cups</smbconfoption>
2209
When these parameters are specified, all manually set print directives (like <smbconfoption name="print
2210
command"/> or <smbconfoption name="lppause command"/>) in &smb.conf; (as well as in Samba itself) will be
2211
ignored. Instead, Samba will directly interface with CUPS through its application program interface (API), as
2212
long as Samba has been compiled with CUPS library (libcups) support. If Samba has not been compiled with CUPS
2213
support, and if no other print commands are set up, then printing will use the <emphasis>System V</emphasis>
2214
AT&T command set, with the -oraw option automatically passing through (if you want your own defined print
2215
commands to work with a Samba server that has CUPS support compiled in, simply use <smbconfoption
2216
name="classicalprinting">sysv</smbconfoption>). This is illustrated in <link linkend="13small">the Printing via
2217
CUPS/Samba Server diagram</link>.
2220
<figure id="13small">
2221
<title>Printing via CUPS/Samba Server.</title>
2222
<imagefile>13small</imagefile>
2227
<title>Samba Receiving Job-Files and Passing Them to CUPS</title>
2230
Samba <emphasis>must</emphasis> use its own spool directory (it is set by a line similar to <smbconfoption
2231
name="path">/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption>, in the <smbconfsection name="[printers]"/> or <smbconfsection
2232
name="[printername]"/> section of &smb.conf;). Samba receives the job in its own spool space and passes it
2233
into the spool directory of CUPS (the CUPS spool directory is set by the <parameter>RequestRoot</parameter>
2234
directive in a line that defaults to <parameter>RequestRoot /var/spool/cups</parameter>). CUPS checks the
2235
access rights of its spool directory and resets it to healthy values with every restart. We have seen quite a
2236
few people who used a common spooling space for Samba and CUPS, and struggled for weeks with this
2237
<quote>problem.</quote>
2241
A Windows user authenticates only to Samba (by whatever means is
2242
configured). If Samba runs on the same host as CUPS, you only need to
2243
allow <quote>localhost</quote> to print. If it runs on different machines, you
2244
need to make sure the Samba host gets access to printing on CUPS.
2250
<title>Network PostScript RIP</title>
2253
This section discusses the use of CUPS filters on the server &smbmdash; configuration where
2254
clients make use of a PostScript driver with CUPS-PPDs.
2259
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2260
<indexterm><primary>PCL</primary></indexterm>
2261
<indexterm><primary>PJL</primary></indexterm>
2262
PPDs can control all print device options. They are usually provided by the manufacturer &smbmdash; if you own
2263
a PostScript printer, that is. PPD files are always a component of PostScript printer drivers on MS Windows or
2264
Apple Mac OS systems. They are ASCII files containing user-selectable print options, mapped to appropriate
2265
PostScript, PCL, or PJL commands for the target printer. Printer driver GUI dialogs translate these options
2266
<quote>on the fly</quote> into buttons and drop-down lists for the user to select.
2270
CUPS can load, without any conversions, the PPD file from any Windows (NT is recommended) PostScript driver
2271
and handle the options. There is a Web browser interface to the print options (select <ulink noescape="1"
2272
url="http://localhost:631/printers/">http://localhost:631/printers/</ulink> and click on one
2273
<guibutton>Configure Printer</guibutton> button to see it) or a command line interface (see <command>man
2274
lpoptions</command> or see if you have <command>lphelp</command> on your system). There are also some
2275
different GUI front-ends on Linux/UNIX, which can present PPD options to users. PPD options are normally meant
2276
to be evaluated by the PostScript RIP on the real PostScript printer.
2280
<title>PPDs for Non-PS Printers on UNIX</title>
2284
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
2285
CUPS does not limit itself to <quote>real</quote> PostScript printers in its use of PPDs. The CUPS developers
2286
have extended the scope of the PPD concept to also describe available device and driver options for
2287
non-PostScript printers through CUPS-PPDs.
2291
This is logical, because CUPS includes a fully featured PostScript interpreter (RIP). This RIP is based on
2292
Ghostscript. It can process all received PostScript (and additionally many other file formats) from clients.
2293
All CUPS-PPDs geared to non-PostScript printers contain an additional line, starting with the keyword
2294
<parameter>*cupsFilter</parameter>. This line tells the CUPS print system which printer-specific filter to use
2295
for the interpretation of the supplied PostScript. Thus CUPS lets all its printers appear as PostScript
2296
devices to its clients, because it can act as a PostScript RIP for those printers, processing the received
2297
PostScript code into a proper raster print format.
2302
<title>PPDs for Non-PS Printers on Windows</title>
2305
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
2306
CUPS-PPDs can also be used on Windows clients, on top of a <quote>core</quote> PostScript driver (now
2307
recommended is the CUPS PostScript Driver for Windows NT/200x/XP; you can also use the Adobe one, with
2308
limitations). This feature enables CUPS to do a few tricks no other spooler can do:
2313
Act as a networked PostScript RIP handling print files from all client platforms in a uniform way.
2317
Act as a central accounting and billing server, since all files are passed through the pstops filter and are therefore
2318
logged in the CUPS <filename>page_log</filename> file. <emphasis>Note:</emphasis> this cannot happen with
2319
<quote>raw</quote> print jobs, which always remain unfiltered per definition.
2323
Enable clients to consolidate on a single PostScript driver, even for many different target printers.
2328
Using CUPS PPDs on Windows clients enables them to control all print job settings just as a UNIX client can do.
2334
<title>Windows Terminal Servers (WTS) as CUPS Clients</title>
2337
This setup may be of special interest to people experiencing major problems in WTS environments. WTS often
2338
need a multitude of non-PostScript drivers installed to run their clients' variety of different printer
2339
models. This often imposes the price of much increased instability.
2343
<title>Printer Drivers Running in <quote>Kernel Mode</quote> Cause Many
2347
Windows NT printer drivers, which run in <quote>kernel mode</quote>, introduce a high risk for the stability
2348
of the system if the driver is not really stable and well-tested. And there are a lot of bad drivers out
2349
there! Especially notorious is the example of the PCL printer driver that had an additional sound module
2350
running to notify users via soundcard of their finished jobs. Do I need to say that this one was also reliably
2351
causing <quote>blue screens of death</quote> on a regular basis?
2355
PostScript drivers are generally well-tested. They are not known to cause any problems, even though they also
2356
run in kernel mode. This might be because until now there have been only two different PostScript drivers: the
2357
one from Adobe and the one from Microsoft. Both are well-tested and are as stable as you can imagine on
2358
Windows. The CUPS driver is derived from the Microsoft one.
2363
<title>Workarounds Impose Heavy Limitations</title>
2366
In an attempt to work around problems, site administrators have resorted to restricting the
2367
allowed drivers installed on their WTS to one generic PCL and one PostScript driver. This, however, restricts
2368
the number of printer options available for clients to use. Often they can't get out more than simplex
2369
prints from one standard paper tray, while their devices could do much better if driven by a different driver!
2374
<title>CUPS: A <quote>Magical Stone</quote>?</title>
2377
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
2378
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2379
Using a PostScript driver, enabled with a CUPS-PPD, seems to be a very elegant way to overcome all these
2380
shortcomings. There are, depending on the version of Windows OS you use, up to three different PostScript
2381
drivers now available: Adobe, Microsoft, and CUPS PostScript drivers. None of them is known to cause major
2382
stability problems on WTS (even if used with many different PPDs). The clients will be able to (again) choose
2383
paper trays, duplex printing, and other settings. However, there is a certain price for this too: a CUPS
2384
server acting as a PostScript RIP for its clients requires more CPU and RAM than when just acting as a
2385
<quote>raw spooling</quote> device. Plus, this setup is not yet widely tested, although the first feedbacks
2386
look very promising.
2391
<title>PostScript Drivers with No Major Problems, Even in Kernel
2395
<indexterm><primary>DDK</primary></indexterm>
2396
<indexterm><primary>W32X86</primary></indexterm>
2397
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2398
<indexterm><primary>Visual Studio</primary></indexterm>
2399
<indexterm><primary>Microsoft driver</primary></indexterm>
2400
<indexterm><primary>Adobe</primary></indexterm>
2401
More recent printer drivers on W200x and XP no longer run in kernel mode (unlike Windows NT). However, both
2402
operating systems can still use the NT drivers, running in kernel mode (you can roughly tell which is which as
2403
the drivers in subdirectory <quote>2</quote> of <quote>W32X86</quote> are <quote>old</quote> ones). As was
2404
said before, the Adobe as well as the Microsoft PostScript drivers are not known to cause any stability
2405
problems. The CUPS driver is derived from the Microsoft one. There is a simple reason for this: the MS DDK
2406
(Device Development Kit) for Windows NT (which used to be available at no cost to licensees of Visual Studio)
2407
includes the source code of the Microsoft driver, and licensees of Visual Studio are allowed to use and modify
2408
it for their own driver development efforts. This is what the CUPS people have done. The license does not
2409
allow them to publish the whole of the source code. However, they have released the <quote>diff</quote> under
2410
the GPL, and if you are the owner of an <quote>MS DDK for Windows NT,</quote> you can check the driver
2417
<title>Configuring CUPS for Driver Download</title>
2420
As we have said before, all previously known methods to prepare client printer drivers on the Samba server for
2421
download and Point'n'Print convenience of Windows workstations are working with CUPS, too. These methods were
2422
described in <link linkend="classicalprinting">Classical Printing</link>. In reality, this is a pure Samba
2423
business and relates only to the Samba-Windows client relationship.
2427
<title><emphasis>cupsaddsmb</emphasis>: The Unknown Utility</title>
2431
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2432
The <parameter>cupsaddsmb</parameter> utility (shipped with all current CUPS versions) is an alternative
2433
method to transfer printer drivers into the Samba <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share. Remember, this
2434
share is where clients expect drivers deposited and set up for download and installation. It makes the sharing
2435
of any (or all) installed CUPS printers quite easy. <command>cupsaddsmb</command> can use the Adobe PostScript
2436
driver as well as the newly developed CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/200x/XP.
2437
<parameter>cupsaddsmb</parameter> does <emphasis>not</emphasis> work with arbitrary vendor printer drivers,
2438
but only with the <emphasis>exact</emphasis> driver files that are named in its man page.
2442
The CUPS printer driver is available from the CUPS download site. Its package name is
2443
<filename>cups-samba-[version].tar.gz</filename>. It is preferred over the Adobe drivers because it has a
2444
number of advantages:
2448
<listitem><para>It supports a much more accurate page accounting.</para></listitem>
2450
<listitem><para>It supports banner pages and page labels on all printers.</para></listitem>
2452
<listitem><para>It supports the setting of a number of job IPP attributes
2453
(such as job priority, page label, and job billing).</para></listitem>
2457
However, currently only Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by the
2458
CUPS drivers. You will also need to get the respective part of the Adobe driver
2459
if you need to support Windows 95, 98, and Me clients.
2464
<title>Prepare Your &smb.conf; for <command>cupsaddsmb</command></title>
2467
Prior to running <command>cupsaddsmb</command>, you need the settings in
2468
&smb.conf; as shown in <link linkend="cupsadd-ex">the &smb.conf; for cupsaddsmb Usage</link>.
2471
<example id="cupsadd-ex">
2472
<title>smb.conf for cupsaddsmb Usage</title>
2474
<smbconfsection name="[global]"/>
2475
<smbconfoption name="load printers">yes</smbconfoption>
2476
<smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>
2477
<smbconfoption name="printcap name">cups</smbconfoption>
2479
<smbconfsection name="[printers]"/>
2480
<smbconfoption name="comment">All Printers</smbconfoption>
2481
<smbconfoption name="path">/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption>
2482
<smbconfoption name="browseable">no</smbconfoption>
2483
<smbconfcomment>setting depends on your requirements</smbconfcomment>
2484
<smbconfoption name="guest ok">yes</smbconfoption>
2485
<smbconfoption name="writable">no</smbconfoption>
2486
<smbconfoption name="printable">yes</smbconfoption>
2487
<smbconfoption name="printer admin">root</smbconfoption>
2488
<smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
2489
<smbconfoption name="comment">Printer Drivers</smbconfoption>
2490
<smbconfoption name="path">/etc/samba/drivers</smbconfoption>
2491
<smbconfoption name="browseable">yes</smbconfoption>
2492
<smbconfoption name="guest ok">no</smbconfoption>
2493
<smbconfoption name="read only">yes</smbconfoption>
2494
<smbconfoption name="write list">root, @smbprintadm</smbconfoption>
2500
<title>CUPS <quote>PostScript Driver for Windows NT/200x/XP</quote></title>
2503
<indexterm><primary>PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2504
CUPS users may get the exact same package from <ulink noescape="1"
2505
url="http://www.cups.org/software.html">http://www.cups.org/software.html</ulink>. It is a separate package
2506
from the CUPS-based software files, tagged as CUPS 1.1.x Windows NT/200x/XP Printer Driver for Samba (tar.gz,
2507
192k). The filename to download is <filename>cups-samba-1.1.x.tar.gz</filename>. Upon untar and unzipping, it
2508
will reveal these files:
2510
&rootprompt;<userinput>tar xvzf cups-samba-1.1.19.tar.gz</userinput>
2519
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>meta packager</secondary></indexterm>
2520
<indexterm><primary>EPM</primary><see>ESP meta packager</see></indexterm>
2521
These have been packaged with the ESP meta-packager software EPM. The <filename>*.install</filename> and
2522
<filename>*.remove</filename> files are simple shell scripts, which untar the <filename>*.ss</filename> (the
2523
<filename>*.ss</filename> is nothing else but a tar archive, which can be untarred by <quote>tar</quote> too).
2524
Then it puts the content into <filename>/usr/share/cups/drivers/</filename>. This content includes three
2527
&rootprompt;<userinput>tar tv cups-samba.ss</userinput>
2534
The <parameter>cups-samba.install</parameter> shell scripts are easy to
2537
&rootprompt;<userinput>./cups-samba.install</userinput>
2539
Installing software...
2540
Updating file permissions...
2541
Running post-install commands...
2542
Installation is complete.
2546
The script should automatically put the driver files into the
2547
<filename>/usr/share/cups/drivers/</filename> directory:
2549
&rootprompt;<userinput>cp /usr/share/drivers/cups.hlp /usr/share/cups/drivers/</userinput>
2553
Due to a bug, one recent CUPS release puts the <filename>cups.hlp</filename> driver file
2554
into<filename>/usr/share/drivers/</filename> instead of <filename>/usr/share/cups/drivers/</filename>. To work
2555
around this, copy/move the file (after running the <command>./cups-samba.install</command> script) manually to
2560
<indexterm><primary>DDK</primary></indexterm>
2561
This new CUPS PostScript driver is currently binary only, but free of charge. No complete source code is
2562
provided (yet). The reason is that it has been developed with the help of the Microsoft DDK and compiled with
2563
Microsoft Visual Studio 6. Driver developers are not allowed to distribute the whole of the source code as
2564
free software. However, CUPS developers released the <quote>diff</quote> in source code under the GPL, so
2565
anybody with a license for Visual Studio and a DDK will be able to compile for himself or herself.
2570
<title>Recognizing Different Driver Files</title>
2573
The CUPS drivers do not support the older Windows 95/98/Me, but only the Windows NT/2000/XP client.
2576
<para>Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:</para>
2579
<listitem><para>cups.hlp</para></listitem>
2580
<listitem><para>cupsdrvr.dll</para></listitem>
2581
<listitem><para>cupsui.dll</para></listitem>
2585
Adobe drivers are available for the older Windows 95/98/Me as well as
2586
for Windows NT/2000/XP clients. The set of files is different from the
2587
different platforms.
2590
<para>Windows 95, 98, and ME are supported by:</para>
2593
<listitem><para>ADFONTS.MFM</para></listitem>
2594
<listitem><para>ADOBEPS4.DRV</para></listitem>
2595
<listitem><para>ADOBEPS4.HLP</para></listitem>
2596
<listitem><para>DEFPRTR2.PPD</para></listitem>
2597
<listitem><para>ICONLIB.DLL</para></listitem>
2598
<listitem><para>PSMON.DLL</para></listitem>
2601
<para>Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:</para>
2604
<listitem><para>ADOBEPS5.DLL</para></listitem>
2605
<listitem><para>ADOBEPSU.DLL</para></listitem>
2606
<listitem><para>ADOBEPSU.HLP</para></listitem>
2610
<indexterm><primary>Adobe driver files</primary></indexterm>
2611
If both the Adobe driver files and the CUPS driver files for the support of Windows NT/200x/XP are presently
2612
installed on the server, the Adobe files will be ignored and the CUPS files will be used. If you prefer
2613
&smbmdash; for whatever reason &smbmdash; to use Adobe-only drivers, move away the three CUPS driver files.
2614
The Windows 9x/Me clients use the Adobe drivers in any case.
2619
<title>Acquiring the Adobe Driver Files</title>
2622
Acquiring the Adobe driver files seems to be unexpectedly difficult for many users. They are not available on
2623
the Adobe Web site as single files, and the self-extracting and/or self-installing Windows-.exe is not easy to
2624
locate either. You probably need to use the included native installer and run the installation process on one
2625
client once. This will install the drivers (and one generic PostScript printer) locally on the client. When
2626
they are installed, share the generic PostScript printer. After this, the client's <smbconfsection
2627
name="[print$]"/> share holds the Adobe files, which you can get with smbclient from the CUPS host.
2632
<title>ESP Print Pro PostScript Driver for Windows NT/200x/XP</title>
2635
<indexterm><primary>ESP</primary><secondary>Print Pro</secondary></indexterm>
2636
Users of the ESP Print Pro software are able to install the ESP print drivers package as an alternative to the
2637
Adobe PostScript drivers. To do so, retrieve the driver files from the normal download area of the ESP Print
2638
Pro software at <ulink noescape="1" url="http://www.easysw.com/software.html">Easy Software</ulink> web site.
2639
You need to locate the link labeled <quote>SAMBA</quote> among the <guilabel>Download Printer Drivers for ESP
2640
Print Pro 4.x</guilabel> area and download the package. Once installed, you can prepare any driver by simply
2641
highlighting the printer in the Printer Manager GUI and selecting <guilabel>Export Driver...</guilabel> from
2642
the menu. Of course, you need to have prepared Samba beforehand to handle the driver files; that is, set up
2643
the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share, and so on. The ESP Print Pro package includes the CUPS driver
2644
files as well as a (licensed) set of Adobe drivers for the Windows 95/98/Me client family.
2649
<title>Caveats to Be Considered</title>
2653
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2654
<indexterm><primary>cups.hlp</primary></indexterm>
2655
<indexterm><primary>WIN40</primary></indexterm>
2656
<indexterm><primary>W32X86</primary></indexterm>
2657
Once you have run the install script (and possibly manually moved the <filename>cups.hlp</filename> file to
2658
<filename>/usr/share/cups/drivers/</filename>), the driver is ready to be put into Samba's <smbconfsection
2659
name="[print$]"/> share (which often maps to <filename>/etc/samba/drivers/</filename> and contains a
2660
subdirectory tree with <emphasis>WIN40</emphasis> and <emphasis>W32X86</emphasis> branches). You do this by
2661
running <command>cupsaddsmb</command> (see also <command>man cupsaddsmb</command> for CUPS since release
2666
<indexterm><primary>Single Sign-On</primary></indexterm>
2667
<indexterm><primary>Domain Controller</primary></indexterm>
2668
You may need to put root into the smbpasswd file by running <command>smbpasswd</command>; this is especially
2669
important if you should run this whole procedure for the first time and are not working in an environment
2670
where everything is configured for <emphasis>single sign-on</emphasis> to a Windows Domain Controller.
2674
Once the driver files are in the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share and are initialized, they are ready
2675
to be downloaded and installed by the Windows NT/200x/XP clients.
2679
Win 9x/Me clients will not work with the CUPS PostScript driver. For these you still need to use the
2680
<filename>ADOBE*.*</filename> drivers, as previously stated.
2685
It is not harmful if you still have the <filename>ADOBE*.*</filename> driver files from previous installations
2686
in the <filename>/usr/share/cups/drivers/</filename> directory. The new <command>cupsaddsmb</command> (from
2687
1.1.16) will automatically prefer its own drivers if it finds both.
2691
<indexterm><primary>"Printers" folder</primary></indexterm>
2692
<indexterm><primary>Adobe PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2693
Should your Windows clients have had the old <filename>ADOBE*.*</filename> files for the Adobe PostScript
2694
driver installed, the download and installation of the new CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/200x/XP will
2695
fail at first. You need to wipe the old driver from the clients first. It is not enough to
2696
<quote>delete</quote> the printer, because the driver files will still be kept by the clients and re-used if
2697
you try to re-install the printer. To really get rid of the Adobe driver files on the clients, open the
2698
<guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder (possibly via <guilabel>Start -> Settings -> Control Panel ->
2699
Printers</guilabel>), right-click on the folder background, and select <guimenuitem>Server
2700
Properties</guimenuitem>. When the new dialog opens, select the <guilabel>Drivers</guilabel> tab. On the list
2701
select the driver you want to delete and click the <guilabel>Delete</guilabel> button. This will only work if
2702
there is not one single printer left that uses that particular driver. You need to <quote>delete</quote> all
2703
printers using this driver in the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder first. You will need Administrator
2704
privileges to do this.
2708
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
2709
<indexterm><primary>CUPS PostScript</primary></indexterm>
2710
Once you have successfully downloaded the CUPS PostScript driver to a client, you can easily switch all
2711
printers to this one by proceeding as described in <link linkend="classicalprinting">Classical Printing
2712
Support</link>. Either change a driver for an existing printer by running the <guilabel>Printer
2713
Properties</guilabel> dialog, or use <command>rpcclient</command> with the <command>setdriver</command>
2719
<title>Windows CUPS PostScript Driver Versus Adobe Driver</title>
2722
Are you interested in a comparison between the CUPS and the Adobe PostScript drivers? For our purposes, these
2723
are the most important items that weigh in favor of CUPS:
2727
<listitem><para>No hassle with the Adobe EULA.</para></listitem>
2729
<listitem><para>No hassle with the question, <quote>Where do I
2730
get the ADOBE*.* driver files?</quote></para></listitem>
2733
<indexterm><primary>PJL</primary></indexterm>
2734
The Adobe drivers (on request of the printer PPD associated with them) often put a PJL header in front of the
2735
main PostScript part of the print file. Thus, the print file starts with <parameter><1B
2736
>%-12345X</parameter> or <parameter><escape>%-12345X</parameter> instead of
2737
<parameter>%!PS</parameter>. This leads to the CUPS daemon autotyping the incoming file as a print-ready file,
2738
not initiating a pass through the <parameter>pstops</parameter> filter (to speak more technically, it is not
2739
regarded as the generic MIME-type <indexterm><primary>application/postscript</primary></indexterm>
2740
<parameter>application/postscript</parameter>, but as the more special MIME type
2741
<indexterm><primary>application/cups.vnd-postscript</primary></indexterm>
2742
<parameter>application/cups.vnd-postscript</parameter>), which therefore also leads to the page accounting in
2743
<parameter>/var/log/cups/page_log</parameter> not receiving the exact number of pages; instead the dummy page
2744
number of <quote>1</quote> is logged in a standard setup).
2747
<listitem><para>The Adobe driver has more options to misconfigure the
2748
<indexterm><primary>Adobe driver</primary></indexterm>
2749
PostScript generated by it (like setting it inadvertently to
2750
<guilabel>Optimize for Speed</guilabel> instead of
2751
<guilabel>Optimize for Portability</guilabel>, which
2752
could lead to CUPS being unable to process it).</para></listitem>
2754
<listitem><para>The CUPS PostScript driver output sent by Windows
2755
<indexterm><primary>CUPS PostScript driver</primary></indexterm>
2756
clients to the CUPS server is guaranteed to autotype
2757
as the generic MIME type <parameter>application/postscript</parameter>,
2758
thus passing through the CUPS <parameter>pstops</parameter> filter and logging the
2759
correct number of pages in the <filename>page_log</filename> for
2760
accounting and quota purposes.</para></listitem>
2763
<indexterm><primary>banner pages</primary></indexterm>
2764
The CUPS PostScript driver supports the sending of additional standard (IPP) print options by Windows
2765
NT/200x/XP clients. Such additional print options are naming the CUPS standard <emphasis>banner
2766
pages</emphasis> (or the custom ones, should they be installed at the time of driver download), using the CUPS
2767
page-label option, setting a job priority, and setting the scheduled time of printing (with the option to
2768
support additional useful IPP job attributes in the future).
2771
<listitem><para>The CUPS PostScript driver supports the inclusion of
2772
the new <parameter>*cupsJobTicket</parameter> comments at the
2773
beginning of the PostScript file (which could be used in the future
2774
for all sorts of beneficial extensions on the CUPS side, but which will
2775
not disturb any other applications because they will regard it as a comment
2776
and simply ignore it).</para></listitem>
2778
<listitem><para>The CUPS PostScript driver will be the heart of the
2779
fully fledged CUPS IPP client for Windows NT/200x/XP to be released soon
2780
(probably alongside the first beta release for CUPS 1.2).</para></listitem>
2786
<title>Run cupsaddsmb (Quiet Mode)</title>
2790
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2791
<indexterm><primary>point 'n' print</primary></indexterm>
2792
The <command>cupsaddsmb</command> command copies the needed files into your <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
2793
share. Additionally, the PPD associated with this printer is copied from <filename>/etc/cups/ppd/</filename>
2794
to <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>. There the files wait for convenient Windows client installations via
2795
Point'n'Print. Before we can run the command successfully, we need to be sure that we can authenticate toward
2796
Samba. If you have a small network, you are probably using user-level security (<smbconfoption
2797
name="security">user</smbconfoption>).
2801
Here is an example of a successfully run <command>cupsaddsmb</command> command:
2802
<indexterm><primary>banner pages</primary></indexterm>
2803
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2805
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -U root infotec_IS2027</userinput>
2806
Password for root required to access localhost via Samba: <userinput>['secret']</userinput>
2810
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2811
To share <emphasis>all</emphasis> printers and drivers, use the
2812
<option>-a</option> parameter instead of a printer name. Since
2813
<command>cupsaddsmb</command> <quote>exports</quote> the printer drivers to Samba, it should be
2814
obvious that it only works for queues with a CUPS driver associated.
2819
<title>Run cupsaddsmb with Verbose Output</title>
2823
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2824
Probably you want to see what's going on. Use the
2825
<option>-v</option> parameter to get a more verbose output. The
2826
output below was edited for better readability: all <quote>\</quote> at the end of
2827
a line indicate that I inserted an artificial line break plus some
2829
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
2830
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
2832
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -U root -v infotec_2105</userinput>
2833
Password for root required to access localhost via &example.server.samba;:
2834
Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' \
2836
put /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd; \
2837
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll; \
2838
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll W32X86/cupsui.dll; \
2839
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp W32X86/cups.hlp'
2840
added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0
2841
Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[UNIX] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a]
2842
NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \W32X86
2843
putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd
2844
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll as \W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll
2845
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll as \W32X86/cupsui.dll
2846
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp as \W32X86/cups.hlp
2848
Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret'
2849
-c 'adddriver "Windows NT x86" \
2850
"infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL: \
2852
cmd = adddriver "Windows NT x86" \
2853
"infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL: \
2855
Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed.
2857
Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' \
2859
put /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD; \
2860
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM; \
2861
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV; \
2862
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP; \
2863
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD; \
2864
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL; \
2865
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL WIN40/PSMON.DLL;'
2866
added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0
2867
Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[UNIX] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a]
2868
NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \WIN40
2869
putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD
2870
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM as \WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM
2871
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV
2872
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP
2873
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD as \WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD
2874
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL as \WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL
2875
putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL as \WIN40/PSMON.DLL
2877
Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \
2878
-c 'adddriver "Windows 4.0" \
2879
"infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL:ADOBEPS4.HLP: \
2880
PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP,PSMON.DLL, \
2881
ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL"'
2882
cmd = adddriver "Windows 4.0" "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:\
2883
infotec_2105.PPD:NULL:ADOBEPS4.HLP:PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,\
2884
infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP,PSMON.DLL,ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,\
2886
Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed.
2888
Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \
2889
-c 'setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105'
2890
cmd = setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105
2891
Successfully set infotec_2105 to driver infotec_2105.
2895
You will see the root password for the Samba account printed on screen.
2899
If you look closely, you'll discover your root password was transferred unencrypted over the wire, so beware!
2900
Also, if you look further, you may discover error messages like NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION in the output.
2901
This will occur when the directories WIN40 and W32X86 already existed in the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
2902
driver download share (from a previous driver installation). These are harmless warning messages.
2907
<title>Understanding cupsaddsmb</title>
2910
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
2911
What has happened? What did <command>cupsaddsmb</command> do? There are five stages of the procedure:
2916
<indexterm><primary>IPP</primary></indexterm>
2917
Call the CUPS server via IPP and request the driver files and the PPD file for the named printer.</para></listitem>
2919
<listitem><para>Store the files temporarily in the local TEMPDIR (as defined in <filename>cupsd.conf</filename>).</para></listitem>
2921
<listitem><para>Connect via smbclient to the Samba server's <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share and put the files into the
2922
share's WIN40 (for Windows 9x/Me) and W32X86 (for Windows NT/200x/XP) subdirectories.</para></listitem>
2925
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
2926
Connect via rpcclient to the Samba server and execute the <command>adddriver</command> command with the correct parameters.
2930
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
2931
Connect via rpcclient to the Samba server a second time and execute the <command>setdriver</command> command.</para></listitem>
2936
You can run the <command>cupsaddsmb</command> utility with parameters to specify one remote host as Samba host
2937
and a second remote host as CUPS host. Especially if you want to get a deeper understanding, it is a good idea
2938
to try it and see more clearly what is going on (though in real life most people will have their CUPS and
2939
Samba servers run on the same host):
2941
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -H sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printer</userinput>
2948
<title>How to Recognize If cupsaddsmb Completed Successfully</title>
2951
You <emphasis>must</emphasis> always check if the utility completed
2952
successfully in all fields. You need at minimum these three messages
2957
<listitem><para><emphasis>Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully
2958
installed.</emphasis> # (for the W32X86 == Windows NT/200x/XP
2959
architecture).</para></listitem>
2961
<listitem><para><emphasis>Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully
2962
installed.</emphasis> # (for the WIN40 == Windows 9x/Me
2963
architecture).</para></listitem>
2965
<listitem><para><emphasis>Successfully set [printerXPZ] to driver
2966
[printerXYZ].</emphasis></para></listitem>
2970
These messages are probably not easily recognized in the general
2971
output. If you run <command>cupsaddsmb</command> with the <option>-a</option>
2972
parameter (which tries to prepare <emphasis>all</emphasis> active CUPS
2973
printer drivers for download), you might miss if individual printer
2974
drivers had problems installing properly. A redirection of the
2975
output will help you analyze the results in retrospective.
2981
SetPrinter call failed!
2982
result was WERR_ACCESS_DENIED
2984
it means that you might have set <smbconfoption name="use client driver">yes</smbconfoption> for this printer.
2985
Setting it to <quote>no</quote> will solve the problem. Refer to the &smb.conf; man page for explanation of
2986
the <parameter>use client driver</parameter>.
2990
It is impossible to see any diagnostic output if you do not run <command>cupsaddsmb</command> in verbose mode.
2991
Therefore, we strongly recommend against use of the default quiet mode. It will hide any problems from you that
2997
<title>cupsaddsmb with a Samba PDC</title>
3000
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
3001
<indexterm><primary>PDC</primary></indexterm>
3002
Can't get the standard <command>cupsaddsmb</command> command to run on a Samba PDC? Are you asked for the
3003
password credential again and again, and the command just will not take off at all? Try one of these
3008
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -U &example.workgroup;\\root -v printername</userinput>
3009
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -H &example.pdc.samba; -U &example.workgroup;\\root -v printername</userinput>
3010
&rootprompt;<userinput>cupsaddsmb -H &example.pdc.samba; -U &example.workgroup;\\root -h cups-server -v printername</userinput>
3014
(Note the two backslashes: the first one is required to <quote>escape</quote> the second one).
3019
<title>cupsaddsmb Flowchart</title>
3022
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
3023
<indexterm><primary>raw print</primary></indexterm>
3024
<link linkend="small14">The cupsaddsmb Flowchart</link> shows a chart about the procedures, command flows, and
3025
data flows of the <command>cupaddsmb</command> command. Note again: cupsaddsmb is
3026
not intended to, and does not work with, raw print queues!
3029
<figure id="small14">
3030
<title>cupsaddsmb Flowchart.</title>
3031
<imagefile>14small</imagefile></figure>
3035
<title>Installing the PostScript Driver on a Client</title>
3038
<indexterm><primary>point'n'print</primary></indexterm>
3039
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
3040
After <command>cupsaddsmb</command> is completed, your driver is prepared for the clients to use. Here are the
3041
steps you must perform to download and install it via Point'n'Print. From a Windows client, browse to the
3048
<indexterm><primary>"Printers" folder</primary></indexterm>
3049
Open the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> share of Samba in Network Neighborhood.</para></listitem>
3051
<listitem><para>Right-click on the printer in question.</para></listitem>
3053
<listitem><para>From the opening context menu select
3054
<guimenuitem>Install...</guimenuitem> or
3055
<guimenuitem>Connect...</guimenuitem> (depending on the Windows version you use).</para></listitem>
3059
After a few seconds, there should be a new printer in your client's <emphasis>local</emphasis>
3060
<guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder. On Windows XP it will follow a naming convention of
3061
<emphasis>PrinterName on SambaServer</emphasis>. (In my current case it is infotec_2105 on kde-bitshop). If
3062
you want to test it and send your first job from an application like Microsoft Word,
3063
the new printer appears in a
3064
<filename>\\SambaServer\PrinterName</filename> entry in the drop-down list of available printers.
3068
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
3069
<indexterm><primary>Adobe PostScript driver</primary></indexterm>
3070
<indexterm><primary>net use lpt1:</primary></indexterm>
3071
<command>cupsaddsmb</command> will only reliably work with CUPS version 1.1.15 or higher and with Samba
3072
version 2.2.4, or later. If it does not work, or if the automatic printer driver download to the clients does
3073
not succeed, you can still manually install the CUPS printer PPD on top of the Adobe PostScript driver on
3074
clients. Then point the client's printer queue to the Samba printer share for a UNC type of connection:
3076
&dosprompt;<userinput>net use lpt1: \\sambaserver\printershare /user:ntadmin</userinput>
3078
should you desire to use the CUPS networked PostScript RIP functions. (Note that user <quote>ntadmin</quote>
3079
needs to be a valid Samba user with the required privileges to access the printershare.) This sets up the
3080
printer connection in the traditional LanMan way (not using MS-RPC).
3084
<sect2 id="cups-avoidps1">
3085
<title>Avoiding Critical PostScript Driver Settings on the Client</title>
3088
Printing works, but there are still problems. Most jobs print well, some do not print at all. Some jobs have
3089
problems with fonts, which do not look very good. Some jobs print fast and some are dead-slow. Many of these
3090
problems can be greatly reduced or even completely eliminated if you follow a few guidelines. Remember, if
3091
your print device is not PostScript-enabled, you are treating your Ghostscript installation on your CUPS host
3092
with the output your client driver settings produce. Treat it well:
3097
Avoid the PostScript Output Option: Optimize for Speed setting. Use the Optimize for Portability instead
3098
(Adobe PostScript driver).</para></listitem>
3101
Don't use the Page Independence: NO setting. Instead, use Page Independence: YES (CUPS PostScript Driver).
3105
Recommended is the True Type Font Downloading Option: Native True Type over Automatic and Outline;
3106
you should by all means avoid Bitmap (Adobe PostScript Driver).</para></listitem>
3109
Choose True Type Font: Download as Softfont into Printer over the default Replace by Device
3110
Font (for exotic fonts, you may need to change it back to get a printout at all; Adobe).</para></listitem>
3113
Sometimes you can choose PostScript Language Level: in case of problems try 2
3114
instead of 3 (the latest ESP Ghostscript package handles Level 3 PostScript very well; Adobe).
3118
Say Yes to PostScript Error Handler (Adobe).</para></listitem>
3125
<title>Installing PostScript Driver Files Manually Using rpcclient</title>
3128
Of course, you can run all the commands that are embedded into the
3129
cupsaddsmb convenience utility yourself, one by one, and upload
3130
and prepare the driver files for future client downloads.
3134
<listitem><para>Prepare Samba (a CUPS print queue with the name of the
3135
printer should be there. We are providing the driver now).</para></listitem>
3137
<listitem><para>Copy all files to <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>.</para></listitem>
3140
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
3141
Run <command>rpcclient adddriver</command>
3142
(for each client architecture you want to support).</para></listitem>
3145
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3146
Run <command>rpcclient setdriver.</command></para></listitem>
3150
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumports</secondary></indexterm>
3151
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3152
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumdrivers</secondary></indexterm>
3153
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3154
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
3155
We are going to do this now. First, read the man page on <parameter>rpcclient</parameter> to get a first idea.
3156
Look at all the printing-related subcommands: <command>enumprinters</command>, <command>enumdrivers</command>,
3157
<command>enumports</command>, <command>adddriver</command>, and <command>setdriver</command> are among the
3158
most interesting ones. <parameter>rpcclient</parameter> implements an important part of the MS-RPC protocol.
3159
You can use it to query (and command) a Windows NT (or 200x/XP) PC, too. MS-RPC is used by Windows clients,
3160
among other things, to benefit from the Point'n'Print features. Samba can now mimic this as well.
3164
<title>A Check of the rpcclient man Page</title>
3167
First let's check the <parameter>rpcclient</parameter> man page. Here are two relevant passages:
3171
<indexterm><primary>adddriver</primary></indexterm>
3172
<indexterm><primary>AddPrinterDriver()</primary></indexterm>
3173
<indexterm><primary>getdriverdir</primary></indexterm>
3174
<command>adddriver <arch> <config></command> Execute an <command>AddPrinterDriver()</command> RPC
3175
to install the printer driver information on the server. The driver files should already exist in the
3176
directory returned by <command>getdriverdir</command>. Possible values for <parameter>arch</parameter> are the
3177
same as those for the <command>getdriverdir</command> command. The <parameter>config</parameter> parameter is
3185
Language Monitor Name:\
3187
Comma Separated list of Files
3191
Any empty fields should be entered as the string <quote>NULL</quote>.
3195
Samba does not need to support the concept of print monitors, since these only apply to local printers whose
3196
drivers can use a bidirectional link for communication. This field should be <quote>NULL</quote>. On a remote
3197
NT print server, the print monitor for a driver must already be installed before adding the driver or else the
3202
<indexterm><primary>setdriver</primary></indexterm>
3203
<indexterm><primary>SetPrinter()</primary></indexterm>
3204
<command>setdriver <printername> <drivername></command> Execute a <command>SetPrinter()</command>
3205
command to update the printer driver associated with an installed printer. The printer driver must already be
3206
correctly installed on the print server.
3210
<indexterm><primary>enumprinters</primary></indexterm>
3211
<indexterm><primary>enumdrivers</primary></indexterm>
3212
See also the <command>enumprinters</command> and <command>enumdrivers</command> commands to
3213
obtain a list of installed printers and drivers.
3219
<title>Understanding the rpcclient man Page</title>
3222
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
3223
The <emphasis>exact</emphasis> format isn't made too clear by the man page, since you have to deal with some
3224
parameters containing spaces. Here is a better description for it. We have line-broken the command and
3225
indicated the breaks with <quote>\</quote>. Usually you would type the command in one line without the line
3228
adddriver "Architecture" \
3229
"LongPrinterName:DriverFile:DataFile:ConfigFile:HelpFile:\
3230
LanguageMonitorFile:DataType:ListOfFiles,Comma-separated"
3234
What the man pages denote as a simple <parameter><config></parameter> keyword in reality consists of
3235
eight colon-separated fields. The last field may take multiple (in some very insane cases, even 20 different
3236
additional) files. This might sound confusing at first. What the man pages call the
3237
<quote>LongPrinterName</quote> in reality should be called the <quote>Driver Name</quote>. You can name it
3238
anything you want, as long as you use this name later in the <command>rpcclient ... setdriver</command>
3239
command. For practical reasons, many name the driver the same as the printer.
3243
It isn't simple at all. I hear you asking: <quote>How do I know which files are Driver File</quote>,
3244
<quote>Data File</quote>, <quote>Config File</quote>, <quote>Help File</quote> and <quote>Language Monitor
3245
File in each case?</quote> For an answer, you may want to have a look at how a Windows NT box with a shared
3246
printer presents the files to us. Remember that this whole procedure has to be developed by the Samba Team by
3247
listening to the traffic caused by Windows computers on the wire. We may as well turn to a Windows box now and
3248
access it from a UNIX workstation. We will query it with <command>rpcclient</command> to see what it tells us
3249
and try to understand the man page more clearly.
3254
<title>Producing an Example by Querying a Windows Box</title>
3257
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3258
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getprinter</secondary></indexterm>
3259
We could run <command>rpcclient</command> with a <command>getdriver</command> or a
3260
<command>getprinter</command> subcommand (in level 3 verbosity) against it. Just sit down at a UNIX or Linux
3261
workstation with the Samba utilities installed, then type the following command:
3263
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -U'user%secret' NT-SERVER -c 'getdriver printername 3'</userinput>
3267
From the result it should become clear which is which. Here is an example from my installation:
3268
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3270
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -U'Danka%xxxx' W200xSERVER \
3271
-c'getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3'</userinput>
3272
cmd = getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3
3275
Printer Driver Info 3:
3277
Driver Name: [DANKA InfoStream]
3278
Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
3279
Driver Path: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRIPT.DLL]
3280
Datafile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\INFOSTRM.PPD]
3281
Configfile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRPTUI.DLL]
3282
Helpfile: [C:\WINNT\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\2\PSCRIPT.HLP]
3297
Some printer drivers list additional files under the label <parameter>Dependentfiles</parameter>, and these
3298
would go into the last field <parameter>ListOfFiles,Comma-separated</parameter>. For the CUPS PostScript
3299
drivers, we do not need any (nor would we for the Adobe PostScript driver); therefore, the field will get a
3300
<quote>NULL</quote> entry.
3305
<title>Requirements for adddriver and setdriver to Succeed</title>
3308
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
3309
<indexterm><primary>cupsaddsmb</primary></indexterm>
3310
<indexterm><primary>setdriver</primary></indexterm>
3311
From the man page (and from the quoted output of <command>cupsaddsmb</command> above) it becomes clear that
3312
you need to have certain conditions in order to make the manual uploading and initializing of the driver files
3313
succeed. The two <command>rpcclient</command> subcommands (<command>adddriver</command> and
3314
<command>setdriver</command>) need to encounter the following preconditions to complete successfully:
3318
<listitem><para>You are connected as <smbconfoption name="printer admin"/> or root (this is
3319
<emphasis>not</emphasis> the <quote>Printer Operators</quote> group in NT, but the <emphasis>printer
3320
admin</emphasis> group as defined in the <smbconfsection name="[global]"/> section of &smb.conf;).
3323
<listitem><para>Copy all required driver files to <filename>\\SAMBA\print$\w32x86</filename> and
3324
<filename>\\SAMBA\print$\win40</filename> as appropriate. They will end up in the <quote>0</quote> respective
3325
<quote>2</quote> subdirectories later. For now, <emphasis>do not</emphasis> put them there; they'll be
3326
automatically used by the <command>adddriver</command> subcommand. (If you use <command>smbclient</command> to
3327
put the driver files into the share, note that you need to escape the <quote>$</quote>: <command>smbclient
3328
//sambaserver/print\$ -U root.</command>)</para></listitem>
3330
<listitem><para>The user you're connecting as must be able to write to
3331
the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share and create
3332
subdirectories.</para></listitem>
3334
<listitem><para>The printer you are going to set up for the Windows
3335
clients needs to be installed in CUPS already.</para></listitem>
3338
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3339
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3340
The CUPS printer must be known to Samba; otherwise the <command>setdriver</command> subcommand fails with an
3341
NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL error. To check if the printer is known by Samba, you may use the
3342
<command>enumprinters</command> subcommand to <command>rpcclient</command>. A long-standing bug prevented a
3343
proper update of the printer list until every smbd process had received a SIGHUP or was restarted. Remember
3344
this in case you've created the CUPS printer just recently and encounter problems: try restarting Samba.
3350
<title>Manual Driver Installation in 15 Steps</title>
3353
We are going to install a printer driver now by manually executing all
3354
required commands. Because this may seem a rather complicated process at
3355
first, we go through the procedure step by step, explaining every
3356
single action item as it comes up.
3360
<title>Manual Driver Installation</title>
3363
<title>Install the printer on CUPS.</title>
3366
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p mysmbtstprn -v socket://10.160.51.131:9100 -E \
3367
-P canonIR85.ppd</userinput>
3371
This installs a printer with the name <parameter>mysmbtstprn</parameter>
3372
to the CUPS system. The printer is accessed via a socket
3373
(a.k.a. JetDirect or Direct TCP/IP) connection. You need to be root
3379
<title>(Optional.) Check if the printer is recognized by Samba.</title>
3382
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3384
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost \
3385
| grep -C2 mysmbtstprn</userinput>
3387
name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
3388
description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,,mysmbtstprn]
3389
comment:[mysmbtstprn]
3394
This should show the printer in the list. If not, stop and restart the Samba daemon (smbd) or send a HUP signal:
3396
&rootprompt;<userinput>kill -HUP `pidof smbd`</userinput>
3398
Check again. Troubleshoot and repeat until successful. Note the <quote>empty</quote> field between the two
3399
commas in the <quote>description</quote> line. The driver name would appear here if there was one already. You
3400
need to know root's Samba password (as set by the <command>smbpasswd</command> command) for this step and most
3401
of the following steps. Alternatively, you can authenticate as one of the users from the <quote>write
3402
list</quote> as defined in &smb.conf; for <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>.
3407
<title>(Optional.) Check if Samba knows a driver for the printer.</title>
3410
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getprinter</secondary></indexterm>
3411
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3413
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2'\
3414
localhost | grep driver </userinput>
3418
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' \
3419
localhost | grep -C4 driv</userinput>
3421
servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
3422
printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
3423
sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
3424
portname:[Samba Printer Port]
3426
comment:[mysmbtstprn]
3429
printprocessor:[winprint]
3431
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost</userinput>
3432
result was WERR_UNKNOWN_PRINTER_DRIVER
3436
None of the three commands shown above should show a driver.
3437
This step was done for the purpose of demonstrating this condition. An
3438
attempt to connect to the printer at this stage will prompt a
3439
message along the lines of, <quote>The server does not have the required printer
3440
driver installed.</quote>
3445
<title>Put all required driver files into Samba's
3449
&rootprompt;<userinput>smbclient //localhost/print\$ -U 'root%xxxx' \
3451
put /etc/cups/ppd/mysmbtstprn.ppd mysmbtstprn.PPD; \
3452
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll cupsui.dll; \
3453
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll cupsdrvr.dll; \
3454
put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp cups.hlp'</userinput>
3458
(This command should be entered in one long single line. Line breaks and the line ends indicated by
3459
<quote>\</quote> have been inserted for readability reasons.) This step is <emphasis>required</emphasis> for
3460
the next one to succeed. It makes the driver files physically present in the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
3461
share. However, clients would still not be able to install them, because Samba does not yet treat them as
3462
driver files. A client asking for the driver would still be presented with a <quote>not installed here</quote>
3468
<title>Verify where the driver files are now.</title>
3471
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/</userinput>
3473
drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 532 May 25 23:08 2
3474
drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 670 May 16 03:15 3
3475
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
3476
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 278380 May 25 23:21 cupsdrvr.dll
3477
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 215848 May 25 23:21 cupsui.dll
3478
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
3482
The driver files now are in the W32X86 architecture <quote>root</quote> of
3483
<smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>.
3488
<title>Tell Samba that these are driver files (<command>adddriver</command>).</title>
3491
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>adddriver</secondary></indexterm>
3493
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'adddriver "Windows NT x86" \
3494
"mydrivername:cupsdrvr.dll:mysmbtstprn.PPD: \
3495
cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL:RAW:NULL"' \
3496
localhost</userinput>
3497
Printer Driver mydrivername successfully installed.
3501
You cannot repeat this step if it fails. It could fail even as a result of a simple typo. It will most likely
3502
have moved a part of the driver files into the <quote>2</quote> subdirectory. If this step fails, you need to
3503
go back to the fourth step and repeat it before you can try this one again. In this step, you need to choose a
3504
name for your driver. It is normally a good idea to use the same name as is used for the printer name;
3505
however, in big installations you may use this driver for a number of printers that obviously have different
3506
names, so the name of the driver is not fixed.
3511
<title>Verify where the driver files are now.</title>
3514
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/</userinput>
3516
drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 532 May 25 23:22 2
3517
drwxr-sr-x 2 root ntadmin 670 May 16 03:15 3
3519
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/2</userinput>
3522
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
3523
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 278380 May 13 13:53 cupsdrvr.dll
3524
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 215848 May 13 13:53 cupsui.dll
3525
-rwxr--r-- 1 root ntadmin 169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
3529
Notice how step 6 also moved the driver files to the appropriate
3530
subdirectory. Compare this with the situation after step 5.
3535
<title>(Optional.) Verify if Samba now recognizes the driver.</title>
3538
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumdrivers</secondary></indexterm>
3540
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumdrivers 3' \
3541
localhost | grep -B2 -A5 mydrivername</userinput>
3542
Printer Driver Info 3:
3544
Driver Name: [mydrivername]
3545
Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
3546
Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
3547
Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
3548
Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
3549
Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
3553
Remember, this command greps for the name you chose for the
3554
driver in step 6. This command must succeed before you can proceed.
3559
<title>Tell Samba which printer should use these driver files (<command>setdriver</command>).</title>
3562
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>setdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3564
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'setdriver mysmbtstprn mydrivername' \
3565
localhost</userinput>
3566
Successfully set mysmbtstprn to driver mydrivername
3570
Since you can bind any printer name (print queue) to any driver, this is a convenient way to set up many
3571
queues that use the same driver. You do not need to repeat all the previous steps for the setdriver command to
3572
succeed. The only preconditions are that <command>enumdrivers</command> must find the driver and
3573
<command>enumprinters</command> must find the printer.
3578
<title>(Optional) Verify if Samba has recognized this association.</title>
3581
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getprinter</secondary></indexterm>
3582
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getdriver</secondary></indexterm>
3583
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3585
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
3586
| grep driver</userinput>
3587
drivername:[mydrivername]
3589
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
3590
| grep -C4 driv</userinput>
3591
servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
3592
printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
3593
sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
3595
drivername:[mydrivername]
3596
comment:[mysmbtstprn]
3599
printprocessor:[winprint]
3601
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost</userinput>
3603
Printer Driver Info 3:
3605
Driver Name: [mydrivername]
3606
Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
3607
Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
3608
Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
3609
Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
3610
Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
3612
Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
3614
Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
3616
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost \
3617
| grep mysmbtstprn</userinput>
3618
name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
3619
description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,mydrivername,mysmbtstprn]
3620
comment:[mysmbtstprn]
3625
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3626
Compare these results with the ones from steps 2 and 3. Every one of these commands show the driver is installed. Even
3627
the <command>enumprinters</command> command now lists the driver
3628
on the <quote>description</quote> line.
3633
<title>(Optional.) Tickle the driver into a correct
3634
device mode.</title>
3637
<indexterm><primary>"Printers" folder</primary></indexterm>
3638
You certainly know how to install the driver on the client. In case
3639
you are not particularly familiar with Windows, here is a short
3640
recipe: Browse the Network Neighborhood, go to the Samba server, and look
3641
for the shares. You should see all shared Samba printers.
3642
Double-click on the one in question. The driver should get
3643
installed and the network connection set up. Another way is to
3644
open the <guilabel>Printers (and Faxes)</guilabel> folder, right-click on the printer in
3645
question, and select <guilabel>Connect</guilabel> or <guilabel>Install</guilabel>. As a result, a new printer
3646
should appear in your client's local <guilabel>Printers (and Faxes)</guilabel>
3647
folder, named something like <guilabel>printersharename on Sambahostname</guilabel>.
3651
It is important that you execute this step as a Samba printer admin
3652
(as defined in &smb.conf;). Here is another method
3653
to do this on Windows XP. It uses a command line, which you may type
3654
into the <quote>DOS box</quote> (type root's smbpassword when prompted):
3658
&dosprompt;<userinput>runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry \
3659
/in /n \\sambaserver\mysmbtstprn"</userinput>
3663
Change any printer setting once (like changing <emphasis><guilabel>portrait</guilabel> to
3664
<guilabel>landscape</guilabel></emphasis>), click on <guibutton>Apply</guibutton>, and change the setting back.
3669
<title>Install the printer on a client (Point'n'Print).</title>
3672
<indexterm significance="preferred"><primary>point 'n' print</primary></indexterm>
3674
&dosprompt;<userinput>rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\sambaserver\mysmbtstprn"</userinput>
3676
If it does not work, it could be a permissions problem with the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/> share.
3681
<title>(Optional) Print a test page.</title>
3683
<indexterm><primary>rundll32</primary></indexterm>
3685
&dosprompt;<userinput>rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n "\\sambaserver\mysmbtstprn"</userinput>
3689
Then hit [TAB] five times, [ENTER] twice, [TAB] once, and [ENTER] again, and march to the printer.
3694
<title>(Recommended.) Study the test page.</title>
3697
Hmmm. Just kidding! By now you know everything about printer installations and you do not need to read a word.
3698
Just put it in a frame and bolt it to the wall with the heading "MY FIRST RPCCLIENT-INSTALLED PRINTER"
3699
&smbmdash; why not just throw it away!
3704
<title>(Obligatory.) Enjoy. Jump. Celebrate your success.</title>
3707
&rootprompt;<userinput>echo "Cheeeeerioooooo! Success..." >> /var/log/samba/log.smbd</userinput>
3714
<title>Troubleshooting Revisited</title>
3717
<indexterm><primary>adddriver</primary></indexterm>
3718
The setdriver command will fail if in Samba's mind the queue is not
3719
already there. A successful installation displys the promising message that the:
3721
Printer Driver ABC successfully installed.
3723
following the <command>adddriver</command> parts of the procedure. But you may also see
3724
a disappointing message like this one:
3726
result was NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL
3727
</computeroutput></para>
3730
<indexterm><primary>lpstat</primary></indexterm>
3731
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary></indexterm>
3732
It is not good enough that you can see the queue in CUPS, using the <command>lpstat -p ir85wm</command>
3733
command. A bug in most recent versions of Samba prevents the proper update of the queue list. The recognition
3734
of newly installed CUPS printers fails unless you restart Samba or send a HUP to all smbd processes. To verify
3735
if this is the reason why Samba does not execute the <command>setdriver</command> command successfully, check
3736
if Samba <quote>sees</quote> the printer:
3737
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>enumprinters</secondary></indexterm>
3739
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%xxxx' -c 'enumprinters 0'|grep ir85wm</userinput>
3740
printername:[ir85wm]
3744
An alternate command could be this:
3745
<indexterm><primary>rpcclient</primary><secondary>getprinter</secondary></indexterm>
3747
&rootprompt;<userinput>rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'getprinter ir85wm' </userinput>
3748
cmd = getprinter ir85wm
3750
name:[\\transmeta\ir85wm]
3751
description:[\\transmeta\ir85wm,ir85wm,DPD]
3752
comment:[CUPS PostScript-Treiber for Windows NT/200x/XP]
3756
By the way, you can use these commands, plus a few more, of course, to install drivers on remote Windows NT print servers too!
3762
<title>The Printing <filename>*.tdb</filename> Files</title>
3765
<indexterm><primary>TDB</primary></indexterm>
3766
<indexterm><primary>connections.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3767
<indexterm><primary>printing.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3768
<indexterm><primary>share_info.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3769
<indexterm><primary>ntdrivers.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3770
<indexterm><primary>unexpected.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3771
<indexterm><primary>brlock.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3772
<indexterm><primary>locking.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3773
<indexterm><primary>ntforms.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3774
<indexterm><primary>messages.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3775
<indexterm><primary>ntprinters.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3776
<indexterm><primary>sessionid.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3777
<indexterm><primary>secrets.tdb</primary><seealso>TDB</seealso></indexterm>
3778
Some mystery is associated with the series of files with a tdb suffix appearing in every Samba installation.
3779
They are <filename>connections.tdb</filename>, <filename>printing.tdb</filename>,
3780
<filename>share_info.tdb</filename>, <filename>ntdrivers.tdb</filename>, <filename>unexpected.tdb</filename>,
3781
<filename>brlock.tdb</filename>, <filename>locking.tdb</filename>, <filename>ntforms.tdb</filename>,
3782
<filename>messages.tdb</filename> , <filename>ntprinters.tdb</filename>, <filename>sessionid.tdb</filename>,
3783
and <filename>secrets.tdb</filename>. What is their purpose?
3787
<title>Trivial Database Files</title>
3790
<indexterm><primary>TDB</primary></indexterm>
3791
A Windows NT (print) server keeps track of all information needed to serve its duty toward its clients by
3792
storing entries in the Windows registry. Client queries are answered by reading from the registry,
3793
Administrator or user configuration settings that are saved by writing into the registry. Samba and UNIX
3794
obviously do not have such a Registry. Samba instead keeps track of all client-related information in a series
3795
of <filename>*.tdb</filename> files. (TDB stands for trivial data base). These are often located in
3796
<filename>/var/lib/samba/</filename> or <filename>/var/lock/samba/</filename>. The printing-related files are
3797
<filename>ntprinters.tdb</filename>, <filename>printing.tdb</filename>,<filename>ntforms.tdb</filename>, and
3798
<filename>ntdrivers.tdb</filename>.
3803
<title>Binary Format</title>
3806
<filename>*.tdb</filename> files are not human readable. They are written in a binary format. <quote>Why not
3807
ASCII?</quote>, you may ask. <quote>After all, ASCII configuration files are a good and proven tradition on
3808
UNIX.</quote> The reason for this design decision by the Samba Team is mainly performance. Samba needs to be
3809
fast; it runs a separate <command>smbd</command> process for each client connection, in some environments many
3810
thousands of them. Some of these <command>smbds</command> might need to write-access the same
3811
<filename>*.tdb</filename> file <emphasis>at the same time</emphasis>. The file format of Samba's
3812
<filename>*.tdb</filename> files allows for this provision. Many smbd processes may write to the same
3813
<filename>*.tdb</filename> file at the same time. This wouldn't be possible with pure ASCII files.
3818
<title>Losing <filename>*.tdb</filename> Files</title>
3821
It is very important that all <filename>*.tdb</filename> files remain consistent over all write and read
3822
accesses. However, it may happen that these files <emphasis>do</emphasis> get corrupted. (A <command>kill -9
3823
`pidof smbd'</command> while a write access is in progress could do the damage, as could a power interruption,
3824
etc.). In cases of trouble, a deletion of the old printing-related <filename>*.tdb</filename> files may be the
3825
only option. After that, you need to re-create all print-related setups unless you have made a backup of the
3826
<filename>*.tdb</filename> files in time.
3831
<title>Using <command>tdbbackup</command></title>
3834
<indexterm><primary>TDB</primary><secondary>backing up</secondary><see>tdbbackup</see></indexterm>
3835
<indexterm><primary>tdbbackup</primary></indexterm>
3836
Samba ships with a little utility that helps the root user of your system to backup your
3837
<filename>*.tdb</filename> files. If you run it with no argument, it prints a usage message:
3839
&rootprompt;<userinput>tdbbackup</userinput>
3840
Usage: tdbbackup [options] <fname...>
3843
-h this help message
3844
-s suffix set the backup suffix
3845
-v verify mode (restore if corrupt)
3849
Here is how I backed up my <filename>printing.tdb</filename> file:
3853
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls</userinput>
3854
. browse.dat locking.tdb ntdrivers.tdb printing.tdb
3855
.. share_info.tdb connections.tdb messages.tdb ntforms.tdb
3856
printing.tdbkp unexpected.tdb brlock.tdb gmon.out namelist.debug
3857
ntprinters.tdb sessionid.tdb
3859
&rootprompt;<userinput>tdbbackup -s .bak printing.tdb</userinput>
3860
printing.tdb : 135 records
3862
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l printing.tdb*</userinput>
3863
-rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb
3864
-rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb.bak
3871
<title>CUPS Print Drivers from Linuxprinting.org</title>
3874
<indexterm><primary>Linuxprinting.org</primary></indexterm>
3875
CUPS ships with good support for HP LaserJet-type printers. You can install the generic driver as follows:
3876
<indexterm><primary>lpadmin</primary></indexterm>
3878
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -m laserjet.ppd</userinput>
3882
The <option>-m</option> switch will retrieve the <filename>laserjet.ppd</filename> from the standard
3883
repository for not-yet-installed PPDs, which CUPS typically stores in
3884
<filename>/usr/share/cups/model</filename>. Alternatively, you may use <option>-P /path/to/your.ppd</option>.
3888
The generic <filename>laserjet.ppd,</filename> however, does not support every special option for every
3889
LaserJet-compatible model. It constitutes a sort of <quote>least common denominator</quote> of all the models.
3890
If for some reason you must pay for the commercially available ESP Print Pro drivers, your first move should
3891
be to consult the database on the <ulink noescape="1"
3892
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi">Linuxprinting</ulink> Web site. Linuxprinting.org has
3893
excellent recommendations about which driver is best used for each printer. Its database is kept current by
3894
the tireless work of Till Kamppeter from Mandrakesoft, who is also the principal author of the
3895
<command>foomatic-rip</command> utility.
3899
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
3900
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
3901
<indexterm><primary>Adobe PPD</primary></indexterm>
3902
The former <command>cupsomatic</command> concept is now being replaced by the new successor, a much more
3903
powerful <command>foomatic-rip</command>. <command>cupsomatic</command> is no longer maintained. Here is the
3904
new URL to the <ulink noescape="1" url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/driver_list.cgi">Foomatic-3.0</ulink>
3905
database. If you upgrade to <command>foomatic-rip</command>, remember to also upgrade to the new-style PPDs
3906
for your Foomatic-driven printers. foomatic-rip will not work with PPDs generated for the old
3907
<command>cupsomatic</command>. The new-style PPDs are 100% compliant with the Adobe PPD specification. They
3908
are also intended to be used by Samba and the cupsaddsmb utility, to provide the driver files for the Windows
3913
<title>foomatic-rip and Foomatic Explained</title>
3917
<indexterm significance="preferred"><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
3918
<indexterm significance="preferred"><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
3919
Nowadays, most Linux distributions rely on the utilities from the <ulink
3920
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/">Linuxprinting.org</ulink> to create their printing-related software
3921
(which, by the way, works on all UNIXes and on Mac OS X and Darwin, too). The utilities from this sire have a
3922
very end-user-friendly interface that allows for an easy update of drivers and PPDs for all supported models,
3923
all spoolers, all operating systems, and all package formats (because there is none). Its history goes back a
3928
Recently, Foomatic has achieved the astonishing milestone of <ulink
3929
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone">1,000 listed</ulink> printer models.
3930
Linuxprinting.org keeps all the important facts about printer drivers, supported models, and which options are
3931
available for the various driver/printer combinations in its <ulink
3932
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html">Foomatic</ulink> database. Currently there are <ulink
3933
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/driver_list.cgi">245 drivers</ulink> in the database. Many drivers support
3934
various models, and many models may be driven by different drivers &smbmdash; its your choice!
3938
<title>690 <quote>Perfect</quote> Printers</title>
3941
<indexterm><primary>Windows PPD</primary></indexterm>
3942
At present, there are 690 devices dubbed as working perfectly: 181 are <emphasis>mostly</emphasis> perfect, 96
3943
are <emphasis>partially</emphasis> perfect, and 46 are paperweights. Keeping in mind that most of these are
3944
non-PostScript models (PostScript printers are automatically supported by CUPS to perfection by using their
3945
own manufacturer-provided Windows PPD), and that a multifunctional device never qualifies as working perfectly
3946
if it does not also scan and copy and fax under GNU/Linux &smbmdash; then this is a truly astonishing
3947
achievement! Three years ago the number was not more than 500, and Linux or UNIX printing at the time wasn't
3948
anywhere near the quality it is today.
3953
<title>How the Printing HOWTO Started It All</title>
3956
A few years ago <ulink url="http://www2.picante.com/">Grant Taylor</ulink> started it all. The
3957
roots of today's Linuxprinting.org are in the first <ulink
3958
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/howto/">Linux Printing HOWTO</ulink> that he authored. As a
3959
side-project to this document, which served many Linux users and admins to guide their first steps in this
3960
complicated and delicate setup (to a scientist, printing is <quote>applying a structured deposition of
3961
distinct patterns of ink or toner particles on paper substrates</quote>), he started to build in a little
3962
Postgres database with information about the hardware and driver zoo that made up Linux printing of the time.
3963
This database became the core component of today's Foomatic collection of tools and data. In the meantime, it
3964
has moved to an XML representation of the data.
3969
<title>Foomatic's Strange Name</title>
3973
<indexterm><primary>foomatic</primary></indexterm>
3974
<quote>Why the funny name?</quote> you ask. When it really took off, around spring 2000, CUPS was far less
3975
popular than today, and most systems used LPD, LPRng, or even PDQ to print. CUPS shipped with a few generic
3976
drivers (good for a few hundred different printer models). These didn't support many device-specific options.
3977
CUPS also shipped with its own built-in rasterization filter (<parameter>pstoraster</parameter>, derived from
3978
Ghostscript). On the other hand, CUPS provided brilliant support for <emphasis>controlling</emphasis> all
3979
printer options through standardized and well-defined PPD files. Plus, CUPS was designed to be easily
3984
Taylor already had in his database a respectable compilation of facts about many more printers and the
3985
Ghostscript <quote>drivers</quote> they run with. His idea, to generate PPDs from the database information and
3986
use them to make standard Ghostscript filters work within CUPS, proved to work very well. It also killed
3987
several birds with one stone:
3991
<listitem><para>It made all current and future Ghostscript filter
3992
developments available for CUPS.</para></listitem>
3994
<listitem><para>It made available a lot of additional printer models
3995
to CUPS users (because often the traditional Ghostscript way of
3996
printing was the only one available).</para></listitem>
3998
<listitem><para>It gave all the advanced CUPS options (Web interface,
3999
GUI driver configurations) to users wanting (or needing) to use
4000
Ghostscript filters.</para></listitem>
4005
<title>cupsomatic, pdqomatic, lpdomatic, directomatic</title>
4008
<indexterm><primary>cupsomatic</primary></indexterm>
4009
<indexterm><primary>CUPS-PPD</primary></indexterm>
4010
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary><secondary>CUPS</secondary><see>CUPS-PPD</see></indexterm>
4011
CUPS worked through a quickly hacked-up filter script named <ulink
4012
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=cupsomatic&show=0">cupsomatic</ulink>. cupsomatic
4013
ran the printfile through Ghostscript, constructing automatically the rather complicated command line needed.
4014
It just needed to be copied into the CUPS system to make it work. To configure the way cupsomatic controls the
4015
Ghostscript rendering process, it needs a CUPS-PPD. This PPD is generated directly from the contents of the
4016
database. For CUPS and the respective printer/filter combo, another Perl script named CUPS-O-Matic did the PPD
4017
generation. After that was working, Taylor implemented within a few days a similar thing for two other
4018
spoolers. Names chosen for the config-generator scripts were <ulink
4019
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=lpdomatic&show=0">PDQ-O-Matic</ulink> (for PDQ)
4020
and <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=lpdomatic&show=0">LPD-O-Matic</ulink>
4021
(for &smbmdash; you guessed it &smbmdash; LPD); the configuration here didn't use PPDs but other
4022
spooler-specific files.
4026
From late summer of that year, <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/till/">Till Kamppeter</ulink> started
4027
to put work into the database. Kamppeter had been newly employed by <ulink
4028
url="http://www.mandrakesoft.com/">Mandrakesoft</ulink> to convert its printing system over to CUPS, after
4029
they had seen his <ulink url="http://www.fltk.org/">FLTK</ulink>-based <ulink
4030
url="http://cups.sourceforge.net/xpp/">XPP</ulink> (a GUI front-end to the CUPS lp-command). He added a huge
4031
amount of new information and new printers. He also developed the support for other spoolers, like <ulink
4032
url="http://ppr.sourceforge.net/">PPR</ulink> (via ppromatic), <ulink
4033
url="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lpr/">GNUlpr</ulink>, and <ulink
4034
url="http://www.lprng.org/">LPRng</ulink> (both via an extended lpdomatic) and spooler-less printing (<ulink
4035
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download.cgi?filename=directomatic&show=0">directomatic</ulink>).
4039
So, to answer your question, <quote>Foomatic</quote> is the general name for all the overlapping code and data
4040
behind the <quote>*omatic</quote> scripts. Foomatic, up to versions 2.0.x, required (ugly) Perl data
4041
structures attached to Linuxprinting.org PPDs for CUPS. It had a different <quote>*omatic</quote> script for
4042
every spooler, as well as different printer configuration files.
4047
<title>The <emphasis>Grand Unification</emphasis> Achieved</title>
4050
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
4051
This has all changed in Foomatic versions 2.9 (beta) and released as <quote>stable</quote> 3.0. It has now
4052
achieved the convergence of all *omatic scripts and is called the <ulink
4053
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=0">foomatic-rip</ulink>.
4054
This single script is the unification of the previously different spooler-specific *omatic scripts.
4055
foomatic-rip is used by all the different spoolers alike, and because it can read PPDs (both the original
4056
PostScript printer PPDs and the Linuxprinting.org-generated ones), all of a sudden all supported spoolers can
4057
have the power of PPDs at their disposal. Users only need to plug foomatic-rip into their system. For users
4058
there is improved media type and source support &smbmdash; paper sizes and trays are easier to configure.
4062
<indexterm><primary>PPDs</primary></indexterm>
4063
<indexterm><primary>Foomatic tutorial</primary></indexterm>
4064
<indexterm><primary>LinuxKongress2002</primary></indexterm>
4065
Also, the new generation of Linuxprinting.org PPDs no longer contains Perl data structures. If you are a
4066
distro maintainer and have used the previous version of Foomatic, you may want to give the new one a spin, but
4067
remember to generate a new-version set of PPDs via the new <ulink
4068
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/download/foomatic/foomatic-db-engine-3.0.0beta1.tar.gz">foomatic-db-engine!</ulink>.
4069
Individual users just need to generate a single new PPD specific to their model by <ulink
4070
url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/II.Foomatic-User/II.tutorial-handout-foomatic-user.html">following
4071
the steps</ulink> outlined in the Foomatic tutorial or in this chapter. This new development is truly amazing.
4075
<indexterm><primary>foomatic-rip</primary></indexterm>
4076
<indexterm><primary>Adobe</primary></indexterm>
4077
<indexterm><primary>printer drivers</primary></indexterm>
4078
foomatic-rip is a very clever wrapper around the need to run Ghostscript with a different syntax, options,
4079
device selections, and/or filters for each different printer or spooler. At the same time, it can read the PPD
4080
associated with a print queue and modify the print job according to the user selections. Together with this
4081
comes the 100% compliance of the new Foomatic PPDs with the Adobe spec. Some innovative features of the
4082
Foomatic concept may surprise users. It will support custom paper sizes for many printers and will support
4083
printing on media drawn from different paper trays within the same job (in both cases, even where there is no
4084
support for this from Windows-based vendor printer drivers).
4089
<title>Driver Development Outside</title>
4092
<indexterm><primary>Linuxprinting.org</primary></indexterm>
4093
Most driver development itself does not happen within Linuxprinting.org. Drivers are written by independent
4094
maintainers. Linuxprinting.org just pools all the information and stores it in its database. In addition, it
4095
also provides the Foomatic glue to integrate the many drivers into any modern (or legacy) printing system
4100
Speaking of the different driver development groups, most of the work is currently done in three projects:
4105
<indexterm><primary>Omni</primary></indexterm>
4106
<ulink url="http://www-124.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/linux/projects/omni/">Omni</ulink>
4107
&smbmdash; a free software project by IBM that tries to convert its printer
4108
driver knowledge from good-ol' OS/2 times into a modern, modular,
4109
universal driver architecture for Linux/UNIX (still beta). This
4110
currently supports 437 models.</para></listitem>
4113
<indexterm><primary>HPIJS</primary></indexterm>
4114
<ulink url="http://hpinkjet.sf.net/">HPIJS</ulink> &smbmdash;
4115
a free software project by HP to provide the support for its own
4116
range of models (very mature, printing in most cases is perfect and
4117
provides true photo quality). This currently supports 369
4118
models.</para></listitem>
4121
<indexterm><primary>Gutenprint</primary></indexterm>
4122
<ulink url="http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/">Gutenprint</ulink> &smbmdash; a free software
4123
effort, started by Michael Sweet (also lead developer for CUPS), now
4124
directed by Robert Krawitz, which has achieved an amazing level of
4125
photo print quality (many Epson users swear that its quality is
4126
better than the vendor drivers provided by Epson for the Microsoft
4127
platforms). This currently supports 522 models.</para></listitem>
4132
<title>Forums, Downloads, Tutorials, Howtos (Also for Mac OS X and Commercial UNIX)</title>
4135
Linuxprinting.org today is the one-stop shop to download printer drivers. Look for printer information and
4136
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org//kpfeifle/LinuxKongress2002/Tutorial/">tutorials</ulink> or solve
4137
printing problems in its popular <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/">forums</ulink>. This
4138
forum is not just for GNU/Linux users, but admins of <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/macosx/">
4139
commercial UNIX systems</ulink> are also going there, and the relatively new
4140
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/thread.php3?name=linuxprinting.macosx.general">Mac OS X
4141
forum</ulink> has turned out to be one of the most frequented forums after only a few weeks.
4145
<indexterm><primary>Mandriva</primary></indexterm>
4146
<indexterm><primary>Mandrake</primary></indexterm>
4147
<indexterm><primary>Conectiva</primary></indexterm>
4148
Linuxprinting.org and the Foomatic driver wrappers around Ghostscript are now a standard tool-chain for
4149
printing on all the important distros. Most of them also have CUPS underneath. While in recent years most
4150
printer data had been added by Kamppeter, many additional contributions came from engineers with SuSE, Red
4151
Hat, Conectiva, Debian, and others. Vendor-neutrality is an important goal of the Foomatic project. Mandrake
4152
and Conectiva have merged and are now called Mandriva.
4156
Till Kamppeter from Mandrakesoft is doing an excellent job in his spare time to maintain Linuxprinting.org and
4157
Foomatic. So if you use it often, please send him a note showing your appreciation.
4162
<title>Foomatic Database-Generated PPDs</title>
4165
<indexterm><primary>Foomatic database</primary></indexterm>
4166
<indexterm><primary>XML-based datasets</primary></indexterm>
4167
<indexterm><primary>kprinter</primary></indexterm>
4168
<indexterm><primary>gtklp</primary></indexterm>
4169
<indexterm><primary>xpp</primary></indexterm>
4170
<indexterm><primary>HP Photosmart</primary></indexterm>
4171
<indexterm><primary>Epson Stylus inkjet</primary></indexterm>
4172
<indexterm><primary>non-PostScript printers</primary></indexterm>
4173
<indexterm><primary>raster</primary></indexterm>
4174
The Foomatic database is an amazing piece of ingenuity in itself. Not only does it keep the printer and driver
4175
information, but it is organized in a way that it can generate PPD files on the fly from its internal
4176
XML-based datasets. While these PPDs are modeled to the Adobe specification of PPDs, the
4177
Linuxprinting.org/Foomatic-PPDs do not normally drive PostScript printers. They are used to describe all the
4178
bells and whistles you could ring or blow on an Epson Stylus inkjet, or an HP Photosmart, or what-have-you.
4179
The main trick is one little additional line, not envisaged by the PPD specification, starting with the
4180
<parameter>*cupsFilter</parameter> keyword. It tells the CUPS daemon how to proceed with the PostScript print
4181
file (old-style Foomatic-PPDs named the cupsomatic filter script, while the new-style PPDs are now call
4182
foomatic-rip). This filter script calls Ghostscript on the host system (the recommended variant is ESP
4183
Ghostscript) to do the rendering work. foomatic-rip knows which filter or internal device setting it should
4184
ask from Ghostscript to convert the PostScript print job into a raster format ready for the target device.
4185
This usage of PPDs to describe the options of non-PostScript printers was the invention of the CUPS
4186
developers. The rest is easy. GUI tools (like KDE's marvelous <ulink
4187
url="http://printing.kde.org/overview/kprinter.phtml">kprinter</ulink> or the GNOME <ulink
4188
url="http://gtklp.sourceforge.net/">gtklp</ulink> xpp and the CUPS Web interface) read the PPD as well and use
4189
this information to present the available settings to the user as an intuitive menu selection.
4195
<title>foomatic-rip and Foomatic PPD Download and Installation</title>
4198
Here are the steps to install a foomatic-rip-driven LaserJet 4 Plus-compatible
4199
printer in CUPS (note that recent distributions of SuSE, UnitedLinux and
4200
Mandrake may ship with a complete package of Foomatic-PPDs plus the
4201
<command>foomatic-rip</command> utility. Going directly to
4202
Linuxprinting.org ensures that you get the latest driver/PPD files).
4206
<listitem><para>Open your browser at the Linuxprinting.org printer list <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi">page.</ulink>
4209
<listitem><para>Check the complete list of printers in the
4210
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Anyone">database.</ulink>.
4213
<listitem><para>Select your model and click on the link.
4216
<listitem><para>You'll arrive at a page listing all drivers working with this
4217
model (for all printers, there will always be <emphasis>one</emphasis>
4218
recommended driver. Try this one first).
4221
<listitem><para>In our case (HP LaserJet 4 Plus), we'll arrive at the default driver for the
4222
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus">HP-LaserJet 4 Plus.</ulink>
4225
<listitem><para>The recommended driver is ljet4.</para></listitem>
4227
<listitem><para>Several links are provided here. You should visit them all if you
4228
are not familiar with the Linuxprinting.org database.
4231
<listitem><para>There is a link to the database page for the
4232
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4">ljet4</ulink>.
4233
On the driver's page, you'll find important and detailed information
4234
about how to use that driver within the various available
4235
spoolers.</para></listitem>
4237
<listitem><para>Another link may lead you to the home page of the
4238
author of the driver.</para></listitem>
4240
<listitem><para>Important links are the ones that provide hints with
4241
setup instructions for <ulink noescape="1" url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/cups-doc.html">CUPS</ulink>;
4242
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/pdq-doc.html">PDQ</ulink>;
4243
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/lpd-doc.html">LPD, LPRng, and GNUlpr</ulink>);
4244
as well as <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppr-doc.html">PPR</ulink>
4245
or <quote>spoolerless</quote> <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/direct-doc.html">printing</ulink>.
4248
<listitem><para>You can view the PPD in your browser through this link:
4249
<ulink noescape="1" url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=1">http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=1</ulink>
4250
</para></listitem> <listitem><para>Most importantly, you can also generate and download
4251
the <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/ppd-o-matic.cgi?driver=ljet4&printer=HP-LaserJet_4_Plus&show=0">PPD</ulink>.
4254
<listitem><para>The PPD contains all the information needed to use our
4255
model and the driver; once installed, this works transparently
4256
for the user. Later you'll only need to choose resolution, paper size,
4257
and so on, from the Web-based menu, or from the print dialog GUI, or from
4258
the command line.</para></listitem>
4260
<listitem><para>If you ended up on the drivers
4261
<ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=ljet4">page</ulink>,
4262
you can choose to use the <quote>PPD-O-Matic</quote> online PPD generator
4263
program.</para></listitem>
4265
<listitem><para>Select the exact model and check either <guilabel>Download</guilabel> or
4266
<guilabel>Display PPD file</guilabel> and click <guilabel>Generate PPD file</guilabel>.</para></listitem>
4268
<listitem><para>If you save the PPD file from the browser view, please
4269
do not use cut and paste (since it could possibly damage line endings
4270
and tabs, which makes the PPD likely to fail its duty), but use <guimenuitem>Save
4271
as...</guimenuitem> in your browser's menu. (It is best to use the <guilabel>Download</guilabel> option
4272
directly from the Web page.)</para></listitem>
4274
<listitem><para>Another interesting part on each driver page is
4275
the <guimenuitem>Show execution details</guimenuitem> button. If you
4276
select your printer model and click on that button,
4277
a complete Ghostscript command line will be displayed, enumerating all options
4278
available for that combination of driver and printer model. This is a great way to
4279
<quote>learn Ghostscript by doing</quote>. It is also an excellent cheat sheet
4280
for all experienced users who need to reconstruct a good command line
4281
for that darned printing script, but can't remember the exact
4282
syntax. </para></listitem>
4284
<listitem><para>Sometime during your visit to Linuxprinting.org, save
4285
the PPD to a suitable place on your hard disk, say
4286
<filename>/path/to/my-printer.ppd</filename> (if you prefer to install
4287
your printers with the help of the CUPS Web interface, save the PPD to
4288
the <filename>/usr/share/cups/model/</filename> path and restart
4289
cupsd).</para></listitem>
4291
<listitem><para>Then install the printer with a suitable command line,
4296
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E \
4297
-P path/to/my-printer.ppd</userinput>
4298
</screen></para></listitem>
4300
<listitem><para>For all the new-style <quote>Foomatic-PPDs</quote>
4301
from Linuxprinting.org, you also need a special CUPS filter named
4305
<listitem><para>The foomatic-rip Perl script itself also makes some
4306
interesting <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic2.9/download.cgi?filename=foomatic-rip&show=1">reading</ulink>
4307
because it is well documented by Kamppeter's in-line comments (even
4308
non-Perl hackers will learn quite a bit about printing by reading
4309
it).</para></listitem>
4311
<listitem><para>Save foomatic-rip either directly in
4312
<filename>/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip</filename> or somewhere in
4313
your $PATH (and remember to make it world-executable). Again,
4314
do not save by copy and paste but use the appropriate link or the
4315
<guimenuitem>Save as...</guimenuitem> menu item in your browser.</para></listitem>
4317
<listitem><para>If you save foomatic-rip in your $PATH, create a symlink:
4319
&rootprompt;<userinput>cd /usr/lib/cups/filter/ ; ln -s `which foomatic-rip'</userinput>
4324
CUPS will discover this new available filter at startup after restarting
4325
cupsd.</para></listitem>
4329
Once you print to a print queue set up with the Foomatic PPD, CUPS will insert the appropriate commands and
4330
comments into the resulting PostScript job file. foomatic-rip is able to read and act upon these and uses some
4331
specially encoded Foomatic comments embedded in the job file. These in turn are used to construct
4332
(transparently for you, the user) the complicated Ghostscript command line telling the printer driver exactly
4333
how the resulting raster data should look and which printer commands to embed into the data stream. You need:
4337
<listitem><para>A <quote>foomatic+something</quote> PPD &smbmdash; but this is not enough
4338
to print with CUPS (it is only <emphasis>one</emphasis> important
4339
component).</para></listitem>
4341
<listitem><para>The <parameter>foomatic-rip</parameter> filter script (Perl) in
4342
<filename>/usr/lib/cups/filters/</filename>.</para></listitem>
4344
<listitem><para>Perl to make foomatic-rip run.</para></listitem>
4346
<listitem><para>Ghostscript (because it is doing the main work,
4347
controlled by the PPD/foomatic-rip combo) to produce the raster data
4348
fit for your printer model's consumption.</para></listitem>
4350
<listitem><para>Ghostscript <emphasis>must</emphasis> (depending on
4351
the driver/model) contain support for a certain device representing
4352
the selected driver for your model (as shown by <command>gs -h</command>).</para></listitem>
4354
<listitem><para>foomatic-rip needs a new version of PPDs (PPD versions
4355
produced for cupsomatic do not work with foomatic-rip).</para></listitem>
4361
<title>Page Accounting with CUPS</title>
4365
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary><secondary>Page Accounting</secondary></indexterm>
4366
Often there are questions regarding print quotas where Samba users (that is, Windows clients) should not be
4367
able to print beyond a certain number of pages or data volume per day, week, or month. This feature is
4368
dependent on the real print subsystem you're using. Samba's part is always to receive the job files from the
4369
clients (filtered <emphasis>or</emphasis> unfiltered) and hand them over to this printing subsystem.
4373
Of course one could hack things with one's own scripts. But then there is CUPS. CUPS supports quotas that can
4374
be based on the size of jobs or on the number of pages or both, and can span any time period you want.
4378
<title>Setting Up Quotas</title>
4381
<indexterm><primary>CUPS</primary><secondary>quotas</secondary></indexterm>
4382
This is an example command of how root would set a print quota in CUPS, assuming an existing printer named
4383
<quote>quotaprinter</quote>:
4384
<indexterm><primary>lpadmin</primary></indexterm>
4386
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p quotaprinter -o job-quota-period=604800 \
4387
-o job-k-limit=1024 -o job-page-limit=100</userinput>
4391
This would limit every single user to print no more than 100 pages or 1024 KB of
4392
data (whichever comes first) within the last 604,800 seconds ( = 1 week).
4397
<title>Correct and Incorrect Accounting</title>
4400
For CUPS to count correctly, the printfile needs to pass the CUPS pstops filter; otherwise it uses a dummy
4401
count of <quote>one</quote>. Some print files do not pass it (e.g., image files), but then those are mostly
4402
one-page jobs anyway. This also means that proprietary drivers for the target printer running on the client
4403
computers and CUPS/Samba, which then spool these files as <quote>raw</quote> (i.e., leaving them untouched,
4404
not filtering them), will be counted as one-pagers too!
4408
You need to send PostScript from the clients (i.e., run a PostScript driver there) to have the chance to get
4409
accounting done. If the printer is a non-PostScript model, you need to let CUPS do the job to convert the file
4410
to a print-ready format for the target printer. This is currently working for about a thousand different
4411
printer models. Linuxprinting.org has a driver <ulink url="http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi">list</ulink>.
4416
<title>Adobe and CUPS PostScript Drivers for Windows Clients</title>
4419
<indexterm><primary>Adobe PostScript</primary></indexterm>
4420
<indexterm><primary>pstops</primary></indexterm>
4421
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
4422
<indexterm><primary>pstoraster</primary></indexterm>
4423
<indexterm><primary>PJL-header</primary></indexterm>
4424
Before CUPS 1.1.16, your only option was to use the Adobe PostScript driver on the Windows clients. The output
4425
of this driver was not always passed through the <command>pstops</command> filter on the CUPS/Samba side, and
4426
therefore was not counted correctly (the reason is that it often, depending on the PPD being used, wrote a
4427
PJL-header in front of the real PostScript, which caused CUPS to skip <command>pstops</command> and go
4428
directly to the <command>pstoraster</command> stage).
4432
From CUPS 1.1.16 and later releases, you can use the CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/200x/XP
4433
clients (which is tagged in the download area of <filename>http://www.cups.org/</filename> as the
4434
<filename>cups-samba-1.1.16.tar.gz</filename> package). It does <emphasis>not</emphasis> work for Windows
4435
9x/Me clients, but it guarantees:
4439
<listitem><para> <indexterm><primary>PJL</primary></indexterm> To not write a PJL-header.</para></listitem>
4441
<listitem><para>To still read and support all PJL-options named in the
4442
driver PPD with its own means.</para></listitem>
4444
<listitem><para>That the file will pass through the <command>pstops</command> filter
4445
on the CUPS/Samba server.</para></listitem>
4447
<listitem><para>To page-count correctly the print file.</para></listitem>
4451
You can read more about the setup of this combination in the man page for <command>cupsaddsmb</command> (which
4452
is only present with CUPS installed, and only current from CUPS 1.1.16).
4457
<title>The page_log File Syntax</title>
4460
<indexterm><primary>page_log</primary></indexterm>
4461
These are the items CUPS logs in the <filename>page_log</filename> for every page of a job:
4465
<listitem><para>Printer name</para></listitem>
4467
<listitem><para>User name</para></listitem>
4469
<listitem><para>Job ID</para></listitem>
4471
<listitem><para>Time of printing</para></listitem>
4473
<listitem><para>Page number</para></listitem>
4475
<listitem><para>Number of copies</para></listitem>
4477
<listitem><para>A billing information string (optional)</para></listitem>
4479
<listitem><para>The host that sent the job (included since version 1.1.19)</para></listitem>
4483
Here is an extract of my CUPS server's <filename>page_log</filename> file to illustrate the
4484
format and included items:
4488
tec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 1 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13
4489
tec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 2 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13
4490
tec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 3 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13
4491
tec_IS2027 kurt 401 [22/Apr/2003:10:28:43 +0100] 4 3 #marketing 10.160.50.13
4492
Dig9110 boss 402 [22/Apr/2003:10:33:22 +0100] 1 440 finance-dep 10.160.51.33
4496
This was job ID <parameter>401</parameter>, printed on <parameter>tec_IS2027</parameter>
4497
by user <parameter>kurt</parameter>, a 64-page job printed in three copies, billed to
4498
<parameter>#marketing</parameter>, and sent from IP address <constant>10.160.50.13.</constant>
4499
The next job had ID <parameter>402</parameter>, was sent by user <parameter>boss</parameter>
4500
from IP address <constant>10.160.51.33</constant>, printed from one page 440 copies, and
4501
is set to be billed to <parameter>finance-dep</parameter>.
4506
<title>Possible Shortcomings</title>
4509
What flaws or shortcomings are there with this quota system?
4513
<listitem><para>The ones named above (wrongly logged job in case of
4514
printer hardware failure, and so on).</para></listitem>
4516
<listitem><para>In reality, CUPS counts the job pages that are being
4517
processed in <emphasis>software</emphasis> (that is, going through the
4518
RIP) rather than the physical sheets successfully leaving the
4519
printing device. Thus, if there is a jam while printing the fifth sheet out
4520
of 1,000 and the job is aborted by the printer, the page count will
4521
still show the figure of 1,000 for that job.</para></listitem>
4523
<listitem><para>All quotas are the same for all users (no flexibility
4524
to give the boss a higher quota than the clerk) and no support for
4525
groups.</para></listitem>
4527
<listitem><para>No means to read out the current balance or the
4528
<quote>used-up</quote> number of current quota.</para></listitem>
4530
<listitem><para>A user having used up 99 sheets of a 100 quota will
4531
still be able to send and print a 1,000 sheet job.</para></listitem>
4533
<listitem><para>A user being denied a job because of a filled-up quota
4534
does not get a meaningful error message from CUPS other than
4535
<quote>client-error-not-possible</quote>.</para></listitem>
4540
<title>Future Developments</title>
4543
This is the best system currently available, and there are huge
4544
improvements under development for CUPS 1.2:
4548
<listitem><para>Page counting will go into the backends (these talk
4549
directly to the printer and will increase the count in sync with the
4550
actual printing process; thus, a jam at the fifth sheet will lead to a
4551
stop in the counting).</para></listitem>
4553
<listitem><para>Quotas will be handled more flexibly.</para></listitem>
4555
<listitem><para>Probably there will be support for users to inquire
4556
about their accounts in advance.</para></listitem>
4558
<listitem><para>Probably there will be support for some other tools
4559
around this topic.</para></listitem>
4564
<title>Other Accounting Tools</title>
4567
Other accounting tools that can be used includes: PrintAnalyzer, pyKota, printbill, LogReport.
4568
For more information regarding these tools you can try a Google search.
4575
<title>Additional Material</title>
4578
A printer queue with <emphasis>no</emphasis> PPD associated to it is a
4579
<quote>raw</quote> printer, and all files will go directly there as received by the
4580
spooler. The exceptions are file types <parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter>
4581
that need the pass-through feature enabled. <quote>Raw</quote> queues do not do any
4582
filtering at all; they hand the file directly to the CUPS backend.
4583
This backend is responsible for sending the data to the device
4584
(as in the <quote>device URI</quote> notation: <filename>lpd://, socket://,
4585
smb://, ipp://, http://, parallel:/, serial:/, usb:/</filename>, and so on).
4589
cupsomatic/Foomatic are <emphasis>not</emphasis> native CUPS drivers
4590
and they do not ship with CUPS. They are a third-party add-on
4591
developed at Linuxprinting.org. As such, they are a brilliant hack to
4592
make all models (driven by Ghostscript drivers/filters in traditional
4593
spoolers) also work via CUPS, with the same (good or bad!) quality as
4594
in these other spoolers. <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> is only a vehicle to execute a
4595
Ghostscript command line at that stage in the CUPS filtering chain
4596
where normally the native CUPS <parameter>pstoraster</parameter> filter would kick
4597
in. <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> bypasses <parameter>pstoraster</parameter>, kidnaps the print file from CUPS,
4598
and redirects it to go through Ghostscript. CUPS accepts this
4599
because the associated cupsomatic/foomatic-PPD specifies:
4602
*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic"
4605
This line persuades CUPS to hand the file to <parameter>cupsomatic</parameter> once it has
4606
successfully converted it to the MIME type
4607
<parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>. This conversion will not happen for
4608
jobs arriving from Windows that are autotyped
4609
<parameter>application/octet-stream</parameter>, with the according changes in
4610
<filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> in place.
4614
CUPS is widely configurable and flexible, even regarding its filtering
4615
mechanism. Another workaround in some situations would be to have in
4616
<filename>/etc/cups/mime.types</filename> entries as follows:
4619
application/postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
4620
application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
4623
This would prevent all PostScript files from being filtered (rather,
4624
they will through the virtual <emphasis>nullfilter</emphasis>
4625
denoted with <quote>-</quote>). This could only be useful for PostScript printers. If you
4626
want to print PostScript code on non-PostScript printers (provided they support ASCII
4627
text printing), an entry as follows could be useful:
4630
*/* application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
4633
and would effectively send <emphasis>all</emphasis> files to the
4634
backend without further processing.
4638
You could have the following entry:
4641
application/vnd.cups-postscript application/vnd.cups-raw 0 \
4642
my_PJL_stripping_filter
4645
You will need to write a <parameter>my_PJL_stripping_filter</parameter>
4646
(which could be a shell script) that parses the PostScript and removes the
4647
unwanted PJL. This needs to conform to CUPS filter design
4648
(mainly, receive and pass the parameters printername, job-id,
4649
username, jobtitle, copies, print options, and possibly the
4650
filename). It is installed as world executable into
4651
<filename>/usr/lib/cups/filters/</filename> and is called by CUPS
4652
if it encounters a MIME type <parameter>application/vnd.cups-postscript</parameter>.
4656
CUPS can handle <parameter>-o job-hold-until=indefinite</parameter>.
4657
This keeps the job in the queue on hold. It will only be printed
4658
upon manual release by the printer operator. This is a requirement in
4659
many central reproduction departments, where a few operators manage
4660
the jobs of hundreds of users on some big machine, where no user is
4661
allowed to have direct access (such as when the operators often need
4662
to load the proper paper type before running the 10,000 page job
4663
requested by marketing for the mailing, and so on).
4668
<title>Autodeletion or Preservation of CUPS Spool Files</title>
4671
<indexterm><primary>/var/spool/samba</primary></indexterm>
4672
<indexterm><primary>/var/spool/cups/</primary></indexterm>
4673
<indexterm><primary>cupsd.conf</primary></indexterm>
4674
Samba print files pass through two spool directories. One is the incoming directory managed by Samba (set in
4675
the <smbconfoption name="path">/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption> directive in the <smbconfsection
4676
name="[printers]"/> section of &smb.conf;). The other is the spool directory of your UNIX print subsystem. For
4677
CUPS it is normally <filename>/var/spool/cups/</filename>, as set by the <filename>cupsd.conf</filename>
4678
directive <filename>RequestRoot /var/spool/cups</filename>.
4682
<title>CUPS Configuration Settings Explained</title>
4685
Some important parameter settings in the CUPS configuration file
4686
<filename>cupsd.conf</filename> are:
4691
<varlistentry><term>PreserveJobHistory Yes</term>
4693
This keeps some details of jobs in cupsd's mind (well, it keeps the
4694
c12345, c12346, and so on, files in the CUPS spool directory, which does a
4695
similar job as the old-fashioned BSD-LPD control files). This is set
4696
to <quote>Yes</quote> as a default.
4697
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
4699
<varlistentry><term>PreserveJobFiles Yes</term>
4701
This keeps the job files themselves in cupsd's mind
4702
(it keeps the d12345, d12346, etc., files in the CUPS spool
4703
directory). This is set to <quote>No</quote> as the CUPS
4705
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
4707
<varlistentry><term><quote>MaxJobs 500</quote></term>
4709
This directive controls the maximum number of jobs
4710
that are kept in memory. Once the number of jobs reaches the limit,
4711
the oldest completed job is automatically purged from the system to
4712
make room for the new one. If all of the known jobs are still
4713
pending or active, then the new job will be rejected. Setting the
4714
maximum to 0 disables this functionality. The default setting is
4716
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
4720
(There are also additional settings for <parameter>MaxJobsPerUser</parameter> and
4721
<parameter>MaxJobsPerPrinter</parameter>.)
4726
<title>Preconditions</title>
4729
For everything to work as it should, you need to have three things:
4733
<listitem><para>A Samba smbd that is compiled against <filename>libcups</filename> (check
4734
on Linux by running <userinput>ldd `which smbd'</userinput>).</para></listitem>
4736
<listitem><para>A Samba-&smb.conf; setting of
4737
<smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>.</para></listitem>
4739
<listitem><para>Another Samba &smb.conf; setting of
4740
<smbconfoption name="printcap">cups</smbconfoption>.</para></listitem>
4744
In this case, all other manually set printing-related commands (like
4745
<smbconfoption name="print command"/>,
4746
<smbconfoption name="lpq command"/>,
4747
<smbconfoption name="lprm command"/>,
4748
<smbconfoption name="lppause command"/>, and
4749
<smbconfoption name="lpresume command"/>) are ignored, and they should normally have no
4750
influence whatsoever on your printing.
4755
<title>Manual Configuration</title>
4758
If you want to do things manually, replace the <smbconfoption name="printing">cups</smbconfoption>
4759
by <smbconfoption name="printing">bsd</smbconfoption>. Then your manually set commands may work
4760
(I haven't tested this), and a <smbconfoption name="print command">lp -d %P %s; rm %s</smbconfoption>
4761
may do what you need.
4767
<title>Printing from CUPS to Windows-Attached Printers</title>
4770
<indexterm><primary>smbspool</primary></indexterm>
4771
<indexterm><primary>backends</primary></indexterm>
4772
From time to time the question arises, how can you print <emphasis>to</emphasis> a Windows-attached printer
4773
<emphasis>from</emphasis> Samba? Normally the local connection from Windows host to printer would be done by
4774
USB or parallel cable, but this does not matter to Samba. From here only an SMB connection needs to be opened
4775
to the Windows host. Of course, this printer must be shared first. As you have learned by now, CUPS uses
4776
<emphasis>backends</emphasis> to talk to printers and other servers. To talk to Windows shared printers, you
4777
need to use the <filename>smb</filename> (surprise, surprise!) backend. Check if this is in the CUPS backend
4778
directory. This usually resides in <filename>/usr/lib/cups/backend/</filename>. You need to find an
4779
<filename>smb</filename> file there. It should be a symlink to <filename>smbspool</filename>, and the file
4780
must exist and be executable:
4782
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l /usr/lib/cups/backend/</userinput>
4784
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 720 Apr 30 19:04 .
4785
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 125 Dec 19 17:13 ..
4786
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 10692 Feb 16 21:29 canon
4787
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 10692 Feb 16 21:29 epson
4788
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 Apr 17 22:50 http -> ipp
4789
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 17316 Apr 17 22:50 ipp
4790
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 15420 Apr 20 17:01 lpd
4791
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 8656 Apr 20 17:01 parallel
4792
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2162 Mar 31 23:15 pdfdistiller
4793
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 Apr 30 19:04 ptal -> /usr/sbin/ptal-cups
4794
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 6284 Apr 20 17:01 scsi
4795
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 Apr 2 03:11 smb -> /usr/bin/smbspool
4796
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 7912 Apr 20 17:01 socket
4797
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 9012 Apr 20 17:01 usb
4799
&rootprompt;<userinput>ls -l `which smbspool`</userinput>
4800
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 563245 Dec 28 14:49 /usr/bin/smbspool
4804
If this symlink does not exist, create it:
4806
&rootprompt;<userinput>ln -s `which smbspool` /usr/lib/cups/backend/smb</userinput>
4810
<indexterm><primary>smbspool</primary></indexterm>
4811
<indexterm><primary>troubleshooting</primary></indexterm>
4812
<command>smbspool</command> was written by Mike Sweet from the CUPS folks. It is included and ships with
4813
Samba. It may also be used with print subsystems other than CUPS, to spool jobs to Windows printer shares. To
4814
set up printer <replaceable>winprinter</replaceable> on CUPS, you need to have a driver for it. Essentially
4815
this means to convert the print data on the CUPS/Samba host to a format that the printer can digest (the
4816
Windows host is unable to convert any files you may send). This also means you should be able to print to the
4817
printer if it were hooked directly at your Samba/CUPS host. For troubleshooting purposes, this is what you
4818
should do to determine if that part of the process chain is in order. Then proceed to fix the network
4819
connection/authentication to the Windows host, and so on.
4823
To install a printer with the <parameter>smb</parameter> backend on CUPS, use this command:
4827
&rootprompt;<userinput>lpadmin -p winprinter -v smb://WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename \
4828
-P /path/to/PPD</userinput>
4832
<indexterm><primary>PostScript printers</primary></indexterm>
4833
<indexterm><primary>PPD</primary></indexterm>
4834
<indexterm><primary>Windows NT PostScript driver</primary></indexterm>
4835
The PPD must be able to direct CUPS to generate the print data for the target model. For PostScript printers,
4836
just use the PPD that would be used with the Windows NT PostScript driver. But what can you do if the printer
4837
is only accessible with a password? Or if the printer's host is part of another workgroup? This is provided
4838
for: You can include the required parameters as part of the <filename>smb://</filename> device-URI like this:
4842
<listitem><para><filename>smb://WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename</filename></para></listitem>
4843
<listitem><para><filename>smb://username:password@WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename</filename></para></listitem>
4844
<listitem><para><filename>smb://username:password@WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename</filename></para></listitem>
4848
Note that the device URI will be visible in the process list of the Samba server (e.g., when someone uses the
4849
<command>ps -aux</command> command on Linux), even if the username and passwords are sanitized before they get
4850
written into the log files. This is an inherently insecure option; however, it is the only one. Don't use it
4851
if you want to protect your passwords. Better share the printer in a way that does not require a password!
4852
Printing will only work if you have a working NetBIOS name resolution up and running. Note that this is a
4853
feature of CUPS and you do not necessarily need to have smbd running.
4859
<title>More CUPS Filtering Chains</title>
4862
The diagrams in <link linkend="cups1">Filtering Chain 1</link> and <link linkend="cups2">Filtering Chain with
4863
cupsomatic</link> show how CUPS handles print jobs.
4867
<title>Filtering Chain 1.</title>
4868
<imagefile>cups1</imagefile>
4873
<title>Filtering Chain with cupsomatic</title>
4874
<imagefile scale="45">cups2</imagefile>
4880
<title>Common Errors</title>
4883
<title>Windows 9x/Me Client Can't Install Driver</title>
4885
<para>For Windows 9x/Me, clients require the printer names to be eight
4886
characters (or <quote>8 plus 3 chars suffix</quote>) max; otherwise, the driver files
4887
will not get transferred when you want to download them from Samba.</para>
4891
<sect2 id="root-ask-loop">
4892
<title><quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> Keeps Asking for Root Password in Never-ending Loop</title>
4894
<para>Have you set <smbconfoption name="security">user</smbconfoption>? Have
4895
you used <command>smbpasswd</command> to give root a Samba account?
4896
You can do two things: open another terminal and execute
4897
<command>smbpasswd -a root</command> to create the account and
4898
continue entering the password into the first terminal. Or, break
4899
out of the loop by pressing Enter twice (without trying to type a
4903
If the error is <quote>Tree connect failed: NT_STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME</quote>,
4904
you may have forgotten to create the <filename>/etc/samba/drivers</filename> directory.
4909
<title><quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> or <quote>rpcclient addriver</quote> Emit Error</title>
4912
If <command>cupsaddsmb</command>, or <command>rpcclient addriver</command> emit the error message
4913
WERR_BAD_PASSWORD, refer to <link linkend="root-ask-loop">the previous common error</link>.
4919
<title><quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> Errors</title>
4922
The use of <quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> gives <quote>No PPD file for printer...</quote>
4923
message while PPD file is present. What might the problem be?
4927
Have you enabled printer sharing on CUPS? This means, do you have a <literal><Location
4928
/printers>....</Location></literal> section in CUPS server's <filename>cupsd.conf</filename> that
4929
does not deny access to the host you run <quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> from? It <emphasis>could</emphasis> be an
4930
issue if you use cupsaddsmb remotely, or if you use it with a <option>-h</option> parameter:
4931
<userinput>cupsaddsmb -H sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername</userinput>.
4934
<para>Is your <parameter>TempDir</parameter> directive in
4935
<filename>cupsd.conf</filename> set to a valid value, and is it writable?
4941
<title>Client Can't Connect to Samba Printer</title>
4943
<para>Use <command>smbstatus</command> to check which user
4944
you are from Samba's point of view. Do you have the privileges to
4945
write into the <smbconfsection name="[print$]"/>
4951
<title>New Account Reconnection from Windows 200x/XP Troubles</title>
4954
Once you are connected as the wrong user (for example, as <constant>nobody</constant>, which often occurs if
4955
you have <smbconfoption name="map to guest">bad user</smbconfoption>), Windows Explorer will not accept an
4956
attempt to connect again as a different user. There will not be any bytes transferred on the wire to Samba,
4957
but still you'll see a stupid error message that makes you think Samba has denied access. Use
4958
<command>smbstatus</command> to check for active connections. Kill the PIDs. You still can't re-connect, and
4959
you get the dreaded <computeroutput>You can't connect with a second account from the same
4960
machine</computeroutput> message as soon as you try. And you do not see a single byte arriving at Samba (see
4961
logs; use <quote>ethereal</quote>) indicating a renewed connection attempt. Shut all Explorer Windows. This
4962
makes Windows forget what it has cached in its memory as established connections. Then reconnect as the right
4963
user. The best method is to use a DOS terminal window and <emphasis>first</emphasis> do <userinput>net use z:
4964
\\&example.server.samba;\print$ /user:root</userinput>. Check with <command>smbstatus</command> that you are
4965
connected under a different account. Now open the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder (on the Samba server in
4966
the <guilabel>Network Neighborhood</guilabel>), right-click on the printer in question, and select
4967
<guibutton>Connect....</guibutton>.
4972
<title>Avoid Being Connected to the Samba Server as the Wrong User</title>
4975
<indexterm><primary>smbstatus</primary></indexterm>
4976
You see per <command>smbstatus</command> that you are connected as user nobody, but you want to be root or
4977
printer admin. This is probably due to <smbconfoption name="map to guest">bad user</smbconfoption>, which
4978
silently connected you under the guest account when you gave (maybe by accident) an incorrect username. Remove
4979
<smbconfoption name="map to guest"/> if you want to prevent this.
4984
<title>Upgrading to CUPS Drivers from Adobe Drivers</title>
4987
This information came from a mailing list posting regarding problems experienced when
4988
upgrading from Adobe drivers to CUPS drivers on Microsoft Windows NT/200x/XP clients.
4991
<para>First delete all old Adobe-using printers. Then delete all old Adobe drivers. (On Windows 200x/XP, right-click in
4992
the background of <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder, select <guimenuitem>Server Properties...</guimenuitem>, select
4993
tab <guilabel>Drivers</guilabel>, and delete here).</para>
4997
<title>Can't Use <quote>cupsaddsmb</quote> on Samba Server, Which Is a PDC</title>
4999
<para>Do you use the <quote>naked</quote> root user name? Try to do it
5000
this way: <userinput>cupsaddsmb -U <replaceable>DOMAINNAME</replaceable>\\root -v
5001
<replaceable>printername</replaceable></userinput>> (note the two backslashes: the first one is
5002
required to <quote>escape</quote> the second one).</para>
5007
<title>Deleted Windows 200x Printer Driver Is Still Shown</title>
5009
<para>Deleting a printer on the client will not delete the
5010
driver too (to verify, right-click on the white background of the
5011
<guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder, select <guimenuitem>Server Properties</guimenuitem> and click on the
5012
<guilabel>Drivers</guilabel> tab). These same old drivers will be re-used when you try to
5013
install a printer with the same name. If you want to update to a new
5014
driver, delete the old ones first. Deletion is only possible if no
5015
other printer uses the same driver.</para>
5019
<title>Windows 200x/XP Local Security Policies</title>
5021
<indexterm><primary>Local security policies</primary></indexterm>
5022
<indexterm><primary>unsigned drivers</primary></indexterm>
5023
<para>Local security policies may not allow the installation of unsigned drivers &smbmdash; <quote>local
5024
security policies</quote> may not allow the installation of printer drivers at all.</para>
5029
<title>Administrator Cannot Install Printers for All Local Users</title>
5032
<indexterm><primary>SMB printers</primary></indexterm>
5033
<indexterm><primary>IPP client</primary></indexterm>
5034
Windows XP handles SMB printers on a <quote>per-user</quote> basis.
5035
This means every user needs to install the printer himself or herself. To have a printer available for
5036
everybody, you might want to use the built-in IPP client capabilities of Win XP. Add a printer with the print
5037
path of <parameter>http://cupsserver:631/printers/printername</parameter>. We're still looking into this one.
5038
Maybe a logon script could automatically install printers for all users.
5044
<title>Print Change, Notify Functions on NT Clients</title>
5046
<para>For print change, notify functions on NT++ clients. These need to run the <command>Server</command>
5047
service first (renamed to <command>File & Print Sharing for MS Networks</command> in XP).</para>
5052
<title>Windows XP SP1</title>
5054
<para>Windows XP SP1 introduced a Point and Print Restriction Policy (this restriction does not apply to
5055
<quote>Administrator</quote> or <quote>Power User</quote> groups of users). In Group Policy Object Editor, go
5056
to <guimenu>User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Printers</guimenu>. The policy
5057
is automatically set to <constant>Enabled</constant> and the <constant>Users can only Point and Print to
5058
machines in their Forest</constant> . You probably need to change it to <constant>Disabled</constant> or
5059
<constant>Users can only Point and Print to these servers</constant> to make driver downloads from Samba
5065
<title>Print Options for All Users Can't Be Set on Windows 200x/XP</title>
5067
<para>How are you doing it? I bet the wrong way (it is not easy to find out, though). There are three
5068
different ways to bring you to a dialog that <emphasis>seems</emphasis> to set everything. All three dialogs
5069
<emphasis>look</emphasis> the same, yet only one of them does what you intend. You need to be Administrator or
5070
Print Administrator to do this for all users. Here is how I do it on XP:
5073
<orderedlist numeration="upperalpha">
5075
<listitem><para>The first wrong way:
5078
<listitem><para>Open the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel>
5079
folder.</para></listitem>
5081
<listitem><para>Right-click on the printer
5082
(<guilabel>remoteprinter on cupshost</guilabel>) and
5083
select in context menu <guimenuitem>Printing
5084
Preferences...</guimenuitem></para></listitem>.
5086
<listitem><para>Look at this dialog closely and remember what it looks like.</para></listitem>
5090
<listitem><para>The second wrong way:
5092
<listitem><para>Open the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder.</para></listitem>
5094
<listitem><para>Right-click on the printer (<guilabel>remoteprinter on
5095
cupshost</guilabel>) and select the context menu
5096
<guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem>.</para></listitem>
5098
<listitem><para>Click on the <guilabel>General</guilabel> tab.</para></listitem>
5100
<listitem><para>Click on the button <guibutton>Printing
5101
Preferences...</guibutton></para></listitem>.
5103
<listitem><para>A new dialog opens. Keep this dialog open and go back
5104
to the parent dialog.</para></listitem>
5108
<listitem><para>The third and correct way:
5110
<listitem><para>Open the <guilabel>Printers</guilabel> folder.</para></listitem>
5112
<listitem><para>Right-click on the printer (<guilabel>remoteprinter on
5113
cupshost</guilabel>) and select the context menu
5114
<guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem>.</para></listitem>
5116
<listitem><para>Click on the <guilabel>Advanced</guilabel>
5117
tab. (If everything is <quote>grayed out,</quote> then you are not logged
5118
in as a user with enough privileges).</para></listitem>
5120
<listitem><para>Click on the <guibutton>Printing
5121
Defaults...</guibutton> button.</para></listitem>
5123
<listitem><para>On any of the two new tabs, click on the
5124
<guibutton>Advanced...</guibutton> button.</para></listitem>
5126
<listitem><para>A new dialog opens. Compare this one to the other
5127
identical-looking one from step <quote>B.5</quote> or A.3".</para></listitem>
5133
Do you see any difference? I don't either. However, only the last one, which you arrived at with steps
5134
<quote>C.1. to C.6.</quote>, will save any settings permanently and be the defaults for new users. If you want
5135
all clients to get the same defaults, you need to conduct these steps <emphasis>as Administrator</emphasis>
5136
(<smbconfoption name="printer admin"/> in &smb.conf;) <emphasis>before</emphasis> a client downloads the
5137
driver (the clients can later set their own <emphasis>per-user defaults</emphasis> by following the procedures
5138
<emphasis>A</emphasis> or <emphasis>B</emphasis>).
5144
<title>Most Common Blunders in Driver Settings on Windows Clients</title>
5147
Don't use <parameter>Optimize for Speed</parameter>, but use <parameter>Optimize for Portability</parameter>
5148
instead (Adobe PS Driver). Don't use <parameter>Page Independence: No</parameter>. Always settle with
5149
<parameter>Page Independence: Yes</parameter> (Microsoft PS Driver and CUPS PS Driver for Windows NT/200x/XP).
5150
If there are problems with fonts, use <parameter>Download as Softfont into printer</parameter> (Adobe PS
5151
Driver). For <guilabel>TrueType Download Options</guilabel> choose <constant>Outline</constant>. Use
5152
PostScript Level 2 if you are having trouble with a non-PS printer and if there is a choice.
5158
<title><command>cupsaddsmb</command> Does Not Work with Newly Installed Printer</title>
5161
Symptom: The last command of <command>cupsaddsmb</command> does not complete successfully. If the <command>cmd
5162
= setdriver printername printername</command> result was NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL, then possibly the printer was
5163
not yet recognized by Samba. Did it show up in Network Neighborhood? Did it show up in <command>rpcclient
5164
hostname -c `enumprinters'</command>? Restart smbd (or send a <command>kill -HUP</command> to all processes
5165
listed by <command>smbstatus</command>, and try again.
5169
<title>Permissions on <filename>/var/spool/samba/</filename> Get Reset After Each Reboot</title>
5172
Have you ever by accident set the CUPS spool directory to the same location (<parameter>RequestRoot
5173
/var/spool/samba/</parameter> in <filename>cupsd.conf</filename> or the other way round:
5174
<filename>/var/spool/cups/</filename> is set as <smbconfoption name="path"/>> in the <smbconfsection
5175
name="[printers]"/> section)? These <parameter>must</parameter> be different. Set <parameter>RequestRoot
5176
/var/spool/cups/</parameter> in <filename>cupsd.conf</filename> and <smbconfoption name="path">
5177
/var/spool/samba</smbconfoption> in the <smbconfsection name="[printers]"/> section of &smb.conf;. Otherwise,
5178
cupsd will sanitize permissions to its spool directory with each restart and printing will not work reliably.
5184
<title>Print Queue Called <quote>lp</quote> Mishandles Print Jobs</title>
5187
In this case a print queue called <quote>lp</quote> intermittently swallows jobs and
5188
spits out completely different ones from what was sent.
5192
<indexterm><primary>lp</primary></indexterm>
5193
<indexterm><primary>Implicit Classes</primary></indexterm>
5194
<indexterm><primary>BrowseShortNames</primary></indexterm>
5195
It is a bad idea to name any printer <quote>lp</quote>. This is the traditional UNIX name for the default
5196
printer. CUPS may be set up to do an automatic creation of Implicit Classes. This means, to group all printers
5197
with the same name to a pool of devices and load-balance the jobs across them in a round-robin fashion.
5198
Chances are high that someone else has a printer named <quote>lp</quote> too. You may receive that person's
5199
jobs and send your own to his or her device unwittingly. To have tight control over the printer names, set
5200
<parameter>BrowseShortNames No</parameter>. It will present any printer as
5201
<replaceable>printername@cupshost</replaceable>, which gives you better control over what may happen in a
5202
large networked environment.
5208
<title>Location of Adobe PostScript Driver Files for <quote>cupsaddsmb</quote></title>
5211
Use <command>smbclient</command> to connect to any Windows box with a shared PostScript printer:
5212
<command>smbclient //windowsbox/print\$ -U guest</command>. You can navigate to the
5213
<filename>W32X86/2</filename> subdir to <command>mget ADOBE*</command> and other files or to
5214
<filename>WIN40/0</filename> to do the same. Another option is to download the <filename>*.exe</filename>
5215
packaged files from the Adobe Web site.
5223
<title>Overview of the CUPS Printing Processes</title>
5226
A complete overview of the CUPS printing processes can be found in <link linkend="a_small">the CUPS
5227
Printing Overview diagram</link>.
5230
<figure id="a_small">
5231
<title>CUPS Printing Overview.</title>
5232
<imagefile scale="45">a_small</imagefile>
added
removed
docs-xml/Samba3-HOWTO/TOSHARG-CUPS-printing.xml
