Re: Advanced Printer Control?
Just some add on to it:
You can use mpage to to decide how many logical pages to print on one physical
page. I believe it also has
a duplex option. Or you may have a look at aps, which does something similar, and it
allows you to print
with user id, current time, header and a lot of other good stuff.
Hope it helps.
"E.L. Meijer (Eric)" wrote:
> >
> > I'm configuring a print server for remote clients. I've set up a Debian machine
> > with an HP LaserJet 4000 hooked to it via parallel cable. I've installed lprng
> > and samba, and can print to it from two types of client:
> >
> > 1) From Linux using BSD-style lpr. Text (notwithstanding line feed issues) and
> > postscript print fine. I am looking at installing magicfilter.
> >
> > 2) From NT using local drivers, via Samba. Works fantastic.
> >
> > The issue, is that the NT drivers are able to take full advantage of the
> > printer's capabilities. It can do duplex, 2- 4- 8-up printing, etc.
> >
> > How can I achieve such control from the Linux clients? I need to be able to
> > specify at least duplex, and hopefully a greater subset of the printer's
> > capabilities. Linux is working great as a print server to NT clients, but not so
> > great to Linux clients.
>
> You can do two things about this:
>
> 1) Find out what control codes to send to your printer that will
> enable/disable duplex 2-, 4- or 8- up printing, and write a filter that
> sends those codes.
>
> 2) Use software.
> duplex: lpr has an option for muliple copies
> $ lpr -#3 bla.ps
> will get you three copies of bla.ps. Note that this is often disabled
> by default in /etc/printcap, and you will have to enable it there.
>
> n-up printing:
> Plain text files are best printed with enscript
> $ enscript bla.txt
> Enscript is able to print to rotated pages on one sheet of paper:
> $ enscript -2r bla.txt
> For postscript files, you can use psnup:
> $ psnup -12 bla.ps | lpr
> will print 12 pages per sheet on the default postscript printer.
> More than 2-up with plain text:
> $ enscript -p- bla.txt | psnup -4 | lpr
>
> Of course you can hide all the nice unix geekery to users in scripts.
>
> Single problem: psnup only works with `well-behaved' postscript files,
> that follow Adobe's document structure definitions (or
> what'sit-called).
>
> > Any advice would be appreciated. I'm not even sure at which level (client?
> > server?) this would occur. Pointers to HOWTOs that deal with this, and other
> > resources, would be appreciated.
> >
> > PS: I can't help but imagine C++ iostream manipulators:
> >
> > cout << unix_line_feeds << file.txt << duplex << 4up << file.ps;
>
> The last example is quite like that, except that it is written in the
> other direction.
>
> HTH,
> Eric
>
> --
> E.L. Meijer (tgakem@chem.tue.nl)
> Eindhoven Univ. of Technology
> Lab. for Catalysis and Inorg. Chem. (SKA)
>
> --
> Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe debian-user-request@lists.debian.org < /dev/null
--
____________________________________________________________________________
Shao Zhang - Running Debian 2.1 ___ _ _____
Department of Communications / __| |_ __ _ ___ |_ / |_ __ _ _ _ __ _
University of New South Wales \__ \ ' \/ _` / _ \ / /| ' \/ _` | ' \/ _` |
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Email: shao@cia.edu.au |___/
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