Support for Apple raster printers now in CUPS and cups-browsed
The experimental archive (rc-buggy) at present contains a snapshot of
CUPS 2.2.2 and the 1.13.0 versions of cups-filters and cups-browsed.
This is enough to take up the invitation in
http://lists.cups.org/pipermail/cups-devel/2016-November/016910.html
> So everyone reading this, please test your printers. If you have
> not-too-old network-connected printers they probably support Apple
> Raster and so work driverless with current CUPS.
> I have also started to support Apple Raster printers with cups-filters.
> If you use the current BZR snapshot (or the upcoming 1.12.0) together
> with the newest CUPS cups-browsed will also auto-setup Apple Raster
> printers and not only IPP Everywhere and some legacy
> IPP/PostScript/PDF/PCL printers.
I have an HP ENVY 4500 series inkjet machine. It comes with AirPrint,
which has not seen any use because I do not have an i-device. If it is
of interest avahi-browse shows the text record as
txt = ["Scan=T" "Duplex=T" "Color=T"
"UUID=1c852a4d-b800-1f08-abcd-308d99fafac2"
"note=" "adminurl=http://envy4500.local."; "mac=30:8d:99:fa:fa:c2"
"priority=40" "usb_MDL=ENVY 4500 series" "usb_MFG=HP"
"product=(HP ENVY 4500 series)" "ty=ENVY 4500 series"
"kind=document,envelope,photo" "PaperMax=<legal-A4"
"pdl=application/vnd.hp-PCL,image/jpeg,application/PCLm,image/urf"
"qtotal=1" "txtvers=1"]
A PPD is generated for an everywhere queue and for the auto-setup with
the CreateIPPPrinterQueues directive of cups-browsed. The PPD fails with
cupstestppd because of multiple occurences of a couple of options. A bug
in its autogeneration?
Anyway, printing takes place. Nothing complex was used for the test so I
suppose it remains to be seen how well it would stand up for something
serious. But at this point I'm impressed. I suppose if my printer needed
a non-free plugin (it doesn't) I would now have a way to dispense with
it.
I've been trying to think of any disadvantages to driverless printing
over using a hpcups or Gutenprint PPD. Are there any?
--
Brian.
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