Re: printing using CUPS' drivers

[Ben Abbott]

On May 22, 2010, at 4:51 PM, Tatsuro MATSUOKA wrote:

> --- Ben Abbott wrote:
> 
>> During the discussion on the help-list below, I realized that there is a 
>> problem with your
>> print.m does its task
>> 
>>      https://www-old.cae.wisc.edu/pipermail/help-octave/2010-May/019745.html
>> 
>> There is an implied conflict between Octave's use of ghostscript and the use 
>> of the CUPS drivers
>> in unix systems.
>> 
>> Consider three examples for how printing may be handled using lpr.
>> 
>> (1) For postscript printers
>> 
>>      lpr -l myfile.ps
>> 
>> (2) For non-postscript printers using ghostscript, an Epson printer for 
>> example
>> 
>>      gs -sDEVICE=epson sOutputFile=foo.bar myfile.ps
>>      lpr -l foo.bar
>> 
>> (3) To print using the CUPS drivers
>> 
>>      lpr myfile.ps
>> 
>> In some cases, when using the 3rd approach with a postscript printer many 
>> pages of postscript
>> code will be printed (i.e. the postscript is filtered as if it were ascii). 
>> 
>> With the "-l" option (equiv to "-o raw") is used with a non-postscript 
>> printer, the output is
>> either nothing or (again) several pages of postscript code.
>> 
>> Should a preference be used to select between the system filter and 
>> ghostscript? ... or should
>> print.m be modified to allow the lpr options to be explicitly specified? ... 
>> or something else?
>> 
>> Ben
>> 
> Hello
> 
> I have not any experience to execute print command directly to printer.
> On windows, after win 2000, there is 'lpr' command but I do not know it is 
> compatible to that of unix.
> 
> **********************************************
> C:\usr\tatsu>lpr
> 
> Sends a print job to a network printer
> 
> Usage: lpr -S server -P printer [-C class] [-J job] [-o option] [-x] [-d] 
> filena
> me
> 
> Options:
>     -S server    Name or ipaddress of the host providing lpd service
>     -P printer   Name of the print queue
>     -C class     Job classification for use on the burst page
>     -J job       Job name to print on the burst page
>     -o option    Indicates type of the file (by default assumes a text file)
>                  Use "-o l" for binary (e.g. postscript) files
>     -x           Compatibility with SunOS 4.1.x and prior
>     -d           Send data file first
> ****************************************************** 
> 
> At least -l option seems not to exit in lpr on windows XP.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Tatsuro

It is my understanding that on windows the three cases are ...

(1) For postscript printers

        lpr -o l myfile.ps

(2) For non-postscript printers using ghostscript, an Epson printer for example

        gs.exe -sDEVICE=epson sOutputFile=foo.bar myfile.ps
        lpr -o l foo.bar

(3) To print using the system drivers

        lpr -o myfile.ps

If there are some windows users who can confirm that (3) works for postscript 
and non-postscript printers, that would be helpful. I found the sytax for (3) 
at the link below.

        http://support.microsoft.com/kb/123107

Ben