[cups.general]

[Helge Blischke]

Martyn Hill wrote:
> 
> Dear list
> 
> (apologies in advance if this question has been addressed before - just
> subscribed to the list.)
> 
> We are currently investigating the deployment of a new printserver at our
> school.
> 
> We use Samba/Samba-TNG and automatic driver downloads (topic for another
> list) to our Windows clients
> but are very much interested in the use of the software RIP facility offered
> by cups/ghostscript for our non PS inkjet printers.
> 
> We have a number of Epson and HP inkjets in house and as the network admin,
> I regularly have to make use of the printer utilities built in to the vendor
> provided Windows print drivers to clean the print heads and such like.
> 
> Is it possible to access such facilities from the Windows clients via the
> CUPS or Windows/Adobe PS drivers when the RIP
> is implemented by cups/ghostscript?
> 
> I suspect not, but how has this been dealt with in the past?
> 
> Any ideas on the subject would be most welcome.

If those printers are directly connected to the Win boxes only (via
parallel port or USB),
I think you don't have a chance. If they are accessible from a Linux (or
other suitable
UNIX) box, look into the gimp-print project. It supplies a utility to do
such things
as head cleaning, ink queries etc.

Helge


-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung
SRZ Berlin | Firmengruppe besscom
http://www.srz.de
tel: +49 30 75301-360