Scripting HP/jetadmin to CUPS conversion

[Rex Mueller]

Michael, Thank you that explains the subsystem much better for me. Similar thing to what HP does with model scripts. But 1000 times more printers available.



> Rex Mueller wrote:
> > the Printer Name?
> > from the printers.conf points to the PPD?
>
> Yes.
>
> > so for example My question would be I have "quenames" on my HP/UX box,
>  > jet admin initiates a connection to the model script for the printer
>  > based on the IP address.
>
> On HP-UX, the /var/spool/lp/interface directory contains interface
> scripts for each printer queue.  Since System V LP does not support
> anything other than character devices, the interface script runs an
> external program to communicate with the device.
>
> CUPS *does* support different kinds of device interfaces and runs a
> backend program at the end of the filter chain to send print data to
> the device.  The following page may be useful:
>
>      http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/spec-design.html
>
> > Does CUPS do something similar to probe the device to determine the
>  > best model script?
>
> No, we rely on the backend reporting the make and model, which can
> then be used to auto-select a driver.  This does not happen
> automatically when using the lpadmin command, but rather is supported
> by the web interface and various GUI add-ons to CUPS.
>
>  > OR when you create the printer you need to know the associated model
>  > script?
>
> When adding a printer with lpadmin, you need to know the model file,
> which can be an interface script (for legacy queues that will not
> work from most GUI applications) or (more commonly) a PPD name for
> the printer.  (PPD == PostScript Printer Description file, which is
> used for all kinds of printers in CUPS)
>
> > So say for example, in order to create a HP 3800
> >
> > The command line reference I found is as follows:
> >
> > /usr/sbin/lpadmin -p name -E -v device-uri -m ppd-filename ENTER
> >
> > In this line there is variable information for
> > - name
> > - device-uri
> > - ppd-filename
>
> name is the name that appears on the <Printer name> line in
> printers.conf.
>
> device-uri is the DeviceURI line in printers.conf.
>
> ppd-filename gets copied to /etc/cups/ppd/name.ppd
>
> --
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System Engineer
>