Using a Perl script backend to handle a printfile

[David Coventry]

> David Coventry wrote:
> > I have placed a simple Perl script in /usr/lib/cups/backed
>
> Your Perl script is reading from stdin, but based on the command you
> used to create the queue it will always get the print file on the
> command-line...
>
> > ...
> > However, the print file is generated in /va/spool/cups and not in
> > /var/spool/cups/pdf as I would expect. Also the filename as passed to
> > /tmp/test.prn is of the order /var/spool/cups/d00014-001 as opposed
> > to the actual file generated, which is /var/spool/cups/c00014.
>
> The "c" files are the job control files which contain the current IPP
> attributes for each job.  The "d" files are the job document files
> which will be in whatever format the user submits - if you get the
> print file on the command-line (which is what happens for raw queues),
> look at the CONTENT_TYPE environment variable for the file type.
>
> > Furthermore the file does not contain raw text as expected.
>
> Are you printing raw text files?
>
> > Can anyone suggest how I can:
> >
> > a) make sure that the script is passed the correct file name and b)
> > ensure that the file generated is plain text.
>
> a) it *is* being passed the correct filename, and b) you can't unless
> you provide filters and a PPD file that tells CUPS about those
> filters.
>
> If you only want to accept plain text files, then a PPD file
> containing a cupsFilter line for text/plain should do the trick:
>
>      *PPD-Adobe: "4.3"
>      *NickName: "My PDF text printer"
>      *cupsFilter: "text/plain 0 -"
>
> --
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System Engineer
>
Michael, thanks for your reply.

I have installed a ppd file with the contents that you suggest.

When I print a test print, I get the following response:

"Unsupported format 'application/postscript'!"

I take it that this is because the test file is in Postscipt? and that a raw text print would do this successfully?