PCL printing failure Red Hat Linux

[Chris VanDuyn]

> Chris VanDuyn wrote:
>
> >> Chris VanDuyn wrote:
> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --=-oGZX9DhlC3l6rRFBrs5i
> >> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> >> >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> >> >>
> >> >> On Tue, 2009-10-06 at 08:10 -0700, Chris VanDuyn wrote:
> >> >> > Also, we are in the middle of migrating our systems from AIX to
> >> >> > Linux. If I take a Linux generated PCL file, move it to an AIX box
> >> >> > and print using "lp -d <printer> <filename> I get correct output.
> >> >> > The AIX box is not using CUPS.
> >> >>
> >> >> What is the actual source format?  If you didn't generate PCL from it,
> >> >> what format would it be in?
> >> >>
> >> >> The standard CUPS filters don't process PCL input -- all they can do
> >> >> is pass it through raw, or generate PCL output from other types of
> >> >> input file.
> >> >>
> >> >> Tim.
> >> >> */
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --=-oGZX9DhlC3l6rRFBrs5i
> >> >> Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc"
> >> >> Content-Description: This is a digitally signed message part
> >> >>
> >> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >> >> Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
> >> >>
> >> >> iD8DBQBKy2I+BLQafZpK2tcRAvSFAJ4+cphvt5nkPrDXBkUVK3bJcPtHdgCcD9vw
> >> >> pEFQgJkLbCJC23ZPZA/Y+K4=
> >> >> =MCU3
> >> >> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> >> >>
> >> >> --=-oGZX9DhlC3l6rRFBrs5i--
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > The PCL file is being generated from a PICK/Unibasic program which
> >> > embeds the PCL formatting within the text file as the file is being
> >> > created. During normal operations the resulting text file is sent to
> >> > the printer using the "lpr" command by the running program executing a
> >> > "close printer", but for testing purposes I've captured one of those
> >> > files and am just sending the file to the printer from the command
> >> > line. The result isn't any different regardless of which method is used
> >> > to get the file to the printer.
> >> >
> >> > Hopefully I've answered your question. In case it's not obvious, I'm an
> >> > analyst and programmer by trade and have no real experience with Linux
> >> > or CUPS prior to two days ago. Basically, no one else could figure this
> >> > out so it was dumped on...er, I mean assigned to me. :-)
> >>
> >> Perhaps you could post (an URL to) a sample file. Maybe you could tweak
> >> your CUPS by editing the mime stuff only ...
> >>
> >> Helge
> >>
> >  Try this link for one of the files I'm using in testing...
> >
> >     http://www.4shared.com/dir/21313220/fcd75e44/sharing.html
> >
> > My company deals with protected health information, so I've had to scrub
> > the file of all identifying information, but only the text has been
> > edited, none of the escape sequences have been touched.
> >
> > I'm sorry, but as I indicated I'm completely new to CUPS. I don't
> > understand what "editing the mime stuff only" means. :-(
>
> Try the following:
> (1) In the /etc/cups directory, insert a file named
> 	custom.types
> containing the single line
> application/pcl	istring(0,<1b450d0a1b26>)
>
> (2) Edit your printer's PPD (in /etc/cups/ppd/<queuename>.ppd) as follows:
>     locate the line(s) beginning with *cupsFilter" and insert before or
>     after these lines the folowing line:
> *cupsFilter: "application/pcl 0 -"
>
> This should safely bypass any filter chains specified  otherwise.
> If your encounter "homegrown" PCL files that do not print as
> expected, make a hexdump of the 1st 1 to 3 lines and mail it to me.
>
> Helge
>
>
Sorry there was a gap in time here, I got pulled off this project to work on something else, and am only now getting back to this...

I tried the above suggestion, and got the same results I've been getting; one line and then blank pages. In addition, I set up a shared PCL printer on a Windows server and connected cups to it using samba. I get the same results there. However, if I take the file linked to above and send it directly to the shared Windows printer using PrintFile spooler on the Windows server itself, I get perfectly formatted PCL text. So the file works if it is sent to the Windows printer from Windows, but not if it is sent to the Windows printer from Linux. Or to a cups printer from Linux.

One thing I wasn't sure of with the Windows share printer though...how should I set up the drivers? What I mean is, Windows already has a driver set for the printer. If I set up the printer in cups using the smb:// connection, don't I have to set a driver in cups? When the print job goes to the printer from Linux, does it print using the cups driver, the Windows driver, or (somehow) both?