Multiple Reports under one job number stymie printer <edsmith>

[Helge Blischke]

ed smith wrote:

>> ed smith wrote:
>>
>> > Greetings,
>> >
>> > Recently migrated NC application from 1990's Jetadmin/Solaris 8
>> > platform to CUPS 1.2.6/Solaris 10. Some scripts result in creating a
>> > single control file and multiple "d" files under one job number:
>> >
>> > bash-3.00# ls -l |grep 6009
>> > -rw-------   1 root     nobody       651 Mar 30 10:29 c06009
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody     60092 Mar 22 13:22 d04487-001
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody      2618 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-001
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody      7950 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-002
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody      6574 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-003
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody      2618 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-004
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody     11872 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-005
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody      6669 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-006
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody     64780 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-007
>> > -rw-r-----   1 root     nobody     47291 Mar 30 10:21 d06009-008
>> >
>> > Printer either prints first job and ignores remaining, or gets stuck on
>> > first job, holding up the printer. Have to cancel and lp each file
>> > separately. These are usually 1 page plots. I have advised users to use
>> > an alternative script that only creates a single report. However, to be
>> > thorough, is there a way to get CUPS to print all of these without
>> > intrervention? Shouldn't it be a simple thing? I truly don't know.
>> >
>> > Thanks!
>> > Best,
>> > Ed Smith
>>
>> Tell some more details about the application in question.How does it
>> generate the print job(s)? Did you use an interface script on the old
>> system? If yes, try to port it to the new system.
>>
>> Helge
> 
> Upon further investigation, I found that the simple command from the
> command line produces thusly:
> 
> $ lp -d myprinter textfile1 textfile2 textfile3
> All prints fine as d000<samejobnumber>-001,-002,-003
> 
> But if I print files that are plots:
> $ lp -d myprinter plotfile1 plotfile2 plotfile3
> 
> The first printjob (...-001) prints fine, but then the printer hangs, with
> message "printer is ready", and the next 2 jobs don't print. I have to
> cancle the 1st job off the printer, even tho the report is complete.
> 
> I am using a foomatic filter including the plot filter line:
> 
> *cupsFilter:    "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 foomatic-rip"
> *cupsFilter:    "application/vnd.cups-web 0 -"
> *cupsFilter:    "application/hp-HPGL 0 hpgltops"  ( <------- plot filter)
> 
> So we're not just talking cups anymore, thought I was. We have alot of
> older printers that don't have PS, and foo has helped us. there are other
> types of reports besides plot that are working fine.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ed Smith
>>

As a first attempt, I'd delete the 3rd *cupsFilter line (the hpgltops line) 
from the PPD. Then the output of the hpgltops filter will be passed through 
the default filter chain including the pstops filter and foomatic-rip (you 
didn't tell what make and model your printer (plotter?) is).
It may well be that your printer requires the plots to be bracketed with 
certain PJL commands the hpgltops filter does not generate.

Helge

PS: I remember I skipped using CUPS 1.2.x because of too many bugs and 
sticked to 1.1.19 untel 1.3.5 was out.