osx new filter in ppd not called

[Helge Blischke]

atze wrote:

>> atze wrote:
>>
>> > hi all,
>> > i added a new filter for multitray handling in my ppd (hplj4000).
>> >
>> > *APPrinterIconPath: "/Library/Printers/hp/Icons/HP LaserJet 4000
>> > Series.icns" *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0
>> >
>> 
/Library/Printers/hp/filter/hpPostProcessing.bundle/Contents/MacOS/hpPostProcessing"
>> > *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 trayfilter"
>> >
>> > This works really nice on my ubuntu (cups 1.4.1) but on osx (cups
>> > 1.3.11) the filter doesn't seem to get called:
>> >
>> > I [19/Feb/2010:11:22:14 +0100] [Job 48] Started filter
>> > /usr/libexec/cups/filter/pstops (PID 3366) I [19/Feb/2010:11:22:14
>> > +0100]
>> > [Job 48] Started filter
>> >
>> 
/Library/Printers/hp/filter/hpPostProcessing.bundle/Contents/MacOS/hpPostProcessing
>> > (PID 3367) I [19/Feb/2010:11:22:14 +0100] [Job 48] Started backend
>> > /usr/libexec/cups/backend/usb (PID 3368)
>> >
>> > Does anyone know what I am missing here?
>> > greets, andreas.
>>
>> If you want your trayfilter to be called in place of the default post
>> processing filter, you should make the cost of the post processing filter
>> greater than the xost of yours.
>> If oyu want both filters to be executed you need to write a script that
>> calls both filters in the desired  order and replace the two *cupsFilter
>> statements with one that names your script only.
>>
>> Helge
>>
> great, thanks.
> 
> But do you know what the hpPostProcessing filter actually does? I coudn't
> find any source. Is it save to just remove it?
> 
> Is there a way to find out the original file (name and path) within the
> filter? greets, andreas.

When looking into the printer's PPD, you'll find there a bunch of options 
that require - besides some PostScript statements to be inserted - certain 
manipulations of the pages to be printed. An example is the booklet 
option(s). As far as I can see (from looking at the string constants in this 
filter) this postprocessing filter does the necessary manipulations.

If you restrict yourself to "ordinary" printing (whithout fancy imposition 
algorithms and/or HP's watermark stuff) you may safely ignore this filter.

Helge