page_log is empty

[Helge Blischke]

Timo wrote:

>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> On Jan 21 00:52 Timo wrote (shortened):
>> >>
>> >> If you are using something other than a plain PPD for a PostScript
>> >> (with no cupsFilter lines), then CUPS will do the page logging for
>> >> you.  Otherwise, the driver MUST provide the page logging.
>> >>
>> >> So again, what drivers are you using?  What printers?
>> >>
>> >> ___________________________________________________
>> >> Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer
>> >>
>> ....
>> >
>> > I am using the drivers provided on openprinting.org
>> > our institute's printers basically are:
>> >
>> > - Infotec MP 2550
>> > - Ricoh Afifio SP C811DN
>> > - HP Color Laser Jet 2605
>> > - HP Laserjet 1320
>> > - HP Laserjet 4250
>> > - HP DesignJet T1100 MFP
>> > - HP DesignJet T1100ps
>>
>> The command
>>    egrep -i '^\*nickname|^\*cupsfilter' /etc/cups/ppd/*
>> shows the most interesting entries regarding "driver"
>> in the PPDs which you actually use for your printers.
>>
>> For PostScript printers prefer an original PPD from
>> the manufacturer. A decent PostScript printer is always
>> accompanied by a suitable PPD file of the manufacturer.
>> The printer manufacturer's PPD file ensures that all
>> the functions of the PostScript printer can be used.
>> All PostScript printers work with "generic PostScript"
>> PPD files, but then you will not get access to all
>> the printer specific functionality.
>>
>> Also openprinting.org provides original manufacturer
>> PPDs, see
>> http://www.openprinting.org/driver_list.cgi
>>
>> For basic information about "dirver" versus "PPD"
>> you may like to have a look at
>> http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS_in_a_Nutshell
>>
>>
>> Kind Regards
>> Johannes Meixner
>> --
>> SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstrasse 5, 90409 Nuernberg, Germany
>> AG Nuernberg, HRB 16746, GF: Markus Rex
>>
> 
> Hello Johannes,
> 
> thank you for replying. Until now, I tested printing only for the HP 4250
> because I still have a major problem with Kerberos authentication and
> therefore, I did not add the other printers yet (see my other posting).
> 
> The output of your command is:
> 
> [root at vlinux002 ~]# egrep -i '^\*nickname|^\*cupsfilter' /etc/cups/ppd/*
> /etc/cups/ppd/HP4250.ppd:*cupsFilter:	"application/vnd.cups-postscript 100
> foomatic-rip"
> /etc/cups/ppd/HP4250.ppd:*cupsFilter:	"application/vnd.cups-pdf 0
> foomatic-rip"
> /etc/cups/ppd/HP4250.ppd:*NickName:      "HP LaserJet 4250
> Foomatic/Postscript" /etc/cups/ppd/Ricoh_Aficio_SP_C811DN.ppd:*NickName:
> "Ricoh Aficio SP C811DN PS"
> /etc/cups/ppd/Ricoh_Aficio_SP_C811DN.ppd:*cupsFilter:
> "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 foomatic-rip"
> 
> What does this tell me / you? Why are there no entries in the page_log,
> are the drivers used by me the wrong ones? Thank you.


As I deduce from looking into the code of both foomatic-rip 3.0.x and 4.0.x, 
the filter inserts PostScript code to generate the "PAGE: ..." messages for 
CUPS, but as far as I can see these are only effective if either the PS code 
is fed through Ghostscript or the printer is (in case of a native PostScript 
printer) driven by a backend that captures the backchannel data and writes 
them to standard error (maybe using a special port monitor?).

Helge