PostScript vs. PCL3 vs PCL6

[Helge Blischke]

swsnyder wrote:

> I've got a networked HP Color LaserJet CP4025 printer which is connected
> to a RHEL v5.5 server.  RHEL/CUPS doesn't support this printer out of
> the box, so I installed HP's open source package, HPLIP v3.10.5.
> 
> When configuring the CP4025 in RHEL CUPS my only option was the
> PostScript driver.  I can print correctly from CUPS on the server.
> 
> I exported the printer via Samba, and I can successfully print from
> Windows boxes.  Installing HP's current CP4025 drivers on Windows I was
> only offered the option of PCL6.
> 
> I configured local printers on Fedora 12 & 13 systems, pointing them to
> the CUPS server on the RHEL server.  I selected the printer model from
> the system-config-printer tool and was only given the option of PCL3.
> 
> To sum up:
> 
> RHEL Server:	CUPS(PS) --> CP4025
> 
> Windows:	driver(PCL6) --> Samba --> CUPS --> CP4025
> 
> Fedora{12,13}:	driver(PCL3) --> IPP --> CUPS --> CP4025
> 
> FWIW, RHEL is running CUPS v1.3.7 and the Fedora machines are running CUPS
> v1.4.2 and 1.4.3.
> 
> On initial testing, it all seems to work.  What nags at me, though, are
> the 3 different methods of page description.  Am I wrong to think that
> mixing PostScript, PCL3 and PCL6 is a problem waiting to happen?
> 
> Thanks.

I'd install the printer on the Wondows boxes using cupadddsmb. Then you have 
the same PPD on Win as with CUPS.

Helge