[cups.general] Can the rasterisation file be logged for scrutiny when printing

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

On Oct 1 05:46 handy wrote (excerpt):
> how can I record or log what is sent to the actual printer

Let CUPS print into a file results in that file
the print data that is actually sent to the printer.

To do this set in /etc/cups/cupsd.conf the line

   FileDevice yes

see "FileDevice" at
http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/doc-1.5/ref-cupsd-conf.html

and
set up a print queue with the same driver (i.e. PPD)
as you currently use but with a DeviceURI of the form
   file:///tmp/printout

e.g. using as root the command

# lpadmin -p testqueue -v file:///tmp/printout \
   -P /etc/cups/ppd/your_existing_queue.ppd -E

and then printing e.g. as user via the command

$ echo Hello | lp -d testqueue

results the data that would be normally sent to the printer
now in /tmp/printout.


> How can I log the actual rasterisation?

Depending on the printer model, parts of the rasterisation
happens on the computer where CUPS runs (via so called filtering)
and/or in the printer (e.g. when it is a real PostScript printer),
see in particular "The Filter (includes the Driver)" at
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS_in_a_Nutshell


See the "Debugging the filter chain?" mail thread on

http://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?gcups.general+T+Q%22Debugging+the+filter+chain%22


Regarding changing the default CUPS filtering (e.g. for debugging
by exchanging a default filter by a selfmade script which writes
its input into a file), see
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Using_Your_Own_Filters_to_Print_with_CUPS

Yes, debugging the filtering this way is a bit complicated.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner
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