[cups] Linux->(Linux, Windows) printer sharing with drivers on the server

[Ivan Shapovalov]

On 2016-05-19 at 11:50 +0100, Brian Potkin wrote:
> On Thu 19 May 2016 at 05:52:00 +0300, Ivan Shapovalov wrote:
> 
> > Hello,
> 
> Hello Ivan.
>  
> > I'm trying to configure a LAN-wide shared printer for Linux (and
> > optionally Windows) clients using a dedicated Linux box as a print
> > server.
> > 
> > The printer itself (HP LJ P1505) is connected to the server by USB
> > and
> > needs special drivers (either HPLIP or patched foomatic+foo2xqx,
> > with
> > the latter option being faster). So, I want to configure the server
> > such that the clients won't need any special drivers to print.
> > On the other hand, the server is slow, and I want to minimize any
> > post-
> > processing done on the server.
> > 
> > Hence I guess that the clients should use a "generic postscript"
> > driver
> > (not a raw queue) and send postscript to the server, where it will
> > be
> > post-processed to the printer-specific stream.
> 
> If you have cups-filters on the server it will first convert
> PostScript
> to a PDF file. I'd suggest you need a raw queue on the clients.

Experimentally, a sample 1-page PDF with lots of graphics and text gets
printed in ~20 seconds in the mode I described, while with raw queues
it takes about 3 minutes(!) to get rendered.

> 
> This thread might be useful for you:
> 
>   http://www.cups.org/pipermail/cups/2016-March/027610.html
> 
> > Another requirement is that the client configuring should be as
> > automated as possible (most of the clients are people with laptops
> > which come and go).
> 
> cups-browsed gives automatic setting up of raw print queues on a
> client.

I'm afraid I cannot run arbitrary daemons on client machines.

> 
> > For Linux, I've tried to follow the official guide[1], using CUPS
> > web
> > interface and avahi/dns-sd on clients for printer discovery, and
> > this
> > turned into two problems:
> > 
> > 1. the client tries to install an HP-specific PPD for the
> > discovered 
> >    printer (while we want a generic postscript driver);
> 
> Select "Raw" as the "Make" of printer.

Again, the whole point of this thread is to make it with zero client
configuration. I'm able to perform everything manually, but this is
infeasible.

> 
> > 2. the client defaults to "US Letter" paper size, while we use A4,
> > and 
> >    I want this setting to propagate from server to clients.
> 
> Set this on the server.

It does not propagate, the printer created on the client as a result of
automatic discovery gets "US Letter" size by default.

-- 
Ivan Shapovalov / intelfx /