On Sun 30 Aug 2015 at 18:28:14 +0200, to...@tuxteam.de wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 30, 2015 at 03:07:44PM +0100, Brian wrote:
> > On Sun 30 Aug 2015 at 09:31:50 +0200, to...@tuxteam.de wrote:
> >
> > > I know for sure: my printing runs perfectly fine without Avahi [...]
>
> > This is a static configuration equivalent to the CUPS one outlined
> > above. It has the same drawbacks. There is no reason why either setup
> > shouldn't produce a satisfactory printing experience. I believe LPRNG
> > cannot do service discovery so a roaming user may have the trouble of
> > needing to get a server name for every new situation.
>
> Correct. LPRNG doesn't service discovery. I do that discovery (e.g. I
> walk in the office to the copier-printer and look at the label slapped
> on it where its IP is printed on). I gladly do that discovery.
That's fine and a helpful technique. But it isn't the norm in all
offices and if there is no one knowledgeable about.......
> > > Pick your tools. Know why.
> >
> > Indeed; but banning one of them reduces the possibilities of effortless
> > printing.
>
> "Banning" is a loaded word. I choose simplicity (and am ready to pay some
> price for it). I don't tell others to do likewise, I just offer help in
> making a choice. I can only ban it from my computer.
Apologies. I did not mean to imply you were all for the eradication of
service discovery on everyone's computer and did understand you had made
a choice for yourself only. I look like a Bonjour advocate but in a
similar way to you I have no wish to enforce its use. However, there is
a more mobile aspect to computing today and it cannot be ignored when it
comes to printing.
Picture a cosy suburban house in England. Daughter Number 1 returns with
a friend after a good day at the school's sports day. A simple job turns
into a saga.
Daughter Number 1: Hey Dad, Freya has a brilliant photo on her mobile of
me winning the 200 metre race. Can we print it out?
Dad (Dropping into technical expert mode): The IP of the server is,,,,
Daughter Number 1: How does she put it into her phone?
Dad (flummoxed): I don't know. She probably can't. That's the problem
with new technology.
Daughter Number 1: Please Dad, I want to show the photo to my friends.
Dad (Back in technical expert mode): Have her email it to me. I'll
process and print it.
Daughter Number 1: Freya has used up her WiFi allowance. Can't we just
send it to your computer.
Dad: No. I'll not have service discovery in this house. And I've no lead
for the phone and would have to install special software anyway.
Daughter Number 1: Daaaaaad!
> - - - -
> [1] A case in point: at home we have a postscript network printer.
> For one file, my SO's computer (a fresh Debian installation, with
> all the Mate and Cups goodnes isn't able to print one specific PDF.
> My box, with LPRNG and apsfilter does print it. The CUPS log files
> say that yes, everything is fine. I've the hunch that the printer's
> Postscript implementation is crappy, and the CUPS variant is sending
> some Postscript Level 2 the printer can't digest (it prints an error
> message instead of the wanted document, so it seems to be the interpreter
> in the printer freaking out). With LPRNG/apsfilter, I'd be able to
> debug the thing. With all this CUPS mess, I don't even know where
> to start. Ick.
I've had similar. It's nothing to do with CUPS. cups-filters is the
resposible agent and changing the renderer can help.
