Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:

> On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org wrote:
> 
> > Sindi Keesan wrote:
> > >
> > > I don't have any user accounts.  If I were to set 
> > > one up, would I have to modify deskjet.filter 
> > 
> > Perhaps the permissions for that file.

I tried to set up a user account (installed shadow.tgz and did useradd but 
I could not figure out the right way to specify my password) so I reread a 
lot of mail about printing and found Steven's instructions on how to print 
as root.

> 
> I did chmod +x deskjet.filter, which I think makes it executable by 
> anyone.

> > No.  printcap is for lpd and lpd must be run as root.

> > > Is there any way to print pdf files using ghostscript 
> > > from the command line without filters or lpd?  
> > 
> > You don't need lpd, but you do need the filter (unless
> > the printer is a ps printer).  It is the filter that puts 
> > the output into a format that the printer can understand.  

Steven said to type:

deskjet.filter < filename.ps > /dev/lp0

I substituted my own ps file name and went to the /tmp directory where I 
kept it.  Was told 'no such device'. So I installed the printer modules 
using wp  (I will find a better way to do it soon). I tried again and it 
could not find deskjet.filter, so I went to /var/spool/lpd/postscript 
where I had put it and this time specified the path for the .ps file.
IT PRINTED (one page).  I then looked closely at deskjet.filter and it 
looked just like the line I use to print files with DOS gs, which works 
for both pdf and ps files, so I replaced the .ps file with a .pdf file and 
it printer that one too.  For pdf files you can specify FirstPage and 
LastPage.  Would I need to change deskjet.filter each time I wanted to 
printed something other than all the pages?

This worked just in time.  Someone is sending me 8 pages of pdf files 
today.

Is there some easier way to use the command line without having to go to
the location of deskjet.filter, which is not on the path?  Could I for
instance put a copy of it into /usr/local/bin or does it need to be only
in /var/spool/lpd/postscript/ (which it might require only to work with
lpd which spools print jobs)?  Could I make a 300.filter and a 150.filter 
file and put them in /usr/local/bin?  Or just call them 300 and 150 if 
that is the only printer I would be using?  


Please tell me again how I can print files from the command line by 
sending them to /dev/lp0 without using wp when they are plain text files.
I don't want to have to rename them document before printing and start 
another program (wp) when I could use command line to print text.


document > /dev/lp0
Permission denied.

lpr document
Jobs queued, but cannot start demon.

(I did not load lpd since it does not work for me as root.  Lpq shows me 
that the document file is indeed queued).

 
> So I could define several filter files and choose the one that I wanted 
> for that one printer?  

I presume I could just use a different .filter file for each printer, or 
even set up .filter files for -r150x150 and -r300x300 (draft and LQ)



> 
> Also can I print pdf files directly or must I convert first.
> I don't have any ps printers.  What do they look like?

If I don't use printcap I can print pdf files directly.  How would you 
need to modify printcap to print pdf files, add a section changing the 
ps|PS to pdf|PDF?  

The old slackware book says to add users not with useradd (which was 
rather cryptic) but with adduser, which prompted me for my room number, 
home and work phones, and various other things which I answered with the 
Enter key.  It told me I chose a weak password but if I wanted to reenter 
it I could use it anyway so I did.  I did not give an expiry date for my 
account so I hope it will last forever.  

I could now try to go to my user account and print with the other method 
using lpd.  lpr filename.ps ?

I tried first loading lpd after logging in as a user.  (I have no mail.) 
lpd
Command not found.

I hunted for lpd with find -name and got a lot of permission denieds.
Do I need to set permissions to use lpd as user?  I would probably need to 
do that as root as I was not allowed to do it as user.  I will keep trying 
to get this working (not that I need it since I don't use Abiword).

To set up linux for translating without paper, all I need to do now is
copy over the dosemu files and install them and get wp to work under
dosemu and I can translate on the linux computer but first I would want to
get it working with two monitors so I can install ghostview to display the
pdf files on one monitor and translate on the other one and save paper.
Maybe in the next computer.  


> 
> Sindi Keesan
>