Re: Incompatibility with UNIX printing system style - interface file

cosminb-PkHmutjXgqWvSplVBqRQBQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Here is my problem:
> I added a CUPS print queue, using lpadmin with ?m option specified. My
> model file is a script, which only echoes something in a file, no other
> action is taken.
> When I try to send 2 or more files within a single lp command, the
> interface file is called for each file.
> On other UNIX platforms (SCO, HP, SUN) when doing the same test, the
> interface file is called only once, and a list of files containing all
> files from lp command is passed to the interface file.
> 
> This is happening on CUPS 1.1.10, 1.1.18 (and probably on all intermediary
> versions), RedHat 8.0, 9.0, Caldera Open Linux 3.1.1, SuSe 8.0.
> 
> Is there a way to configure the CUPS or the print queues (at creation) so
> the interface file to be called only once even if more files are specified
> in the lp command?
> 
> If there isn't, than why the $3  parameter (from the interface file) is the
> same (the name of the first file to print) at each interface file call? I'm
> using it to track the original file names specified in the lp command.
> 
IIRC, the parameter in question is the job title. If you don't
explicitely 
specify a job title in your lp command (-t titlestring), the name of the
first file of this job is taken as a default title.

As opposed to the interface script approach the SYSV spool (which is the
default
on SCO UnixWare, OpenServer, SUN Solaris), which is designed to deal
with the
byte stream sent to the printer, the cocept CUPS follows is entirely
different:
each file is passed to a chain of filters (the last of which is the
backend,
so to say), and this filter chain may well be different for different
files
(e.g. a PDF file is passed through the pdftops filter first, a text file
instead
through the texttops filter etc.).

So you may mix any file types CUPS can deal with in a single job which
is not
possible with a SYSV spool system.

Helge


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