[Info-vax] IPP utiltiy

[Chris Townley]

On 04/05/2021 19:14, Mark Berryman wrote:
> Based on feedback, it would appear that a number of the printers out 
> there are designed more for mobile printing than desktop printing.  This 
> is indicated by the document formats they support.  Typically, such 
> printers return a supported document format list similar to the following:
> 
> application/vnd.hp-PCL: this is HP’s Printer Control Language.  It is 
> text with escape sequences although binary data can be included when 
> graphics are involved.
> 
> image/jpeg: a standard JPEG file
> 
> application/PCLm: contrary to its name, PCLm has nothing to do with PCL. 
> It is a subset of PDF, basically the raster functions of PDF.  Any PDF 
> viewer can view PCLm files, the reverse is not true.
> 
> image/urf: This is Apple’s raster format.  This is what AirPrint uses. 
> Any file to be printed is converted to a raster and sent to the printer.
> 
> image/pwg-raster: This is the Printer Working Group’s raster format. 
> Probably similar to Apple’s but documented and free to use.  This 
> format, along with PCLm, is used by Mopria for printing from Android 
> phones.
> 
> Some of these printers have also been known to accept text or postscript 
> but some of the ones I've received feedback on do not.
> 
> Until VMS gets a rasterising utility, it can't really print much to such 
> printers.  At least not directly.  There is, however, a work-around.
> 
> CUPS has a number of x-to-raster filters included with it and CUPS is 
> also an IPP server.  Thus, if you have unix type system, such as a Mac, 
> Raspberry Pi, Linux, etc. configured to talk to your printer, you can 
> use the IPP utility I posted to print files through that system.
> 
> For example, here are the file types supported directly by my printer:
> 
> application/octet-stream, image/urf, image/pwg-raster, application/pdf, 
> image/jpeg, application/postscript, application/vnd.hp-PCL, text/plain
> 
> But here are the file types supported when printing through my Mac:
> 
> application/octet-stream, application/pc-eps, application/pdf, 
> application/postscript, application/vnd.apple-postscript, 
> application/vnd.cups-banner, application/vnd.cups-pdf, 
> application/vnd.cups-postscript, application/vnd.cups-raster, 
> application/vnd.cups-raw, application/x-cshell, application/x-csource, 
>       application/x-perl, application/x-shell,           image/fuji-raw, 
> image/gif, image/imageio,                 image/jp2, image/jpeg, 
> image/minolta-raw,                       image/openexr, image/pict, 
> image/png,                         image/pwg-raster, image/rad, 
> image/tiff,                              image/urf, image/x-alias, 
> image/x-bitmap,                                    image/x-bmp, 
> image/x-ico, image/x-icon,                                     
> image/x-photocd, image/x-portable-anymap, image/x-portable-bitmap, 
> image/x-portable-graymap,              image/x-portable-pixmap, 
> image/x-psd,                image/x-qtif, image/x-sgi-rgb,           
> image/x-sun-raster, image/x-tga,        image/x-xbitmap, 
> image/x-xpixmap,      text/plain
> 
> An updated version of my IPP utility is available at 
> https://theberrymans.com/php_kits/ipp.zip
> 
> Among other things, this version adds the /device_url switch to the show 
> command so that one can query a CUPS server.  It also no longer requires 
> privilege to run.  See the included readme file for details.
> 

Mark, many thanks for your work on this.

I failed to get mine to print with a PCL wrapper, and have only just 
finished reconfiguring the printer from Windows (it lost colour!) and 
the Pi, as that one wasn't working.

Have now printed successfully from my AXP emulator. Will now try it from 
my physical alpha...


-- 
Chris Townley