[Info-vax] Direct print of PDF files on PDF compatible printers.

[Jan-Erik Söderholm]

Den 2022-03-02 kl. 20:05, skrev chris:
> On 03/02/22 17:26, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> On 3/2/22 11:05, chris wrote:
>>> On 03/02/22 15:53, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>>>> On 3/2/22 10:08, chris wrote:
>>>>> On 03/01/22 23:05, gah4 wrote:
>>>>>> On Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 9:16:42 AM UTC-8, Jan-Erik Söderholm
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Some of the Xerox laser printer models support direct print of PDF
>>>>>>> files.
>>>>>>> Now, we uses DCPS för most of our printing needs. So, should I
>>>>>>> look for
>>>>>>> a way to setup a DCPS queue that will be transparent and just let the
>>>>>>> PDF file through (DCPS itself dosn't support PDF input)? Or is it
>>>>>>> simpler to just setup a queue using the telnetsym, lpd_smb or such?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As well as I know it, PDF is a subset of PS.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Enough of a subset that there is an automated process to convert
>>>>>> PDF into PS, and the program pdftops to do it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Are there printers that support PDF, but not PS?
>>>>>
>>>>> One thing that might solve the problem long term would be to port
>>>>> cups. Pretty foolproof and works out of the box on all the systems
>>>>> and os's tried here. Just about every printer model supported as well.
>>>>>
>>>>> You could argue that it's not the os's task to process pdf or any
>>>>> other format, other than transparently passing the data. Pdf should be
>>>>> handled by the pdf reader itself, as with most systems these days...
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Who would argue that? Most of us remember when printers were just
>>>> dumb boxes. Used to have to put a loop of punched paper tape in just
>>>> so it could find the beginning of the page!
>>>>
>>>> bill
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Different world now, isn't it ?. Similar problems with terminals on
>>> unix, where the termcap file could be megabytes of special control
>>> character sequences. As I said, the os cups system is very flexible
>>> and keeps all the printer specific stuff in one place where it
>>> belongs, but like the termcap example, is quite bulky because of the
>>> myriad  of printer types. No easy way around that I guess.
>>> Can also be managed with a browser for setups and monitoring as well.
>>>
>>> Might be worth looking at for vms.
>>>
>>
>> Or buying a $35 Raspberry Pi 2 and building a simple printer engine
>> sit between VMS and whatever printer you have.
>>
>> bill
>>
>>
> 
> Absolutely, a print server in a box...
> 
> Chris
> 
> 

Absolutely not. This is a 24/7 factory. We cannot put in some Raspies
in a critcal environment. Better do it in the VMS environment so that
we have full remote access for support whatever happens.