Re: An Idea...

[Kent Schumacher <kent structural-wood com>]

Wolfgang Sourdeau wrote:

> (Ghostscript does support ppd files. Just take a look at
> /usr/share/ghostscript/[version]/doc. Idem for printer resolutions
> such as 600x600)
>
> After reading a few mails on that subject, I guess that a clean and
> consistent way to do all those things would be to create an abstraction
> between the actual printing format and the applications. Such as the one
> windows use (GDI is used for both printing and displaying on screen).
> gnome-print could create postscript code without the apps developers to
> worry about it.
>
> For what the drivers are concerned, I still think ghostscript should be
> used for the non-postscript printers. As it includes already a lot of
> good drivers, the missing features such as "econofast" could easily be
> added to the existing drivers. For example the Epson Stylus driver in gs
> contains code to manage "MicroWeave technology" of those printers...
> Ghostscript is GNU software and so it could and should be enhanced in
> the same philosophy.
>
> Gnome-print would then be used as a abstraction medium.
> What do you think?
>
> W

I think this is exactly right - gnome-print can address the issue of gnome
programs providing easy output.  Initially I would hope we would have
a robust postscript output capability that fully utilized the capability of
individual printers.

When there is a linux printer api that is supported by printer manufacturers
the abstraction layer for gnome_print can be built to support this api.

In the meantime, it seems to me that 90% of all linux/unix programs output
postscript, and it would benefit everyone if we could make postscript work
better.

There is a very complete document about ppd files on www.adobe.com -
search for  5003.PPD_Spec_v4.3.pdf.   This looks like a robust, well documented,
standard(!) way to support printer specific functionality.

I'm starting to feel preachy, and I think that it is because I am nervous that
we are heading toward every application or set of applications needing
a print configuration utility (which is what we have now, and it is a nightmare
to administer).

OK, I need to go walk in some snow...
Kent