Unix Printer System (was Re: An Idea...)

["Dmitry G . Mastrukov" <dmitry taurussoft mtu-net ru>]

	Hi, All!
Ghostscript is very important in our world because it is desktop- and 
window system- independant. GS de-facto plays role similar to Windows 
Printing System: most of printing applications generates Postscript 
output and less care about when it will be printing.

So may be we should transform GS into something like Unix Printing (or 
Printer) System. Main goal of such project is to give Un*x community 
unified printing architecture. Printer vendors should recieves unified 
driver specifications for Un*x, developers - printing engine. On the top 
of such engine desktop oriented stuff like gnome-print can be based.

Yes, GS needs in dramatically altering to suit above condition: modular 
loadable drivers to allow printer vendors to distribute drivers in 
binary form too, some form of printer description, improving GS engine 
(alpha channel, may be something non-Postcript related calls and over 
stuff) and so on. But we should make conditions to push printer vendors 
to develop drivers not only for Windows but for Un*x too.

About printer description. Printer vendor will not be able to create its 
own configuration dialog like in Windows because window system and 
desktop is unknown in common case. For example printer description 
should tell: this printer has photo, norlmal and econo modes, in photo 
mode resolution 600x600, in others 300x300 or less. Next print engine 
(or application) should parse this file and construct configuration 
dialog from its data. If PPD permits such things - just fine. May be 
printer description should dispose in printer driver and be queried 
through function calls. But it's second question.

Primary question. Do we need in unified Unix Printing System (or 
Architecture)? I think YES.

	Dmitry