Discussion:
VNC Protocol | Adding Printing
Beerse, Corné
2002-10-15 19:12:01 UTC
Permalink
-----Original Message-----
No matter what you will have to add a printer on the server
side that will print to a file. If you generate a metafile
and copy that to the client computer and then use the printer
drivers on that local client system to make the postscript or
pcl or whatever file you don't have to worry about what type
of printer the client has.
I think the first printer should just be 'raw' printing: No adaption on what
print code what so ever on both sides of vnc. This has always been the
default on all operating systems.

Then there is my question of the print direction: Currently I'm at home,
using vnc to connnect to the office. I've files at the office I'd like to
print at home and files at home I'd like to print at the office (for
collegues).

For M$Windows based components, the print to a printer at the components
side can be just forward to the local, default printer.( If not available,
just to lpt1:).

For the Unix based components, it's the same: just burst it to the default
printer (lp, lpr or whatever is in ${PRINTER} or other default sources.

If the printer is capable of doing postscript, it will recognize it
(postscirpt starts with something like "%PS%"). Other printers should
recognize their language in a similar way.

Hence, the communication channel can be raw and should not do any
translation.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 4:11 PM
To: Tight VNC Mailing List
Subject: Re: FW: VNC Protocol | Adding Printing
Hello,
Well postscript is great but, the problem is that generally only
workgroup class laser printers or better support it, because it is
not cost effective for the printer manufacturers to pay the
postscript
licensing fees for the low end lasers or inkjet printers. Metafile
support would be best because then you only have to invoke the local
printer on the client and let the driver take care of the format.
Well, the problem with only allowing that method, for me at least,
is that I'll be using the VNC client GNOME/Linux machine connecting
to VNC servers running on Windows 98.
Also, having to go and install print drivers on each and every
computer seems like way too much work, way too big of a thing
to maintain. (I don't look forward to doing this type of
thing of the 50+ computers that we have.)
What I want is to have it where the user can install VNC... and
that's it. It just works. No playing with print drivers. No
extra work.
So, that's why I want to implement things, by default, to
use PostScript. (And if someone doesn't have a printer
that supports PostScript, then we can use GhostScript to
handle the printing.)
But if the server end and client end both can handle using
the same metafile type, then they are free to do so. (The
VNC protocol extension that I am thinking of would allow for
this too.)
So, what I am saying, is the way I'm thinking of extending
the VNC protocol, you can use PostScript, metafile, or
any other format. But I think, as a fall back, PostScript
support should be included.
What do you think?
See ya
--
Charles Iliya Krempeaux, BSc
______________________________________________________________
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Reptile Consulting & Services 604-REPTILE
http://www.reptile.ca/


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David Howe
2002-10-16 16:27:00 UTC
Permalink
So, what I am saying, is the way I'm thinking of extending
the VNC protocol, you can use PostScript, metafile, or
any other format. But I think, as a fall back, PostScript
support should be included.
maybe a true printer isn't the best solution - a possible alternative would be to create a "virtual" ps printer at the VNC side (is is common under linux, and can be done comfortably under windows) and at the viewer side, use some of the functionality of the GhostScript package to make a PDF flatfile from the data. That way, you don't have to waste paper (or have a real printer of any type) at the client side, can email the "printout" to other people, but can still choose to print whatever you actually want on paper, when it is convenient to you, and using any printer you have to hand (not having to specify at the time you create the print job on the remote server)
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