Re: problem with apsfilter and abiword

[Mark Devin <mdevin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andreas Klemm wrote:

> On Sun, Mar 04, 2001 at 12:27:24AM +1000, Mark Devin wrote:
> > > Thats odd ... what lineprinter spooler do you have installed ?
> > > LPRng ?
> > >
> > > Can you read its docu, how to enable logging ?
> > >
> > > > I hope I have answered all you questions correctly.  It doesn't make
> > > > sense to me.
> > >
> > > I need the debugging log ...
> > > Although I assume its simply gs driver related ...
> > >
> >
> > Yes, I have lprng installed.
>
> o.k., I don't know it, sorry.
>
> > I don't know any more about how to enable logging.  I did what I thought would
> > do it by editing the /usr/share/apsfilter/bin/apsfilter file to remove the #
> > in front of
> > set -x      to enable debugging.
>
> This enables debugging in the apsfilter script.
> The debugging messages are logged to stderr
> Standard error is the directed to a logfile, which is configurable
> by the :lf=/some/path: config statement in /etc/printcap.
> But for some strange reason the stderr output won't be written to
> the logfile ...
> Double check the path ...
> check the permissions of the spool directory itself
> ls -ld directory
> Send the output to the mailinglist ...
>
> > I am running debian.  I will apt-get whatever lineprinter is necessary for
> > this to work.  However, I remember that initially I had the standard lpr
> > package installed and the same thing was happening then.  This was what led me
> > to install lprng instead.
>
> Well, if the above mentioned recommendations doesn't bring us any
> further, any chance to install the standard lpd again ???
> It should log without problems !
>
> > It is a totally frustrating problem that doesn't make sense.
>
> Run FreeBSD, you simply install the add on ports, thats it.
> Never had permissions problems like that using it.
>
> Thats another recommendation, but I'm sure here are people
> listening that bash me concerning that statement ;-)))
>
> Folks, I hope you have still some humour ;-))
>
> > Thanks for your help.  I haven't given up yet.
> >  But if you weren't helping me
> > on this I think I would have by now.
>
> What about asking on the Debian mailinglists (help or whatever)
> why you doesn't get debugging output out of your lineprinter
> input filter ?
>
> They also have port maintainers for LPRng and apsfilter ...
>
>         Andreas ///
>

I thank Michael Lobin for this (Michael Loßin <phallobst@web.de>):

LPRng greatly proftis from the "filter_stderr_to_status_file" setting in lpd.conf.
Unfortunately, the "log" file isn't actually the place where debugging output is
sent to, but rather the "status" file in the spool directory; the spooler "log"
will only contain internal LPRng logging information.

With this info in hand I resent the file (test.abw.gs) to the printer with the
following command:
cat test.abw.gs | lpr -P bjc4200  The printout from the printer was the same as
before - a singe black strip instead of the word test which should have been
printed.

Here is the output from the file: /var/spool/lpd/bjc4200/status.bjc4200

IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ '[' '' ']'' at 2001-03-05-21:52:20.839 ##
A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ eval cat '"$HEADER"' -' at
2001-03-05-21:52:20.839 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '+++ cat /tmp/apsfilter843/header1 -' at
2001-03-05-21:52:20.839 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ print_data gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dSAFER
'-sDEVICE="$PRINTER"' '-sPAPERSIZE="$PAPERSIZE"' -sOutputFile=- '' '' -_' at
2001-03-05-21:52:20.844 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ '[' -f /etc/apsfilter/bjc4200/smbclient.conf
']'' at 2001-03-05-21:52:20.845 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ '[' -f /etc/apsfilter/bjc4200/lpr.conf ']''
at 2001-03-05-21:52:20.846 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ '[' -f /etc/apsfilter/bjc4200/pap.conf ']''
at 2001-03-05-21:52:20.848 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '++ eval gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dSAFER
'-sDEVICE="$PRINTER"' '-sPAPERSIZE="$PAPERSIZE"' -sOutputFile=- '' '' -_' at
2001-03-05-21:52:20.849 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '+++ gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dSAFER -sDEVICE=bjc600
-sPAPERSIZE=a4 -sOutputFile=- -_' at 2001-03-05-21:52:20.850 ##
A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '+ rm -f /tmp/apsfilter843/header1' at
2001-03-05-21:52:22.369 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '+ rm -rf /tmp/apsfilter843' at
2001-03-05-21:52:22.376 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter msg - '+ exit' at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.381 ##
A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
IF filter 'apsfilter' filter finished at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.381 ##
A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
printing finished at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.381 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840
process=842
accounting at end at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.381 ## A=algemon@debian+840 number=840
process=842
finished 'algemon@debian+840', status 'JSUCC' at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.382 ##
A=algemon@debian+840 number=840 process=842
subserver pid 842 exit status 'JSUCC' at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.383 ## A=<NULL>
number=0 process=841
bjc4200@debian: job 'cfA840debian' printed at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.384 ## A=<NULL>
number=840 process=841
job 'cfA840debian' removed at 2001-03-05-21:52:22.402 ## A=<NULL> number=840
process=841

I hope this helps you in some way 'cause it doesn't enlighten me.

Thanks for all the assistance.  btw, I rather like debian and am not yet keen to
try bsd - maybe in the future.

Cheers.

Mark.