Re: Printing to Win2K share printer with apsfilter via samba fails

[Stacey Roberts <stacey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Michael,

On Thu, 2002-11-14 at 08:18, Michael Loßin wrote:
> apsfilter-help@apsfilter.org schrieb am 13.11.02 20:08:35:
> > > Printer entry created by apsfilter setup in /etc/printcap:
> > > # APS1_BEGIN:printer1
> > > # - don't delete start label for apsfilter printer1
> > > # - no other printer defines between BEGIN and END LABEL
> > > hp845c|ijs/DESKJET_845;r=600x300;q=high;c=full;p=a4;m=auto:\
> > >     :lp=/dev/null:\
> > 
> > /dev/null ?!?  Are you sure this is supposed to be here?
> > The setup should have done this (or is it just for
> > testing purposes?).
> > 
> > >     :if=/usr/local/etc/apsfilter/basedir/bin/apsfilter:\
> > >     :sd=/var/spool/lpd/hp845c:\
> > >     :lf=/var/spool/lpd/hp845c/log:\
> > >     :af=/var/spool/lpd/hp845c/acct:\
> > >     :mx#0:\
> > >     :sh:
> > > # APS1_END - don't delete this
> > 
> > What you've seen here (inclusinve of the ":lp=/dev/null:\" line) is
> > EXACTLY what I ended up with after configuring / installing apsfilter.
> > 
> > What you've suggested as what the /etc/printcap entry that should have
> > been inserted by apsfilter is news to me. I've been posting that very
> > same /etc/printcap entry for over a week, and no-one's said anything
> > about it. In fact, Michael, every single respondent, said that its fine.
> 
> Well, the lp=/dev/null was created only with some "help"
> by you, since the apsfilter setup can't know which device
> to talk to.
> So during the setup (in "interface setup") you must've
> entered "/dev/null" as the target device, but it should
> rather be "/dev/lp0" or something like that.

Dude.., I'm not making this stuff up here - why would I? Like I've said,
all I did was install from FreeBSD ports, and followed the instructions
as mentioned in the apsfilter handbook.

I wouldn't even know what to do even if I *wanted* to get clever about
printing. All I wanted all along, was to set up printing to the Win2K
shared printer that I have access to via samba.

Not that it makes a difference, but here's the original printcap file I
backed up before installing apsfilter (as I've read that apsfilter
itself edits the printcap file, I wanted to make sure I had the original
should things go south):

 $ cat /etc/printcap.orig
#	@(#)printcap	5.3 (Berkeley) 6/30/90
# $FreeBSD: src/etc/printcap,v 1.10.2.2 2002/08/07 10:33:39 blackend Exp
$

#
# This enables a simple local "raw" printer, hooked up to the first
# parallel port.  No kind of filtering is done, so everything you pass
# to the "lpr" command will be printed unmodified.
#
# Remember, for further print queues you're going to add, you have
# to choose different spool directories (the "sd" capability below),
# otherwise you will greatly confuse lpd.
#
# For some advanced printing, have a look at the "apsfilter" package.
# It plugs into the lpd system, allowing you to print a variety of
# different file types by converting everything to PostScript(tm)
# format.  For more information about apsfilter visit
#
#	     http://www.apsfilter.org/
#
# If you don't have a PostScript(tm) printer, don't panic, but do
# also install the latest "ghostscript" package for best printer
support.
#
# Do also refer to the "printing" section of the handbook.  
#
#	http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/printing.html
#
# A local copy can be found under
#
#	/usr/share/doc/handbook/handbook.{html,latin1}.
#
# Banner pages are now suppressed by default.  Remove the :sh:
capability
# to turn them back on.
#
#lp|local line printer:\
#	:sh:\
#	:lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output/lpd:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
#
# Sample remote printer.  The physical printer is on machine "lphost".
# You can perform any kind of local filtering directly.  If you need
# local filters (e.g. LF -> CR-LF conversion for HP printers), create
# a filter script that sends the proper escape sequence to the printer
# and then concatenates stdin to stdout.
#
#remote|sample remote printer:\
#	:sh:\
#	:rm=lphost:sd=/var/spool/output/lphost:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:\
#	:if=/usr/local/libexec/if-script:
#
# Simple Russian printer with hardware CP866 character set, output
filter
# used for KOI8-R -> CP866 conversion
#
#lp|Russian local line printer:\
#	:sh:of=/usr/libexec/lpr/ru/koi2alt:\
#	:lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output/lpd:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
$

> 
> > > Checking spool logs:
> > > # tail /var/spool/lpd/hp845c/log
> > > apsfilter: The configuration file
> > > /usr/local/etc/apsfilter/hp845c/apsfilterrc
> > > apsfilter: is missing. Please run SETUP.
> > 
> > > But this file DOES exist:
> > > [it really does]
> > 
> > It's probably a file permission problem. Please tell us
> > what the permissions of
> > "/usr/local/etc/apsfilter/hp845c/apsfilterrc" are.
> > 
> > Its set to 600.
> 
> This is not guaranteed to work -- it depends on the
> printer spooler. Please make it world readable
> (chmod 644 /usr/local/etc/apsfilter/hp845c/apsfilterrc)
> and try again. (Don't forget the lp=/dev/lp0 stuff,
> and restart the printer spooler daemon.)

Err., did I miss something in the docs about this? I mean, is it *not*
supposed to have those permissions? If not, why does apsfilter leave
then like this then?

> 
> I don't know why this doesn't work for you. Did you
> use a distribution specific package or the original
> tarball from www.apsfilter.org?
> 

See above.., I used the FreeBSD ports distro. The same, I am told by the
maintainer, that *just works* for him "out of the box".

I've un-installed apsfilter for now. I'll reinstall later to see what
the printcap file looks like afterwards, and I'll try your suggestions.

Thank you very much for taking the time, Michael.

Stacey
> 
> Michael
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-- 
Stacey Roberts
B.Sc (HONS) Computer Science

Web: www.vickiandstacey.com