Subject: PPD files

From: "jeff b" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 21:40:11 +0000 (GMT)

This is a little unrelated to anything else that has been going on ... but
does anyone have any opinions on whether we should start including PPDs in
the netatalk distribution?
     
*************************
jeff b
system administrator
university communications
university of connecticut
[email-masked]

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From: andrew morgan <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 15:07:11 -0700 (PDT)

> the netatalk distribution?

As long as there are no copyright issues, I think it would be useful to
distribute PPDs for the commonly used printers.  We would need to maintain
the list of PPD as new printers are introduced.

One downside is that these PPD file are NOT small.  I have an older
collection of HP PPDs (up to 5si printers), which totals more than a
megabyte.  Since these are straight text they do compress fairly well, but
they will add to the final installation footprint for netatalk.

	Andy

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From: Marc Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 15:08:45 -0700 (PDT)

PPD files should be available in a separate RPM, which can be a
"suggested" dependency (I know you can do that with .deb files; not sure
how RPMs do dependencies).  We use PPR for our print queue and that
requires PPD's too.  If PPD's were exclusive to netatalk pap, then
yeah; we should include those... but especially since you really only need
the PPD's for one or two printers managed by that server, why clutter the
netatalk distribution?

> the netatalk distribution?

============================================================
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	Computer Room Consultant
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From: BWS - Offwhite <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 17:30:38 -0500 (CDT)

What would actually be preferable would be for the setup routine to ask
you or autodetect the PPD file that you need and either download it
directly or tell you which one to get.

If the Netatalk site could host these PPD files that would be great, but I
am sure it would be fine to set up a small database of all the PPD files
with the primary site, like HP perhaps, would be the first choice and fall
back to a Netatalk mirror so you can get the file when you need it.

I am not sure what would be involved in autodetecting the printer, but
creating a small database to match a printer to a PPD file and associating
the primary PPD download url would not be all that hard.  I could even get
that started if anyone would like me to start that.

I am still having printing issues of my own... postscript is not fun.

Brennan Stehling - web developer and sys admin
projects: www.greasydaemon.com | www.onmilwaukee.com | www.sncalumni.com

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From: Stephen Welker <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 12:12:38 +1000

> the netatalk distribution?

Most PPDs for Adobe based PostScript printers are available on Adobe's web 
site - there are thousands of them.

Just need to put in the FAQ where to find them and how to download them to 
a Netatalk server preserving correct line termination, etc.

Duplicating those would be a waste of time and space. You would also commit 
yourself to version control - do you want more work than is necessary?

However, what would be nice if people that have customised PPD files for 
GhostScript based printers, to make them available for distribution.

If the developers are interested, I have a PPD for the Canon BJ200 printer 
(GhostScript). Contact me directly for more details.

-- 
Stephen Welker