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https://github.com/openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app

Ghostscript Printer Application
https://github.com/openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app

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Ghostscript Printer Application

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README 

        
# Ghostscript Printer Application



## INTRODUCTION



This repository contains a Printer Application for printers supported

by Ghostscript's built-in printer drivers and some extra filters.



It uses [PAPPL](https://www.msweet.org/pappl) to support IPP

printing from multiple operating systems. In addition, it uses the

resources of [cups-filters

2.x](https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups-filters) (filter functions

in libcupsfilters, libppd) and

[pappl-retrofit](https://github.com/OpenPrinting/pappl-retrofit)

(encapsulating classic CUPS drivers in Printer Applications). This

work (or now the code of pappl-retrofit) is derived from the

[hp-printer-app](https://github.com/michaelrsweet/hp-printer-app).



For printer capability and driver usage information the Foomatic

database of OpenPrinting (Online access [by

printer](http://www.openprinting.org/printers/), [by

driver](http://www.openprinting.org/drivers/),

[Downlod](http://github.com/OpenPrinting/foomatic-db)) is used.



Your contributions are welcome. Please post [issues and pull

requests](https://github.com/OpenPrinting/ghostscript-printer-app).



### Contained Printer Drivers (in the Snap)



- **Ghostscript built-in**:

  ```

  ap3250, appledmp, bj10e, bj10vh, bj10v, bj10, bj200, bj8XXYYZ.upp,

  bjc250gs, bjc600, bjc800, bjc880j, cdj500, cdj550, cdnj500, chp2200,

  cljet5, cp50, declj250, deskjet, dj505j, djet500, dnj650c,

  eplaser-jp, eplaser, eps9high, eps9mid, epsonc, epson, escpage,

  fmlbp, fmpr, gdi, hl1250, hl7x0, ibmpro, imagen, iwhi, jetp3852,

  jj100, la50, la70, la75plus, la75, laserjet, lbp310, lbp320, lbp8,

  lex5700, lex7000, lips2p, lips3, lips4v, lips4, lj250, lj4dithp,

  lj4dith, lj5gray, ljet2p, ljet3d, ljet3, ljet4d, ljet4, ljetplus,

  ln03, lp2000, lp2563, lp8000, lq850, lxm3200-tweaked, lxm5700m,

  m8510, md1xMono, md2k, md50Eco, md50Mono, md5k, mj700v2c, ml600,

  necp2xX.upp, necp6, npdl, oce9050, oki182, oki4w, okiibm, paintjet,

  pcl3, picty180, pjetxl, pjxl300, pjxl, pj, ps2write, pr150, pr201,

  pxlcolor, pxldpl, pxlmono, r4081, rpdl, sharp.upp, sipixa6.upp,

  sj48, stcolor, t4693dX, tek4696, xes

  ```



  This gives support for many old and ancient printers, but also for

  PCL lasers (especially PCL 6/XL) and dot-matrix printers.



  The included Ghostscript can have more drivers but these are the

  ones for which we have PPD support from Foomatic and which are not

  considered deprecated by another driver.



- **`hpijs` of HPLIP**: For non-HP PCL printers (use the [HPLIP

  Printer Application](https://snapcraft.io/hplip-printer-app) for HP

  printers). Better print quality than with Ghostscript's built-in

  drivers.



- **`pnm2ppa`**: Driver for some older HP printers with proprietary

  protocol, probably the only HP printers **NOT supported by

  HPLIP**. even not with HP's proprietary plugin. The configuration

  file in the Snap is user-editable, see below.



- **`pxljr`**: For HP Color LaserJet 3500/3550/3600, should give

  better output quality than HPLIP.



- **`foo2zjs`**: Driver for laser printers with proprietary languages,

  from Dell, Epson, Fuji, HP, Kyocera, Lexmark, (Konica) Minolta, Oki,

  Olivetti, Ricoh, Samsung, Xerox. Note that the firmware loading

  facility for HP is not included in this Printer Application, use the

  [HPLIP Printer Application](https://snapcraft.io/hplip-printer-app)

  (download proprietary plugin in-app, via web interface) for these

  printers, the firmware is proprietary anyway. In the Snap the user

  can add color profiles, see below.



- **`SpliX`**: Driver for laser printers with proprietary languages,

  from Dell, Lexmark, Samsung, Toshiba, Xerox



- **`brlaser`**: Driver for Brother HL, DCP, and MFC laser printers

  which do not understand PostScript nor PCL.



- **`fxlinuxprint`**: Driver from Fuji Xerox for their PDF printers

  before the times of driverless IPP.



- **`c2esp`**: Driver for Kodak EasyShare printers.



- **`rastertosag-gdi`**: For the few Ricoh models which do not do

  PostScript or PCL: Ricoh Aficio SP 1000S/1100S



- **`dymo`**: Driver for Dymo's label printers



- **`ptouch`**: Driver for Brother's P-Touch label printers



- **`c2050`, `cjet`, `min12xxw`, `m2300w`**: Drivers for older

  Lexmark, Canon, and Minolta printers. For `m2300w` in the Snap the

  user can add color profiles, see below.



- **`CUPS`, `cups-filters`**: Included drivers for PCL, dot-matrix

  (Oki, Epson), label printers (Dymo, Intellitech, Zebra), and some

  older HP DesignJet large-format printers.



- **Manufacturer-supplied PPD files**: For PCL and PDF printers from

  Ricoh and OEM (Gestetner, InfoPrint, Infotec, Lanier, NRG, Ricoh,

  Savin) and from Samsung.



### Not included



- **PostScript**: For manufacturer-supplied PostScript support, use

  the [PostScript Printer

  Application](https://snapcraft.io/ps-printer-app).



- **HPLIP**: For practically all HP printers use the [HPLIP Printer

  Application](https://snapcraft.io/hplip-printer-app). It also

  supports HP's proprietary plugin for printers which need to load

  their firmware on startup or need a proprietary driver extension.



- **Gutenprint**: High-quality output with inkjets from Epson, Canon,

  and others, also PCL laser printers. A lot of adjustable

  parameters. Use the [Gutenprint Printer

  Application](https://snapcraft.io/gutenprint-printer-app).



- **`epson-inkjet-printer-escpr`**: Epson's free-software printer

  driver for ESC/P-R-based inkjet printers. It supports only 360 dpi

  resolution and a very awkward user interface which cannot get easily

  mapped to IPP. Therefore it is not included in this Printer

  Application. Use the [Gutenprint Printer

  Application](https://snapcraft.io/gutenprint-printer-app).



- **Braille embosser drivers**: We plan a separate Printer Application

  for that.



- **Scanners in multi-function devices**: We plan a SANE retro-fit

  Scanner Application.



### Properties



- A Printer Application providing Ghostscript-based printer

  drivers. Input data is converted to PDF or PostScript (if not

  already supplied in one of these formats) as these are the input

  data formats of Ghostscript, fed into Ghostscript and by Ghostscript

  converted into the printer's native language. In some cases

  Ghostscript produces generic raster output which is converted to the

  printer's language by an additional filter.



- PWG Raster, Apple Raster or image input data is converted to

  PostScript and not to PDF as PostScript is streamable, and this way

  large jobs need less resources or one can theoretically even print

  infinite jobs.



- This Printer Application also includes some separate, old and now

  unmaintained printer drivers which are too small projects for their

  own Printer Application. These can also consist of a CUPS Raster

  filter, not needing Ghostscript if the input is PWG Raster, Apple

  Raster, or an image.



- Note that most of the drivers (both inside Ghostscript and separate

  filters) are old, unmaintained code, for old printers which we do

  not have access to for testing. The packaging in the Snap (and also

  in Debian where the Snap uses a Debian source) is minimum-invasive

  to assure formerly working code stays working, but it is not assured

  due to changes in GCC and the libraries or due to the Snap

  environment.



- This Printer Application supports thousands of (usually older)

  printer models. The needed printer capability information and driver

  usage information is mainly taken from OpenPrinting's Foomatic

  database, but also from information which comes with individual

  drivers.



- From the Foomatic data CUPS PPD files are pre-built, compressed and

  packaged with the Snap. Also the foomatic-rip filter of

  cups-filters, Ghostscript, and the extra printer driver filters are

  included. With this a CUPS driver retro-fit using the pappl-retrofit

  library is done. This way we do not need to modify or adapt the now

  mostly unmaintained printer driver code, nor the Foomatic data or

  the PPD files. This is important as we do not have the printers for

  testing.



- We use the printer's IEEE-1284 device ID to identify manufacturer

  and model of the printer and look for explicit driver support for

  this model. If we do not find it, we check the CMD: field of the ID

  to see whetrher the printer supports any common data format,

  currently PostScript, PCL-6/XL, PCL 5c, and PCL 5e to select a

  generic driver.



- Available printer devices are discovered (and used) with CUPS'

  backends and not with PAPPL's own backends. This way quirk

  workarounds for USB printers with compatibility problems are used

  (and are editable) and any driver's output can get sent to the

  printer via IPP, IPPS (encrypted!), and LPD in addition to socket

  (usually port 9100). The SNMP backend can get configured (community,

  address scope).



- If you have an unusual system configuration or a personal firewall

  your printer will perhaps not get discovered. In this situation the

  fully manual "Network Printer" entry in combination with the

  hostname/IP field can be helpful.



- Standard job IPP attributes are mapped to the driver's option

  settings best fitting to them so that users can print from any type

  of client (like for example a phone or IoT device) which only

  supports standard IPP attributes and cannot retrive the PPD

  options. Trays, media sizes, media types, and duplex can get mapped

  easily, but when it comes to color and quality it gets more complex,

  as relevant options differ a lot in the PPD files. Here we use an

  algorithm which automatically (who wants hand-edit ~10000 PPD files

  for the assignments) finds the right set of option settings for each

  combination of `print-color-mode` (`color`/`monochrome`),

  `print-quality` (`draft`/`normal`/`high`), and

  `print-content-optimize`

  (`auto`/`photo`/`graphics`/`text`/`text-and-graphics`) in the PPD of

  the current printer. So you have easy access to the full quality or

  speed of your printer without needing to deal with printer-specific

  option settings (the original options are still accessible via web

  admin interface).



### To Do



- Human-readable strings for vendor options (Needs support by PAPPL:

  [Issue #58: Localization

  support](https://github.com/michaelrsweet/pappl/issues/58))



- Internationalization/Localization (Needs support by PAPPL: [Issue

  #58: Localization

  support](https://github.com/michaelrsweet/pappl/issues/58))



- SNMP Ink level check via ps_status() function (Needs support by PAPPL:

  [Issue #83: CUPS does IPP and SNMP ink level polls via backends,

  PAPPL should have functions for

  this](https://github.com/michaelrsweet/pappl/issues/83))



- Build options for cups-filters, to build without libqpdf and/or

  without libppd, the former will allow to create the Snap of this

  Printer Application without downloading and building QPDF



## THE SNAP



### Installing and building



To just run and use this Printer Application, simply install it from

the Snap Store:



```

sudo snap install --edge ghostscript-printer-app

```



Then follow the instructions below for setting it up.



To build the Snap by yourself, in the main directory of this

repository run



```

snapcraft snap

```



This will download all needed packages and build the Ghostscript

Printer Application. Note that PAPPL (upcoming 1.0) and cups-filters

(upcoming 2.0) are pulled directly from their GIT repositories, as

there are no appropriate releases yet. This can also lead to the fact

that this Printer Application will suddenly not build any more.



To install the resulting Snap run



```

sudo snap install --dangerous ghostscript-printer-app_1.0_amd64.snap

```



### Setting up



The Printer Application will automatically be started as a server daemon.



Enter the web interface



```

http://localhost:8000/

```



Use the web interface to add a printer. Supply a name, select the

discovered printer, then select make and model. Also set the installed

accessories, loaded media and the option defaults. Accessory

configuration and option defaults can also offen get polled from the

printer.



Then print PDF, PostScript, JPEG, Apple Raster, or PWG Raster files

with



```

ghostscript-printer-app FILE

```



or print with CUPS, CUPS (and also cups-browsed) discover and treat

the printers set up with this Printer Application as driverless IPP

printers (IPP Everywhere and AirPrint).



See



```

ghostscript-printer-app --help

```



for more options.



Use the "-o log-level=debug" argument for verbose logging in your

terminal window.



You can add files to `/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/usb/`

for additional USB quirk rules. Edit the existing files only for quick

tests, as they get replaced at every update of the Snap (to introduce

new rules).



You can edit the

`/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/cups/snmp.conf` file for

configuring SNMP network printer discovery.



For the `pnm2ppa` driver you can edit the configuration file:



```

/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/pnm2ppa/pnm2ppa.conf

```



For the `foo2zjs` and `m2300w` drivers you can add color profiles in

the appropriate subdirectories of



```

/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/foo2zjs/

/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/m2300w/

```



Automatic firmware loading by foo2zjs is not supported. If you have

one of these HP printers which need it, use the HPLIP Printer

Application and download HP's plugin (use the web interface of the

HPLIP Printer Application for that).



All the changes mentioned her take effect with the next print job.



If you mess up any configuration file under

`/var/snap/ghostscript-printer-app/common/`, simply delete it (or move

it away) and restart the Snap to get it restored.



## THE ROCK (OCI CONTAINER IMAGE)



### Install from Docker Hub

#### Prerequisites



1. **Docker Installed**: Ensure Docker is installed on your system. You can download it from the [official Docker website](https://www.docker.com/get-started).

```sh

  sudo snap install docker

```



#### Step-by-Step Guide



You can pull the `ghostscript-printer-app` Docker image from either the GitHub Container Registry or Docker Hub.



**From GitHub Container Registry** 


To pull the image from the GitHub Container Registry, run the following command:

```sh

  sudo docker pull ghcr.io/openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app:latest

```



To run the container after pulling the image from the GitHub Container Registry, use:

```sh

  sudo docker run -d \

      --name ghostscript-printer-app \

      --network host \

      -e PORT= \

      ghcr.io/openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app:latest

```



**From Docker Hub** 


Alternatively, you can pull the image from Docker Hub, by running:

```sh

  sudo docker pull openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app

```



To run the container after pulling the image from Docker Hub, use:

```sh

  sudo docker run -d \

      --name ghostscript-printer-app \

      --network host \

      -e PORT= \

      openprinting/ghostscript-printer-app:latest

```



- `PORT` is an optional environment variable used to start the printer-app on a specified port. If not provided, it will start on the default port 8000 or, if port 8000 is busy, on 8001 and so on.

- **The container must be started in `--network host` mode** to allow the Printer-Application instance inside the container to access and discover printers available in the local network where the host system is in.

- Alternatively using the internal network of the Docker instance (`-p :8000` instead of `--network host -e PORT=`) only gives access to local printers running on the host system itself.



### Setting Up and Running gutenprint-printer-app locally



#### Prerequisites



**Docker Installed**: Ensure Docker is installed on your system. You can download it from the [official Docker website](https://www.docker.com/get-started) or from the Snap Store:

```sh

  sudo snap install docker

```



**Rockcraft**: Rockcraft should be installed. You can install Rockcraft using the following command:

```sh

  sudo snap install rockcraft --classic

```



**Skopeo**: Skopeo should be installed to compile `*.rock` files into Docker images. It comes bundled with Rockcraft, so no separate installation is required.



#### Step-by-Step Guide



**Build ghostscript-printer-app rock**



The first step is to build the Rock from the `rockcraft.yaml`. This image will contain all the configurations and dependencies required to run ghostscript-printer-app.



Open your terminal and navigate to the directory containing your `rockcraft.yaml`, then run the following command:



```sh

  rockcraft pack -v

```



**Compile to Docker Image**



Once the rock is built, you need to compile docker image from it.



```sh

  sudo rockcraft.skopeo --insecure-policy copy oci-archive: docker-daemon:ghostscript-printer-app:latest

```



**Run the ghostscript-printer-app Docker Container**



```sh

  sudo docker run -d \

      --name ghostscript-printer-app \

      --network host \

      -e PORT= \

      ghostscript-printer-app:latest

```

- `PORT` is an optional environment variable used to start the printer-app on a specified port. If not provided, it will start on the default port 8000 or, if port 8000 is busy, on 8001 and so on.

- **The container must be started in `--network host` mode** to allow the Printer-Application instance inside the container to access and discover printers available in the local network where the host system is in.

- Alternatively using the internal network of the Docker instance (`-p :8000` instead of `--network host -e PORT=`) only gives access to local printers running on the host system itself.



#### Setting up



Enter the web interface



```sh

http://localhost:/

```



Use the web interface to add a printer. Supply a name, select the

discovered printer, then select make and model. Also set the installed

accessories, loaded media and the option defaults. If the printer is a

PostScript printer, accessory configuration and option defaults can

also often get polled from the printer.



## Included Components

  - pappl v1.4.8

  - qpdf v11.10.1

  - ghostscript ghostpdl-10.05.0-test-base-001

  - cups v2.4.11

  - libcupsfilters 2.1.1

  - libppd 2.1.1

  - cups-filters 2.0.1

  - pyppd release-1-1-0

  - foomatic-db 20240504

  - hplip debian/3.22.10+dfsg0-8

  - c2050 debian/0.3-7

  - cjet debian/0.8.9-11

  - min12xxw debian/0.0.9-11

  - pnm2ppa debian/1.13-13

  - c2esp debian/27-11

  - dymo-cups-drivers debian/1.4.0-12

  - foo2zjs debian/20200505dfsg0-3

  - fxlinuxprint debian/1.1.0+ds-4

  - m2300w debian/0.51-15

  - printer-driver-oki 1.0.2

  - pxljr debian/1.4+repack0-6

  - rastertosag-gdi debian/0.1-8

  - splix debian/2.0.1-1

  - brlaser v6

  - ptouch-driver debian/1.7-1



## BUILDING WITHOUT PACKAGING OR INSTALLATION



You can also do a "quick-and-dirty" build without snapping and without

needing to install [PAPPL](https://www.msweet.org/pappl),

[cups-filters 2.x](https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups-filters), and

[pappl-retrofit](https://github.com/OpenPrinting/pappl-retrofit) into

your system. You need a directory with the latest GIT snapshot of

PAPPL, the latest GIT snapshot of cups-filters, and the latest GIT

snapshot of pappl-retrofit (master branches of each). They all need to

be compiled (`./autogen.sh; ./configure; make`), installing not

needed. Also install the header files of all needed libraries

(installing "libcups2-dev" should do it).



In the directory with ghostscript-printer-app.c run the command line



```

gcc -o ghostscript-printer-app ghostscript-printer-app.c $PAPPL_SRC/pappl/libpappl.a $CUPS_FILTERS_SRC/.libs/libppd.a $CUPS_FILTERS_SRC/.libs/libcupsfilters.a $PAPPL_RETROFIT_SRC/.libs/libpappl-retrofit.a -ldl -lpthread  -lppd -lcups -lavahi-common -lavahi-client -lgnutls -ljpeg -lpng16 -ltiff -lz -lm -lusb-1.0 -lpam -lqpdf -lstdc++ -I. -I$PAPPL_SRC/pappl -I$CUPS_FILTERS_SRC/ppd -I$CUPS_FILTERS_SRC/cupsfilters -I$PAPPL_RETROFIT_SRC/pappl/retrofit -L$CUPS_FILTERS_SRC/.libs/ -L$PAPPL_RETROFIT_SRC/.libs/

```



There is also a Makefile, but this needs PAPPL, cups-filters 2.x, and

pappl-retrofit to be installed into your system.



Run



```

./ghostscript-printer-app --help

```



When running the non-snapped version, by default, PPD files are

searched for in



```

/usr/share/ppd/

/usr/lib/cups/driver/

/var/lib/ghostscript-printer-app/ppd/

```



You can set the `PPD_PATHS` environment variable to search other

places instead:



```

PPD_PATHS=/path/to/my/ppds:/my/second/place ./ghostscript-printer-app server

```



Simply put a colon-separated list of any amount of paths into the

variable. Creating a wrapper script is recommended.



This Printer Application uses CUPS' backends and not PAPPL's, meaning

that for USB printers CUPS' USB quirk workarounds for compatibility

problems are used, network printers can also be used with IPP, IPPS,

and LPD protocols, and SNMP printer discovery is configurable.



USB Quirk rules in `/usr/share/cups/usb` and the `/etc/cups/snmp.conf`

file can get edited if needed.



Make sure you have Ghostscript, CUPS (at least its backends), and the

desired printer drivers (if not built into Ghostscript) installed.



For access to the test page `testpage.ps` use the TESTPAGE_DIR

environment variable:



```

TESTPAGE_DIR=`pwd` PPD_PATHS=/path/to/my/ppds:/my/second/place ./ghostscript-printer-app server

```



or for your own creation of a test page (PostScript, PDF, PNG, JPEG,

Apple Raster, PWG Raster):



```

TESTPAGE=/path/to/my/testpage/my_testpage.ps PPD_PATHS=/path/to/my/ppds:/my/second/place ./ghostscript-printer-app server

```



## LEGAL STUFF



The Ghostcript Printer Application is Copyright © 2020 by Till Kamppeter.



It is derived from the HP PCL Printer Application, a first working model of

a raster Printer Application using PAPPL. It is available here:



https://github.com/michaelrsweet/hp-printer-app



The HP PCL Printer Application is Copyright © 2019-2020 by Michael R Sweet.



This software is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0 with an exception

to allow linking against GPL2/LGPL2 software (like older versions of CUPS).  See

the files "LICENSE" and "NOTICE" for more information.