[Printing-architecture] Re: [Desktop_printing] Deprecate IJS? GhostScript with only "opvp" as output device?

[Printing-architecture] Re: [Desktop_printing] Deprecate IJS? GhostScript with only "opvp" as output device?

[Michael Sweet]

Till Kamppeter wrote:
> ...
> IJS is separate-process-only, raster-only, and not under active
> development any more. There are also only three projects using it:
> HPLIP, Gutenprint, and the Epson-EPL-"L"-series driver. So I think it
> can be deprecated soon and be replaced by the OpenPrinting vector
> interface. Or are there things which IJS provides but OpenPrinting
> vector not.

Both Gutenprint and HPLIP have CUPS native interfaces that are better
suited to pure-raster printing.

> And with the OpenPrinting vector interface one would even be able to
> modularize out all the GhostScript output devices and leave GhostScript
> with "opvp" as the only output device. So also the problem of the X11
> output drivers in the GhostScript implementation of distributions and
> using GhostScript on X-less servers would get nicely solved.
> 
> WDYT?

We still need to ensure that the new interface is compatible on all
of the current operating systems; for us that means: AIX, HP-UX, IRIX,
Linux, MacOS X, Solaris, and *BSD.

Also, the X11 problem is already solved by the dynamic module support,
right?

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Document Software          http://www.easysw.com

[Printing-architecture] Re: [Desktop_printing] Deprecate IJS? GhostScript with only "opvp" as output device?

[Michael Sweet]

Till Kamppeter wrote:
> Michael Sweet wrote:
>> Both Gutenprint and HPLIP have CUPS native interfaces that are better
>> suited to pure-raster printing.
>>
> 
> I do not want to deprecate CUPS raster (CUPS raster is probably the
> second reason to deprecate IJS), it is probably the better choice in
> terms of color management and clean job canceling than OpenPrinting vector.
> 
> When will HP's rastertohplip be published?

You need to ask HP about that.  I do owe them a .drv file against
the latest release...

>>> And with the OpenPrinting vector interface one would even be able to
>>> modularize out all the GhostScript output devices and leave GhostScript
>>> with "opvp" as the only output device. So also the problem of the X11
>>> output drivers in the GhostScript implementation of distributions and
>>> using GhostScript on X-less servers would get nicely solved.
>>>
>>> WDYT?
>>
>> We still need to ensure that the new interface is compatible on all
>> of the current operating systems; for us that means: AIX, HP-UX, IRIX,
>> Linux, MacOS X, Solaris, and *BSD.
>>
> 
> If an OS does not provide any possibility for dynamic linking like libdl
> under Linux, we must fall back to a separate process, where the driver
> library is statically linked to the server executable.
> 
>> Also, the X11 problem is already solved by the dynamic module support,
>> right?
>>
> 
> Yes, but this solution seems not to be overtaken by upstream (AFPL/GPL)
> GhostScript.
> 
>   Till


-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Publishing Software        http://www.easysw.com

[Printing-architecture] Re: [Desktop_printing] Deprecate IJS? GhostScript with only "opvp" as output device?

[Michael Sweet]

Till Kamppeter wrote:
> I also did not want to simply take it away, but simply hear opinions. We
> must at first observe how well the new opvp is going and perhaps see in
> real live were it needs to be improved. One thing which opvp most
> probably does not have yet is KRGB, which is important for economic
> handling of black and colored ink or toner.
> 
> Vector drivers are most interesting for laser printers who do not do
> PostScript but do another high-level language (PCL for example, but also
> the ESC/Page of the Epson EPL non-"L" and AcuLaser printers).
> 
> For inkjet printers and fax machines raster drivers based on IJS or CUPS
> raster are just fime. Raster devices are probably not accelerated by
> using opvp. Here the only benefit is reducing the number of different
> interfaces.
> 
> So for now it is perhaps best to keep the three interfaces and observe
> there developemt and drop only GhostScript built-in. Perhaps it should
> also be avoided to make a raster driver CUPS-raster-only but better let
> it have both the CUPS raster and opvp or IJS interface as BSD and
> Solaris do not use CUPS as default spooler.

Keep in mind that nothing prevents you from using CUPS raster with
Sun's LP spooler or any other non-CUPS print spooler - you just need
to provide a wrapper script (simpler than Foomatic) that runs the
corresponding CUPS filters.  That is, in fact, the way the
predecessor to CUPS worked on HP-UX, IRIX, and Solaris...

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Publishing Software        http://www.easysw.com