[FreeNX-kNX] Cups 1.2

[Paul van der Vlis]

Alastair Johnson schreef:
> IIRC cups 1.2 doesn't start the usermode cupsd with the config file freenx 
> provides. I posted a while back about this, but never had time to find out 
> which of the many changes in 1.2 was causing it. 

I think the point is, that Cups 1.2 has to run as root. Search for "cups
runasuser" in Google to see the discussion about it.

In Debian/Ubuntu they changed Cups, Cups runs as user "cupsys", but only
root can change to that user.

I've asked a question on the Cups list:
http://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?gcups.general+v:27624

> Do you know if the nxclient 
> manages to create a working usermode cupsd if 1.2 is on the client? It might 
> give a clue as to what's wrong.

No, so far I see now it does not. When I start a connection with Cups
enabled, I get an error "Can't launch CUPS server".

> I don't know about getting OpenOffice or Firefox to use either the kde print 
> system or a different cupsd to the default one, but I would like to know...

You can use an environment variable IPP_PORT then it should work.

But it is a bit more difficult, because the startscripts of Firefox and
OpenOffice change the environment. But if you start them without those
startscripts, it works. Gnome apps work too.

> The private cupsd always struck me as an added complication, but I suppose it 
> does have that advantage, and it works. On the down side it's an extra 
> process and port per user, you can't see any system printers, it isn't seen 
> by default by OpenOffice, and unless you pick the 'Raw' printer driver it can 
> fail to print for no apparent reason - cups logs say to check that 
> esp-ghostscript is installed. I tracked it to a problem somewhere in the 
> filter chain that only occurs in the private cupsd not the system one. I 
> don't display the printer driver selection any more, and force use of raw.

That's an idea. But I want to use thin clients. A driver on the server
is more easy then.

> Using the forwarded port directly isn't an option because CUPS and kde don't 
> agree on how to implement AuthType Digest, but its use is hardcoded into the 
> 1.5 client at least. Using the system CUPS isn't an option unless you allow 
> everyone (well...all nx users) to create printers. 

I will study that, I do not understand it complete.

With regards,
Paul van der Vlis.