[FreeNX-kNX] Client / server collaboration

[Dick Kniep]

Hi list,

Currently we use GoGlobal to distribute a big wxPython application to a variety of clients. However, we would very much like to convert the application to FreeNX.
To establish this we absolutely need to be able to print to ANY printer on the client side without having to configure that printer on the serverside. Furthermore, we need to be able to start MS-Excel on the client by sending it a file.

The difference between GoGlobal en Freenx is especially apparent in the way files are transfered from the client to the server and the way printers are handled. In GoGlobal it is possible to send a file to a random destination on the client, and start an application based on the extension of the file. Currently this is not possible with Freenx. 
Furthermore, printing with FreeNX creates a CUPS session-printer and output is sent there. This is OK, however, if we do not know which printer is on the client side, there is no way to find out which driver is to be used for the printer. This makes it unworkable for our solution where there are many different unknown printers.

If we could start an application on the client side based on the associated extension of a file this could solve all our problems, because then we could do complete clientside printing, using gsprint, in that case it is also possible to start MS-Excel with a file with an .xls extension. So two birds with one stone.
Another possibility is to have the client query the OS it runs on and return the installed printers, so that at least we know on the server side which printer is there, and if the printer has been installed, we could render on the serverside. 

Is there a possibility to achieve something like this? Or do we have to hack this ourselves.....

Cheers,
Dick Kniep