KDEPrint on other *NIX platforms.

[Nick Bartolotti]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kurt Pfeifle [mailto:kpfeifle@danka.de]
> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 1:57 PM
> To: kde-print@mail.kde.org
> Subject: Re: KDEPrint on other *NIX platforms.
>=20
> Nick Bartolotti wrote:
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> > Mattias & Kurt,
> >
> > Thank you for your responses.
> >
> > Since I'm not a seasoned UNIX expert, please correct me where I am
wrong
> > in the next statements.
> >
> > We wrote a C++ class library that wrapped the CUPS API and planned
on
> > using it as a middle tier between a GUI and the lower-level printing
> > sub-system (CUPS).  We were planning on using this class to support
a
> > specific printer (although, in theory, it could support any
printer).
> > We did this because CUPS is supported on Linux, HP-UX, and Solaris,
our
> > three target systems.
> >
> > Later, we found KDEPrint essentially does what we want which is why
we
> > started investigating its possible use on other platforms (HP-UX and
> > Solaris).
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> What exactly need this GUI to do? Just wrap the "lpr" print command --
> or do all sorts of admin stuff (adding printers, configure the CUPS
> server/daemon...) too?
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The GUI needs to do essentially what kprinter does.  Background: I began
researching this solution before I knew about kprinter.  Since kprinter
is a viable solution, I have been attempting to find out if and under
what circumstances kprinter can be used under other desktop environments
-- namely HP-UX 11 and Solaris 8/9.

I am currently in the proof of concept phase of the development cycle.
Once I know if this can be done *for sure* it will make future decisions
(and the project direction) much simpler.  What I am aiming for is one
code base that can be used for all environments.  I don't mind a
recompile for the appropriate OS/CPU.  However, I want to know up front
if I will have to develop specifically for CDE or if I can use a KDE
based app in this environment (perhaps with the correct libraries
installed??).

> >>From this investigation, it seems that the desktop environment's GUI
> > library must match the library used for the GUI apps.  For Redhat, I
> > have read that GNOME and KDE apps are mostly compatible,
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> If "compatible" means: you can run any single KDE app inside a GNOME
> desktop and any GNOME app inside a KDE desktop environment -- the
answer
> is yes.
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> > but for Solaris
> > and HP-UX, the default desktop environment is CDE.  My guess is that
any
> > GUI app that I want to run under CDE must be linked against the CDE
> > libraries (whatever they are) as opposed to the Qt libraries.
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> No. Once you have compiled KDEPrint on Solaris (and if it is linked
> against
> the libcups) you should be OK. It just needs an X server.
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> You need quite a few KDE libraries present too. No idea how much that
> would
> be. Probably you need to see yourself....

This is good.  I will continue to research this.  I don't mind having to
install the required libraries for a KDE based application to run under
CDE.

>=20
> If you install the complete "kdelibs" and "kdebase" package from the
URL
> I posted previously
> (http://sunrpms.mauraudingpirates.org/software/sparc/5.8/RPMS/),
> you should be safe. [NOTE, that the "RPM" packaging and installation
> method for Solaris sounds somewhat unusual, but seems to work well
with
> the additional tools provided on that side.... BTW, it also provides
GNOME
> and some other software there.]
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> "kprinter" and some other executables -- "kjobviewer",
> "kaddprinterwizard",
> "cupsdoprint", "cupsdconf", "make_driver_db_cups" and a few more come
to
> mind
> -- are part of the "kdeprint" subdirectories in "kdelibs" and
"kdebase" of
> the
> overall KDE source tree.

I have looked into blastwave but not yet had a chance to go to
maraudingpirates.  I will get there eventually.

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> Maybe Michael (Goffioul) jumps in and can tell more details about what
> minimum dependencies are required to compile KDEPrint on its own with
> CUPS support....
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> > I think the other option is Motif, but I'm not sure where Motif fits
> > into the picture.
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> Motif is dead. (Unless you need to support some very old legacy apps).
> And surely you don't need it anywhere to support a GUI interface to
> CUPS.
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This is why I am researching and asking questions :o).

> A more lightweight approach to get a CUPS GUI working on HP-UX and
> and Solaris are "xpp" and "gtklp" (these are limited to a GUI "print
> command" only approach and missing the full control over
administration
> and job handling aspects KDEPrint provides):
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>    http://cups.sourceforge.net/xpp/
>    http://gtklp.sourceforge.net/

I can't go lightweight.  It is essential that all features be available
to the user.
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>=20
> And last, not least, you may want to check out the commercially
supported
> CUPS version "ESP Print Pro", made by the CUPS developers themselves:
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>    http://www.easysw.com/printpro/
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> This installs out of the box on HP-UX and Solaris and supports every
> PostScript printer (plus 1000 non-PostScript printers too) in various
> locales. Licensing ESP Print Pro helps feed the CUPS developers and
> continue the development of the GLP version of CUPS.
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Our recommendations to the customer were ESP, followed by BrightQ,
followed by TurboPrint, followed by something developed.  The customer
did not want a relationship with any of these vendors and chose the
development path.  So, that is why I am researching what to do.

Personally, I think this is going to boil down to a set of instructions
(or a script) to install KDEPrint and a PPD.  We still may need to write
a custom filter and/or backend to use with CUPS.
=20
Thanks Again,
Nick.