Problems creating new printer with ppd for ps-file output only!

[Cristian Tibirna]

On 15 July 2005 01:52, Gero Mudersbach wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have the following problem:
>
> I have to create a postscript "ps" file using a special ppd file for a film
> imagesetter (it's not installed locally, so I have to get a ps file). I
> would like to use any kde application. So it would be nice to use kdeprint
> for setting up a new printer. How do I add a new printer with kdeprint that
> uses a ppd file for printing and redirects the output to a postscript file?
>

I think I'm not sure in which way the generated postscript will be influenced 
by the ppd. Usually, the application outputs postscript according to some 
user choices and postscript is a generic and portable language (at least in 
theory). The ppd is just that, a printer description. It will only tell about 
printer's capabilities (color, duplex, collations, paper sizes supported, 
trays etc.) that can be used when actually printing the already available 
postscript.

OK, I oversimplify, but I still think the postscript you want should be easy 
to obtain without need for the ppd in question. But I might not understand 
the problem exactly.

> Any idea would be great!

Right now I think the only way to make use of ppd files in linux is by using a 
CUPS server. Thus, you will need either a cups server on your machine, or 
administrator access to your remote cups server. In the first case, I think 
you can simply use the "Add printer" command in the KDE Printer Manager (or 
the kaddprinterwizzard app, it's the same) and choose "Local Printer", then 
choose "PostScript" and click on the "Other" button, which will let you 
select a PPD file. Once the printer added, all you have to do is select 
"print preview". This generates a temporary postscript file. I think there 
has to be a "print to file" option too, but I don't have any printer 
installed right now to test this.

For the second option (remote server) you have to add a new printer to that 
cups server and instruct it to use your ppd file (which will then be placed 
in the /etc/cups/ppd directory (depending on your distro)).

I feel I didn't answer all your questions. Bear with me, I'm slowly grasping 
all the details of this quite complex linux printing world.

-- 
Cristian Tibirna
KDE developer .. tibirna at kde.org .. http://www.kde.org