[CLUE-Tech] Compensating for insufficient printer memory

[Keith Hellman]

On Sat, Jul 17, 2004 at 01:19:39PM -0600, Matt Gushee wrote:
> 
>   Is there a way to configure the spooler to split up large jobs into
>   chunks that the printer can handle? I'm using CUPS, and its manual
>   doesn't seem to address this issue; I could switch to LPR or LPRng
>   if absolutely necessary.

gs can take a -sOutputFile switch with "%d" that will generate separate
ps files for each input file.  If you set the output device to
postscript, I believe this would separate the pages out into independent
print jobs. 

Using this, you could simply write a quicky sh/py/ruby/perl script to
push to-be-printed ps files through (the script would break the large ps
apart and print each page separately on your 1mb printer).

A more sophisticated approach would be to install said script as the
filter (cups supports filters right? the old LP systems used to) of a
virtual printer.  This would ease the work in printing to the laser
from multiple machines, or from apps such as a browser or oo - you'd
just set the correct default printer.

A slick way (although I cannot gaurantee it would work) is to create
'forward-1page' filter, have it set up and watch named pipes in a temp
location, oh say a thousand or so with correctly formatted names (they
only cost one inode each).  The actual piping operation would be a
direct 'cat' to your hp1mb printer spool.  The filter for the virtual
printer would simply invoke gs on the output with the correctly formated
-sOutputFile parameter.  You'd need some sort of locking mechanism if
you want multiple jobs at one time (or configure the filter to
pre-launch the 'forward-1page' with a param for uniq temp names, and
make 'forward-1page' smart enough to timeout and quit) This would
prevent you from requiring 2x (theoretical) the amount of diskspace for
queued files.  Actually if the ps overhead for one page is > one page of
output data, your gonna end up paying the [disk space] piper in the long
run.

Just the rantings of a certified mad man, but it may spark a solution.

-- 
Keith Hellman                             #include <disclaimer.h>
khellman at mcprogramming.com                from disclaimer import standard
public key @ www.mcprogramming.com

"Wit ought to be a glorius treat, like caviar.  Never spread it about like
marmalade."

-- Noel Coward
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