[CLUE-Tech] Compensating for insufficient printer memory

[Matt Gushee]

On Mon, Jul 19, 2004 at 11:14:41AM -0600, Keith Hellman 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. 

Ah, that might be useful.

> 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).

I probably could do that, but you overestimate my abilities if you think
it would be a "quicky." Probably take me a couple of grueling days to
make it work.

> A more sophisticated approach would be to install said script as the
> filter (cups supports filters right? the old LP systems used to)

I guess so ... but I have to admit I'm a little bit confused about how
filters are supposed to work and how they relate to other parts of the
printing system. In the past I have tried several times to tweak the
filter settings in /etc/printcap, without success ... part of the
problem, I guess, was that I never understood why there were both
"input" and "output" filters (input and output of what, exactly?), and
what their respective functions were supposed to be.

Now, I believe CUPS doesn't use /etc/printcap at all. It uses PPDs (do
those replace filters, or interact with filters, or ...?).

> 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

Wow.

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

Maybe. Thanks!

-- 
Matt Gushee                 When a nation follows the Way,
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mgushee at havenrock.com           its fields;
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                            --Lao Tzu (Peter Merel, trans.)