Print Service and PCL/HPGL2/RTL languages

[raffael]

I have 6 network connected printers. Some of them are mac&win printers others are only win printers:

HP DesignJet 755 – Level 2 postscript, pcl5 and hpgl2/rtl printing language;
HP DesignJet 800PS – Level 3 postscript, pcl5 and hpgl2/rtl printing language;
Canon GP 335 – Level 3 postscript and pcl5/6 printing language;
Canon CP 660 – Level 3 postscript and pcl5 printing language;
_________
HP LaserJet 6L (with d-link parallel port print server) – pcl 5 printing language;
Canon 1720 – pcl 5 printing language;

Apple in its documentation for both AppleShare IP Print Server and MacOS X Server 10.2.x Print Service always declare support only for network POSTSCRIPT printers, but I always could use all possible languages, also different from ps: with mac I could use postscript printing and plt (hpgl2/rtl) plotting with utility like Plotflow or lp command, and also, with macos x, pcl (HP LaserJet 6L) with gimp-print drivers. With win clients I could use both postscript and pcl drivers; I have also some DOS apps that could print used pcl driver and smb printing (\\servername\quename\). The only problem I had, and only with win clients: print service did not want to print file if its name contains strange character (alt character, for example: ?, ? …..). There was even no log entry for such a file. But it was enough to rename a file and everything gone well.
During Christmas break I have decide to upgrade my Jaguar server to Panther. Now my Print Service seems to stamp only postscripts files, ignore all other files (both hpgl and pcl raw files). There is no error, there is no log entry. When I print “Test page” from win propriety dialog everything seems well. Printer make a spooling file, and stamp to panther que without error (with both ps and pcl drivers), but on the printer I find only “Test pages” for ps drivers. Also printing “Test page” from CUPS web page work ONLY for ps drivers. Strange that I can print to my HP LaserJet 6L (pcl) directly from panther client but there is nothing to do using panther server print service.
I think it is stupid if Apple decide to support only ps printing. There is a lot of other printing languages and cups support them all. In fact Panther Print Service does not need elaborate spool files. It has to only forward them to the printer.

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