Printing Redux: Shouldn't this work?

yourcompanyscomputerguy · Post by **yourcompanyscomputerguy** » 2004-11-04 16:28

I have an idea to print from the server machine to a printer on the viewer machine. (Win32 only) I'd love any input.

Some have already suggested printing to pdf, then trx the pdf to local, then print. It works, but I can't turn my clueless users loose with those instructions. It's just asking too much.

But, what if I:

1. Set up a virtual printer port on the server box using Redmon (the same software that's providing the virtual printer for the various flavors of PDF printers. It's highly configurable as to what to do with the temp file that the print process creates.)
2. Tell Redmon to either a) launch a new instance of Ultr@VNC or b) access a current instance of Ultr@VNC that is pre-configured to file transfer the temp file to a particular directory on the viewer box.
3. Be running a monitor daemon on the viewer box to immediately print any new files that get deposited into this particular directory on the viewer box. (Haven't I heard of free software that does this? I think I have....)

The process is transparent to the user. They print to a (server box) printer named "VNC printer" or something, and the next thing they see is a "select printer" dialogue on the client machine. They choose the printer, (or accept the default), hit OK and they get paper.

Issues I can think of:
1. The temp file would probably need to be a postscript file. Otherwise, the print drivers would have to be "identical" from server to client box. As it is, the client is going to require a PS capable printer. (Is there such a thing as printing to a "generic" PCL5 or PCL6 printer? How portable would that PCL file be?) I suppose I could take the file all the way to pdf before I transfer it, but that's a lot more processor intensive, and strikes me as too complicated.
2. Need way to tell this file transfer instance of Ultr@VNC to which client machine it should transfer this file, and into which directory it should put the file.

This kind of process appeals to me as and administrator, because it puts the complication all on me to configure it. Once I have configured, the user can "just use it".

So, is this doable? Is it a dumb idea? Why?

Bob

NightRyder · Post by **NightRyder** » 2004-11-04 19:17

sounds like a pain, but doable. might have issues with getting vnc to auto transfer the file. i donno if the FT has a command line. might need to setup a ftp thingy or something. sorry not much help, but it sounds cool.

xrxca · Post by **xrxca** » 2004-11-15 06:44

We do it with a virtual printer on a (*nix) server that emails the resulting PDF file to the logged in user, because all our incoming connections go through SSH on the same server we know if the user on a machine is connected remotely, and if they are the email goes to their alternate address, not the prettiest, and doesn't work for the admins who can log onto more than their own machine, but the admins know how to do file transfers...

I'd really like to see a way to print directly to the viewing machine, we've experimented with adding windows unix print services on a viewer machine, and tunneling to that port via ssh, again it does work, but it requires a bit of setup and ssh....