[ale] Linux printing just plain sux.

[jknapka at kneuro.net (Joe Knapka)]

"Jonathan Rickman" <jdr at xcorps.net> writes:

> > I know it sounds like a weak solution, but I just change my 
> > default printer, then let each app print to the the default.  
> > That way I don' thave to worry about each app's printing 
> > subsystem...printing just works.  I do have an issue with 
> > Galeon printing multiple blank pages b/f printing content 
> > (only app to do it), but that is a minor annoyance.  
> 
> That's what I do as well (On Linux and sometimes on Windows). BTW, this is
> not a problem exclusive to Linux either. There are plenty of Windows apps
> out there that handle printers poorly. 

That may be, but the underlying printing framework is utterly
consistent. That's not the case in Linux. I struggled for years with
trying to make various inkjet printers work well and be usable by
other machines on my network, from a Linux server. I had some success
with CUPS, but it was still a real PITA.  Now I've got a JetDirect
printer, and I don't have to deal with any of those hassles: I just
tell every app on every box (Linux, Windows, and the shiny new eMac in
my stepson's room), "Print to the JetDirect device at 192.168.21.28".

I think CUPS, lprng, and all the other "integrated" printing systems
available for Linux, would be *truly* useful if they could just make
any printer attached to a Linux box look like a PostScript-capable
JetDirect device (reliably).

Disclaimer: I hate printers, and they hate me. We avoid each other
whenever possible, which is usually.

-- Joe

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