LAOS CUPS driver » History » Revision 5
Revision 4 (Anonymous, 2012-07-15 22:33) → Revision 5/9 (Anonymous, 2012-07-15 22:36)
h1. LAOS CUPS driver
{{>toc}}
This page describes the CUPS printer driver installation.
h2. How it works
The printer driver translates standard Postscript into LAOS codes.
This is done in the following steps
* Application generates a postscript file (by pressing print)
* The printer dialog shows the configuration dialog based on PPD. The user selects the appropriate settings
* Postscript printer data captured in file, along with the selected settings
* File is received by the LaOS cups printer driver.
* LaOS cups printer driver uses pstoedit to convert the file into LaOS [SimpleCode]
* LaOS cups printer driver transfers the file to the laser cutter using the TFTP protocol
h2. OS Support
The goal is to write platform-independent printer driver, based on CUPS.
Our test environment is Linux. However: it should be possible to compile the driver on Windows or Mac. Another option is to work from a Windows or MAC workstation and send the data to the CUPS printer on a Linux system. (the cups driver for windows could help: http://www.cups.org/articles.php?L376 ). The PPD file can be used on Windows and Mac.
The backend conversion (pstoedit) is also usable as a stand-alone program, and sending the files to the actual printer can be done with a standard TFTP program.
h2. Installation
h3. Linux
This is how you install the driver on Linux.
Tested on:
* Debian Squeeze
* Ubuntu 10.10, 11.04, 11.10, 12.04 LTS
Please add your distro or let us know problems you encounter!
*Downloading software*
Before installing the CUPS driver, install [[pstoedit with laos support]].
Get Debian/Ubuntu packages needed:
apt-get
@apt-get install bison flex tftp-hpa tftp-hpa@
From SVN download the cups-laos:
svn
@svn co https://tuxic.nl/laos/cups-laos
Some svn programs will complain if they don't know the CA, (ssl error), in that case, add this line to the file ~/.subversion/servers:
ssl-trust-default-ca
@ssl-trust-default-ca = no no@
Installing the cups driver:
cd (where-ever
@cd <where-ever you installed)/cups-laos/src installed> cups-laos/src
make
sudo make install
install@
(if make fails, rename or copy one of the personal makefiles in that folder and call it 'Makefile')
Now it's time to install the laser cutter using your CUPS printer interface.
* On Debian, go to System -> Administration -> Printing
** Choose: Add Printer (the arrow next to add)
** Choose: Devices: Generic CUPS-LAOS Printer
** Change the device URI to match your device IP and PORT, as configured in the firmware of the laser. For the SUDA laser, it's:
cups-laos://192.168.13.111:69/minimal
** Choose a name for your laser and press apply
** You might need to select the PPD (Postscript Printer Description). It's located in cups-laos/src-tftp/
** Do NOT print a test page!!!
** Now you can right-click on the new printer and go to '''Printer Options''' to adapt the defaults for your laser.
h3. Windows
Installing the CUPS driver on Windows.
Tested on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
*Downloading software*
Download the cups-windows files from SVN: https://tuxic.nl/laos/cups-windows/
@https://tuxic.nl/laos/cups-windows/@
*Installing the 'printer'*
* On Windows 7, go to 'Start' -> Control Panel -> Devices and Printers
** Click Add Printer (or right click then Add Printer)
** Add a local printer
** Create a new port - Standard TC/IP Port
** Stick in the IP address (and port - ie. 192.168.1.2:69)
** Give the port a name (LAOS [ip address] or something maybe)
** Untick 'Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use'
** Click Next and wait for Windows to try and detect the device.
** Select Generic Network Card and click Next
** Select 'Have Disk' and browse to the .inf file from the files you just downloaded.
** Click Next and ignore/accept any warnings.
** Give your laser cutter (printer) a name.
** Share the printer if you want to, set it as default if you want to but DO NOT print a test page.
** Default preferences can be selected under Printer Preferences - Preferences - Advanced.