Omni CUPS Support Readme.htm

Preface:

This document outlines Omni's CUPS interface implementation.

It describes the options available for standard CUPS running via the lp command and the additional options that can be utilized using options specific for Omni.

This document assumes that you currently have installed the Omni drivers on your system and have configured them using the lpadmin tool to create a printer instance on the system.

Starting Out:

To use CUPS with the Omni driver you first have to make the CUPSToOmni filter interface and also a .ppd file for your printer.

Filter Build:

The CUPSToOmni filter interface should be build as part of the Omni build but if it is not, go to the directory where Omni is installed and then to Omni/CUPS and run make. This will build the filter.

Move the filter to the CUPS installed directory, typical install is /usr/lib/cups/filter.

Creating a .ppd file:

After the filter is properly created on put into the proper directory, the .ppd file must be made.

This is done by running the GenerateOmniPPDs program. This also resides in the Omni/CUPS directory. This step assumes that Omni is properly installed or the driver files used by Omni are in the LD_LIBRARY_PATH. The syntax for this is:

GenerateOmniPPDs Omni_DeviceDriver_Name > Omni_DeviceDriver_Name.ppd

This will create a named .ppd file for the Omni driver you wish to support. This file will need to be moved to the /etc/cups/ppd/ directory.

Create a printer:

Follow the documentation for creating a printer for use with CUPS provided by CUPS.

Basic CUPS to Omni Interface object layout

Options:

The available options for a particular driver is made available to the user by using the lpoptions command. The syntax is:

lpoptions -d Printer1 -l

This will list the available options defined for the driver that is currently running for the CUPS printer, here defined as Printer1.

Forms:

Omni utilizes a vast number of forms for communicating to the driver. These form names are prefixed with FORM_ and are given with the following command syntax:

lp -o media=FORM_A4 -d Printer1 infile.ps

The above command will select A4 forms.

The listing of available forms can be listed using the lpoptions command - PageSize values.

Media Type Selection:

You can utilize other media types than just plain paper.

To utilize other media types use the following command line:

lp -o media=MEDIA_SPECIAL_720 -d Printer1 infile.ps

Or the combined form/media command of:

lp -o media=FORM_A4,MEDIA_SPECIAL_720 -d Printer1 infile.ps

These options are listed using the lpoptions command - MediaType values.

Monochrome Selection:

Most of the Omni color devices also support monochrome. To utilize monochrome using CUPS and Omni the following command arguments need to be used:

lp -o ColorModel=Gray Printer1 infile.ps

This will tell Omni and CUPS to generate monochrome output.

Omni color devices will utilize color as default so no command line will be needed for standard (default) color output. These are listed using lpoptions command - ColorModel values.

Resolutions:

The resolutions can be set. The resolution value is also has the RESOLUTION_ prefix.

The resolution is set by the following command:

lp -o resolution=RESOLUTION_720_X_720 -d Printer1 infile.ps

This will set the resolution to one of the available ones that was shown when using the lpoptions command - Resolution values.

PrintMode:

The drivers can change between different print modes other than monochrome such as CMY, CMYK, and CcMmYK based on the printer configuration.

The following command can be used to set the output print mode:

lp -o printmode=PRINT_MODE_CcMmYK -d Printer1 infile.ps

These values are not listed using the lpoptions command but standard ones are defined as:

PRINT_MODE_1_ANY - Monochrome

PRINT_MODE_24_CcMmYK - Six color with light cyan and light magenta

PRINT_MODE_24_CMYK - Standard four color

PRINT_MODE_24_CMY - Standard three color (minus black)

NOTE:

PRINT_MODE_1_ANY should not be selected if CUPS is not set for gray using the ColorModel=Gray command line parameter.

Other selections for Omni can be input the same way via CUPS lp command.