| Author |
Message |
Chapman Flack
Guest
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 Posted:
Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:40 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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Paul Anderson wrote:
| Quote: | It's difficult to impossible to determine from the printer whether it
has Adobe PostScript or an emulation. Companies that provide
PostScript emulation often make their version and build date identical
with the Adobe version.
|
When I type executive on my Xerox Phaser 750 (which is documented
as having Adobe PS) it prints the following banner:
PostScript(r) Version 3010.108
(c) Copyright 1984-1999 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Typefaces (c) Copyright 1981 Linotype-Hell AG and/or its subsidiaries.
All Rights Reserved.
PS>
In your experience, do clone interpreters also identify themselves
as PostScript(r) with an Adobe Systems Incorporated copyright?
I'd think Adobe would object to that.
-Chap |
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Christopher Story
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:45 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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Have you tried typing "executive" to get the PS prompt on the printer?
HP:
Copyright (c) Hewlett-Packard Company, 1997
Version 3010.107
PS>
Ricoh:
PostScript(r) Version 3015.102
(c) Copyright 1984-2001 Adobe Systems Incorporated
Typefaces (c) Copyright 1981 Linotype-Hell AG and/or its subsidiaries.
All Rights Reserved.
PS>
I would also be careful regarding assuming all true Adobe PS printers are
equal.. Though it is true that the Core code set is Asobe, the machine
integration code is usually the source of bugs and anomolies...
Chris |
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Julian Vrieslander
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:39 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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In article <YG3bf.502$bS5.187@fe02.lga>,
"Christopher Story" <ke6@msn.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Have you tried typing "executive" to get the PS prompt on the printer?
|
Thanks for the reply, Christopher. I could use a bit more elaboration,
since I am not a PS programmer.
How do I type a command to the printer's PS interpreter? Do I need to
telnet to its IP address? Do I need to ftp a file? Or is there another
application that is used for this? When it comes to printers, my
experience is limited to sending documents through applications for
printing.
Someone volunteered to let me test their Xerox Phaser 3500 next week.
But I will only have a few minutes to do this, probably with my Mac
PowerBook (running OS X) connected via an ethernet hookup. I know how
to run simple commands from the unix command line.
--
Julian Vrieslander |
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Chapman Flack
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:45 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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Julian Vrieslander wrote:
| Quote: | How do I type a command to the printer's PS interpreter? Do I need to
telnet to its IP address? Do I need to ftp a file? Or is there another
|
Telnet should work. You want to connect to the printer's AppSocket
port,
probably 9100:
$ telnet printer.ip.ad.dress 9100
I prefer kermit to telnet for that purpose because telnet's protocol,
though it doesn't
really confuse the interpreter, tends to get you doubled prompts and
such, where
kermit can easily be told to open a raw socket with no extra protocol.
But for just
connecting long enough to type executive telnet won't be annoying.
-Chap |
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LEE Sau Dan
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:50 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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| Quote: | "Chapman" == Chapman Flack <googrou@anastigmatix.net> writes:
|
Chapman> $ telnet printer.ip.ad.dress 9100
Chapman> I prefer kermit to telnet for that purpose because
Chapman> telnet's protocol, though it doesn't really confuse the
Chapman> interpreter, tends to get you doubled prompts and such,
Chapman> where kermit can easily be told to open a raw socket with
Chapman> no extra protocol.
You mean kermit uses a protocol other than TCP? And it'd be a
different protocol being spoken on the wire when you use kermit
instead of telnet to connect to the printer's port 9100?
Chapman> But for just connecting long enough to type executive
Chapman> telnet won't be annoying.
Or you mean just the telnet client bundled with some OS? I've been
using the telnet client on Linux and Solaris for that purpose, and
never got doubled prompts.
--
Lee Sau Dan 李守敦 ~{@nJX6X~}
E-mail: danlee@informatik.uni-freiburg.de
Home page: http://www.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/~danlee |
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zakezuke
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:03 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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| Quote: | You mean kermit uses a protocol other than TCP? And it'd be a
different protocol being spoken on the wire when you use kermit
instead of telnet to connect to the printer's port 9100?
Or you mean just the telnet client bundled with some OS? I've been
using the telnet client on Linux and Solaris for that purpose, and
never got doubled prompts.
|
It's been years since I used Kermit, like circa solaris 4.1.3.... but I
understand where he's comming from. I for example used it on a sunbox
to talk to things on the serial port... like a modem when some systems
were not on the net. Basicly kermit raw acts a heck of alot like
telnet only you can tell it not react to control characters which is
handy when the machine you are trying to control isn't the the one
running telnet. |
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measekite
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:26 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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zakezuke wrote:
| Quote: | You mean kermit uses a protocol other than TCP? And it'd be a
different protocol being spoken on the wire when you use kermit
instead of telnet to connect to the printer's port 9100?
Or you mean just the telnet client bundled with some OS? I've been
using the telnet client on Linux and Solaris for that purpose, and
never got doubled prompts.
It's been years since I used Kermit,
GEE, I WAS PRETTY SURE KERMIT WAS A FROG. IE KERMIT DA FROG ON DA MUPPETS |
| Quote: | like circa solaris 4.1.3.... but I
understand where he's comming from. I for example used it on a sunbox
to talk to things on the serial port... like a modem when some systems
were not on the net. Basicly kermit raw acts a heck of alot like
telnet only you can tell it not react to control characters which is
handy when the machine you are trying to control isn't the the one
running telnet.
|
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Marek Williams
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:25 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 16:29:22 +0100, Helge Blischke <h.blischke@srz.de>
dijo:
| Quote: | Roy Bethel wrote:
I have seen Xerox assertments on their web site that claim as a benefit that
their printer has true Adobe PS 3 not an emulation. My question is does it
really matter?
Well, I've never seen a PostScript RIP that didn't show at least one weird bug. But you may
rely on that every Adobe licensed RIP - as far as my experience shows - exhibits the same but,
whereas RIPs from different other vendors usually have different bugs.
But in everyday life, it should not matter if it is an Adobe RIP or not. But you should
check the version, as the major version number (the part preceding the dot) tells you
what additional features are (or should be) built in or not.
|
For most people, most of the time, it doesn't matter. But for all
people it will matter eventually.
I have several printers, some with Adobe and some with Xionics
emulation. (Xionics is the outfit Hewlett-Packard licenses their
emulation from.) I have a couple points to make:
1) On the emulation printers documents with even slightly complex
pages print much more slowly than on the genuine Adobe printers. This
is especially true for PDF files.
2) Once in a while there is a glitch. A font fails to print all
characters correctly. Or a grayscale prints too dark/light. Or
something. Usually I can alter the file to work around the problem.
But it takes extra time and blood pressure.
3) If it's genuine Adobe and it screws up, you can call Adobe and
bitch about it. In my experience, they're very good at finding a
solution. If it's emulation, good luck.
And yes, I am satisfied with my printers that have emulation. But I
have quite a bit of experience with them and am able to handle the
occasional problem. Not everyone is as experienced.
--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. |
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Jim Land
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:25 am Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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measekite <inkystinky@oem.com> wrote in
news:QgSbf.14324$Zv5.5612@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net:
| Quote: |
It's been years since I used Kermit,
GEE, I WAS PRETTY SURE KERMIT WAS A FROG. IE KERMIT DA FROG ON DA
MUPPETS
|
From Wikipedia:
Kermit was named for the Kermit the Frog from the Muppets.
Kermit is a computer file transfer/management protocol and a set of
communications software tools; it provides a consistent approach to file
transfer, terminal emulation, script programming, and character set
conversion across many different computer hardware and OS platforms.
The Kermit protocol allows for transferring text and binary files on both
full-duplex and half-duplex 8 bit and 7-bit serial connections in a
system- and medium-independent fashion, and is implemented on hundreds of
different computer and operating system platforms.
Over the more than 20 years since its inception, the Kermit protocol has
evolved into a worldwide de facto data communications standard, and the
software has been used for tasks ranging from simple student assignments
to solving compatibility problems aboard the International Space Station. |
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me@privacy.net
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:16 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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Can you look at the drivers for the printer to give you a clue?
Printing the printer test page it tells me which driver files are in
use, for mine it includes a PPD file, which is a slight hint as its a
text Postscript Printer file, which introduces itself with an Adobe(R).
--
Timothy |
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Aandi Inston
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:12 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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"me@privacy.net" <me@Privacy.Net> wrote:
| Quote: | Can you look at the drivers for the printer to give you a clue?
Printing the printer test page it tells me which driver files are in
use, for mine it includes a PPD file, which is a slight hint as its a
text Postscript Printer file, which introduces itself with an Adobe(R).
|
Caution needs to be applied here, since Adobe *is* a registered
trademark whoever uses it.
----------------------------------------
Aandi Inston quite@dial.pipex.com http://www.quite.com
Please support usenet! Post replies and follow-ups, don't e-mail them. |
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Aandi Inston
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:27 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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Julian Vrieslander <julianvREMOVE_THIS_PART@mindspring.com> wrote:
| Quote: | In article <Tpxaf.23810$6e1.23030@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>,
measekite <inkystinky@oem.com> wrote:
READ THE MANUAL
Wotta genius. I had already downloaded and searched the user guide,
thank you very much. It lists PostScript as a supported language, but
does not state whether the interpreter code is licensed from Adobe, or
is based on emulation.
|
You were pretty quick to dismiss this excellent advice. The manual is
pretty definitive. It never once says Adobe PostScript (this is a
trademark that, when used in this way, indicates Adobe-supplied
PostScript; while PostScript alone is a trademark which implies no
particular origin). There is no Adobe PostScript logo.
Adobe PostScript costs the printer manufacturer substantially more,
and is a selling point. It would say so, both in the manual, and in
all the publicity material. Contrast with the 5500 material
http://www.direct.xerox.com/direct/public/products/xerox_product_details.cfm/product/xerox_5500__B_printer.html
----------------------------------------
Aandi Inston quite@dial.pipex.com http://www.quite.com
Please support usenet! Post replies and follow-ups, don't e-mail them. |
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me@privacy.net
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:47 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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In message <437079fc.149157326@read.news.uk.uu.net>, Aandi Inston
<quite@dial.pipex.con> writes
| Quote: | "me@privacy.net" <me@Privacy.Net> wrote:
Can you look at the drivers for the printer to give you a clue?
Printing the printer test page it tells me which driver files are in
use, for mine it includes a PPD file, which is a slight hint as its a
text Postscript Printer file, which introduces itself with an Adobe(R).
Caution needs to be applied here, since Adobe *is* a registered
trademark whoever uses it.
|
OK, it continues: Adobe Systems PostScript(R) Printer Description File
--
Timothy |
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Aandi Inston
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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"me@privacy.net" <me@Privacy.Net> wrote:
| Quote: | In message <437079fc.149157326@read.news.uk.uu.net>, Aandi Inston
quite@dial.pipex.con> writes
"me@privacy.net" <me@Privacy.Net> wrote:
Can you look at the drivers for the printer to give you a clue?
Printing the printer test page it tells me which driver files are in
use, for mine it includes a PPD file, which is a slight hint as its a
text Postscript Printer file, which introduces itself with an Adobe(R).
Caution needs to be applied here, since Adobe *is* a registered
trademark whoever uses it.
OK, it continues: Adobe Systems PostScript(R) Printer Description File
|
Adobe PostScript would be a trademark and supposedly indicate true
Adobe interpreters, but since most people make a PPD by hacking
another this can't really be relied upon.
----------------------------------------
Aandi Inston quite@dial.pipex.com http://www.quite.com
Please support usenet! Post replies and follow-ups, don't e-mail them. |
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Chapman Flack
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:17 pm Post subject:
Re: How can I test whether a printer has true PostScript? |
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LEE Sau Dan wrote:
| Quote: | You mean kermit uses a protocol other than TCP? And it'd be a
different protocol being spoken on the wire when you use kermit
instead of telnet to connect to the printer's port 9100?
|
TCP is the transport layer protocol. TELNET is an application protocol
layered on top of TCP (see ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc854.txt
and its various companion RFCs). Basically what telnet adds on top of
TCP is a set of conventions for representing newlines and control
characters, and echoing characters locally or waiting for the remote
to echo them and so on. The TELNET protocol is 'close enough' to raw
TCP that people frequently use a telnet client to connect to ports used
for other protocols; it's pretty easy for example to telnet to an SMTP
port
and send mail. But there are times when the extra transformation the
TELNET protocol does to your keystrokes gets in the way.
In particular, TELNET protocol must always represent newline with the
two character sequence CR LF. It happens that PostScript is defined to
accept either CR alone, LF alone, or CR LF as a line ending, and
depending on how the %statementedit device in your PS interpreter
happens to be implemented, the PS executive could wind up seeing
two newlines every single time you hit Enter, and giving you two
prompts.
Also, you'll usually want to turn off local telnet echo so you see only
the
character echoed by the PS executive. There are lots of options that
can
be set on a telnet client and you can get it working close to right,
but at
least on my telnet client there was no way to get a completely raw
connection.
By contrast kermit has a /raw-socket option that does exactly what it
says:
it opens a TCP socket and layers no protocol at all over the top of it.
It sends
your keystrokes over the socket and displays what comes back. :)
In practice the Adobe interpreter in my printer seems to send LF alone
when
it sends a newline, and it is handy to tell kermit to display LF as
CRLF.
So I have a macro in .mykermrc that just looks like this (aslaksen is
the name
of the printer):
define ASLAKSEN {
set terminal lf-display crlf
set host aslaksen 9100 /raw-socket
output executive\13
input 5 \10PS>
if fail end 1
connect /quietly
}
(set terminal lf-display appeared in C Kermit 8.0.212.)
Kermit does a lot more than serial-port communication these days. :)
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/
-Chap |
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