Foomatic
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Foomatic is a configurable printing filter. It uses PPD files as configuration to generate appropriate output for a given printer. It is spooler independent which means it can be used with Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), LPRng and others.[1] It uses Ghostscript in the background, using options according to the PPD file of the printer. Currently it is developed by the OpenPrinting workgroup of the Linux Foundation.
Operation
[edit]Like CUPS, foomatic supposes that applications will produce output in PostScript. If the output spools to a PostScript printer, no further action is needed. Otherwise, the most generic way to act is:
- Create a raster file from the PostScript (ps2raster, usually using Ghostscript in the background)
- Create a printer-language file from the raster data (raster2xxx, using the raster driver of the target printer)
- Send the printer-language file to the printer
But if foomatic-rip "knows" about the available printer, it will translate the PostScript data directly to the printer's language, without creating the intermediate raster file.
Description of the package
[edit]The components of the package are:
- foomatic-filters (or "foomatic-rip")
- It transforms PostScript data to raster (or to the printer's native language), using the PPD as configuration. It needs a low level driver (specific to each printer) to generate the final code.
- foomatic-tools
- foomatic-db-engine: A tool that generates PPD files from the data in Foomatic's database. It also contains scripts to directly configure print queues and handle jobs.
- foomatic-db: The collected knowledge about printers, drivers, and driver options in XML files, used by foomatic-db-engine to generate PPD files.
- foomatic-db-hpijs: Foomatic XML data generators for HP's HPIJS driver.
Free drivers that can interface with foomatic
[edit]The following free drivers were specifically developed to work with foomatic:
- pxlmono and pxlcolor, to work with HP LaserJets
- ljet4, also for LaserJet printers
- hpijs Archived 2009-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, for PCL inkjet printers
- SpliX, for Samsung Printer Language
- gdi, for Samsung SmartGDI
- ptouch-driver, for Brother P-touch series of label printers
Spoolers that can interact with foomatic
[edit]- CUPS
- LPRng
- LPD
- GNUlpr (see its SourceForge page)
- Solaris LP
- PPR
- CPS
- Direct printing (no spooler)
References
[edit]- ^ "Foomatic". Linux Foundation. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
External links
[edit]
- Foomatic page Archived 2016-05-27 at the Wayback Machine