From 4aed2c8219774f5d797760606b8489a92ddc5163 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: toma Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:56:58 +0000 Subject: Copy the KDE 3.5 branch to branches/trinity for new KDE 3.5 features. BUG:215923 git-svn-id: svn://anonsvn.kde.org/home/kde/branches/trinity/kdebase@1054174 283d02a7-25f6-0310-bc7c-ecb5cbfe19da --- doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook | 518 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 518 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook (limited to 'doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook') diff --git a/doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook b/doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook new file mode 100644 index 000000000..85e0e348f --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/kdeprint/highlights.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,518 @@ + +&kdeprint;'s Highlights + +The new &kdeprint; system includes more than one highlight. +Having worked in an environment in the past that is not exactly +sophisticated, as far as printing is concerned, take a look at some of +the benefits that come with &kdeprint; + + +The <quote>Add Printer</quote> Wizard + +&kdeprint; has an Add Printer Wizard. The Add +Printer Wizard helps you with adding and configuring a new printer. Of +course, you may do this manually as well. + +&kdeprint; helps you discover printers. It is able +to scan the environment for available devices and queues. This works for +network connections using TCP (AppSocket, +aka &HP; JetDirect, or IPP) or +SMB/Samba (shared &Windows;) printers +and partially for directly attached printers over parallel, serial, or +USB connections. + + +A screenshot of the new Add Printer +Wizard + + + + + +Here's a screenshot of the Add Printer Wizard +(this one is not very exciting yet; but...) + + + + +The wizard makes the installation and handling of the drivers +a snap. Selecting, configuring and testing should be easy +as never before on any &Linux;-like system. + + + + + + + +Full Print Job Control + +The Print Job Viewer is automatically started by &kprinter;. It +may be docked into the &kde; panel (in the system tray). The Print Job +Viewer allows full job management, if supported by the print +subsystem. + +You can: + + + +Hold and release jobs, + + +Move pending jobs to another printer, + + +Cancel pending or processing jobs. + + + +A screenshot of the &kdeprint; PrintJob Viewer shows the information +you get: Job-ID, target printer, job name, job owner, job status and job +size. In the next &kdeprint; release you will also see information about the +number of pages (as &CUPS; calculates it; see chapter on page accounting +for more information about its merits and limitations). + + +A screenshot of the &kdeprint; PrintJob Viewer + + + + + +Here's a screenshot of the &kdeprint; PrintJob Viewer. + +A screenshot of the &kdeprint; PrintJob +Viewer. + + + +An alternative way to looking at the same information (and having the +same amount of control is through the + + &kcontrolcenter; selecting +SystemPrinting +Manager. If you don't see the +Printer Information, +right click on the window +background and select View Printer +Information. Then go to the Jobs tab +to see this: + + + + + + + + +Here's a screenshot of the &kdeprint; PrintJob Viewer. + + + + + + + +Modules for different print subsystems + +&kdeprint; uses different modules to realize the interface to the +possible print subsystems. Not all the modules are yet developed fully, +but you will have basic printing functionality with: + + + +LPD (BSD style) + + +LPRng (&RedHat;, if you just use it's +BSD style subset), + + +RLPR (a command-line LPR +utility, which doesn't need a printcap file. + + +external print commands (&Netscape; like). + + + +Most importantly, full support for &CUPS; is already there. +Modules for other print subsystems, such as PLP, +PPR and PDQ may be available +later. + +&kdeprint; makes &kde; much more flexible. It gives freedom of +choice to &kde; 2.2 users. To use different available print subsystems, +these must, of course, be installed independently from &kde;. In +former versions, users were stuck with the old LPD +style print subsystems. Now they can even use &CUPS;. In the future, +there will be easy integration of new subsystems, as they +appear on the scene. + + + + +More &kdeprint; <quote>Goodies</quote> +Benefitting all Print SubSystems. + +Some specific features of &kdeprint; depend on the chosen print +subsystem. This dependency might exist because those features are only +implemented there; remember, &kdeprint; is an intermediate layer between +&kde; applications, and the print subsystem, but it's no replacement for +any print subsystem by itself. Such dependency may exist for another +reason: that &kdeprint; has not yet implemented an interface to all the +features of all the subsystems. + +Other features include benefits from &kdeprint; that are +independent of the chosen print subsystem, and are available with all of +them. At present there are special or +virtual printers, and some generic +pre-filters. + + + +Print Preview + +From the Print Dialog, you can select to look at a preview. For +this, the print file is passed through filters which make it suitable for +displaying on screen using &kghostview;. + + + + +Special Printers + +Amongst these additional &kdeprint; features are a few +special or virtual printers: + +These special printers may: + + + +Print to PDF + +Convert your document into a PDF file with the +help of an external program. + + + + +Print to email + +Send your document as an email attached PDF +file. + + + + +Print to PS file + +Save your document as a &PostScript; file. + + + + +Print to Fax + +Send it through an available backend, such as +Hylafax as a fax. + + + + + +These special printers appear in the user print +dialog just like normal printers. They are entirely +configurable on a per-user basis. + + + + + +Generic Pre-Filtering + +&kdeprint; provides you with a framework to define and configure +your own pre-filters. These pre-filters may take effect +before they are passed to your print subsystem for +further processing, but after the (&PostScript;, +plain text or other) print files have been generated by your +application. + +There are a few useful filters already predefined. These +are: + + + +The multiple pages per sheet filter, + + + +the enscript text filter, + + + +and three filters to help print pamphlets. + + + +You may create your own filters based on any third party program +that is able to process &PostScript;, plain text or image files, and output +any one of those formats. + +These filters are configured through XML files. +This makes an extension of the concept very easy for experienced developers, +but end-user configuration is also done through an intuitive graphical +user interface. So, fear not, you don't need to learn +XML because of &kdeprint;! + + + +Multiple Pages Per Sheet Filter + +This is a predefined filter that installs with &kdeprint;. It +allows you to create a modified &PostScript; output, from &PostScript; +input, that prints 1, 2, or 4 logical pages on a single sheet of +paper. + + + + +Enscript Text Filter + +This is a predefined filter that installs with &kdeprint;. It +allows you to create &PostScript; output from any text file input, that +includes syntax highlighting for program listings, pretty-printing, and +nice configurable page frames and headers. + + + + +Pamphlet Printing Filters + +If your printer is able to produce duplex output, using either +one-pass or two-pass technology, you may be able to use one, or a +combination, of the pamphlet filters. + +For duplexing printers, make sure you use the duplex option that +turns the output along the short paper edge. Folding the +printed paper along the middle turns your document into a nice pamphlet. + +If you are stuck with using a simplex-only device, you can do the +same, using two different filters and a few additional steps. + +Depending on your model, first use the filter for printing the +odd pages, then insert the paper in the correct order +back into the paper tray to get the even pages printed on the reverse +side. These can then be folded to make a pamphlet. + + + + + + + + + + +&CUPS; Support: the Most Important Module in &kdeprint; + +&kdeprint; contains a module for &CUPS;. &CUPS;, the +Common &UNIX; Printing System (http://www.cups.org/), is the most +advanced, powerful and flexible of all print subsystems on &UNIX; and +other &UNIX;-like operating systems. It is still quite new on the +horizon, but is based on IPP, the Internet Printing +Protocol, the newly emerging standard for the future of network +printing. &CUPS; is clearly the print system of choice for Michael +Goffioul, the principal &kdeprint; developer. + +Experienced &kde; users may already be familiar with Michael's +utilities qtcups and +kups (co-developed with Jean-Eric Cuendet). +These were, up until now, the graphical +&GUI; front ends for &CUPS; with a strong relation to &kde;. + + +<application>qtcups</application> and +<application>kups</application> — The Predecessors + +Both utilities are probably still widely used. For those +not familiar with them, +here are brief explanations. + +qtcups was a graphical front end for +the lp or lpr print commands as +installed by &CUPS;. Using qtcups opened a +dialog. This dialog let you comfortably select your printer and the +print job options. qtcups +worked from the command line, or from +within applications, when the application in question had a configurable +print command. + +kups was a graphical wrapper to do the +administration tasks for your &CUPS; server, and the &CUPS; daemon at +the heart of it. You could add, delete, modify, configure, start, and +stop printers. You could cancel, delete, move, stop and restart print +jobs, and you could change the settings of the daemon, start, stop, and +restart it. + + + + +&kdeprint; — The Heir + +The &CUPS; Module in &kdeprint; now contains all (and more) +functions that were provided by qtcups and +kups in former &kde; versions. + +Instead of qtcups you can now use the +kprinter command. And in place of +kups you will probably use +kcmshell printers from now on. + + +The &kdeprint; module for &CUPS; also lets you fully administer +the print subsystem, just like kups did +before. It can start, stop and configure your &CUPS; daemon. It can also +start, stop, add and delete printers (&ie; printer +queues) and printer instances. Printer instances are +printer queues that point to the same physical output device but with a +different default setting of print options. + + + + +&kprinter; — Graphical Print Command + +&kdeprint;'s &CUPS; module gives you access to a graphical +print command, like qtcups did +before. + +Use &kprinter; in any application, even a non-&kde; +application, that lets you configure your print command. Examples of +these are &Netscape; and StarOffice, but +not most pre-&kde; 2.2 programs. + +A screenshot how to use the new kprinter +print command instead of the old-fashioned lpr... +Of course you need to have kprinter in your +$PATH, or give the full path in the dialog; ⪚ +/opt/kde/bin/kprinter. +&Netscape; will remember this and with further print jobs you will get +the kprinter dialog to configure your printouts. + + +A screenshot of the kprinter print +command in action. + + + + + +Here's a screenshot showing how to use the new +kprinter print command +instead of the old-fashioned lp or +lpr in &Netscape;. + + + + +You can also use &kprinter; from the +command line and see the resulting dialog box pop up: + + +Screenshot of the kprinter command + + + + +Screenshot showing use of the kprinter command +from the command line. + + + +Just make sure you give at least the file to be printed +from the command line as well: kprinter +. +This will hand over the &CUPS; Software Administrator Manual to the +kprinter dialog, which will then pop up with the +default printer pre-selected. + +To pre-select a specific printer from the command line, use the + option, ⪚: +kprinter +. You +can still de-select the printer and +choose a different one. + + You cannot however call +kprinter +without a print file and hope to open a file selection +dialog box from the &kprinter; window. This is a feature that will be +implemented only in the next version. + + +Using kprinter you are able to ring +all the bells and blow all the whistles of your printer. You +will need a device-specific so-called &PPD; (&PostScript; Printer +Description) to enable &CUPS; to make this nice tandem team do this +for you. Read more about this in . + + + + + + +Plans for Future Development + +What you have now is the first, already very feature-rich +version of &kdeprint;. This version is, of course, fully usable for +printing. You might even think that it was never so +easy (not even back in the days when you had to use +&Microsoft; &Windows;). + + In the future, &kdeprint; will become even better. It will do a +better job of detecting your installed print subsystem +itself. Already &kdeprint; is doing quite well in automatically +sensing if you have &CUPS; on your system. But in many cases you will +have to tell &kdeprint; what you are using, if you want to keep a +legacy print system. + +The most important improvement in the near future will be a +completion of the LPRng plugin. This at +present is still very basic. It is restricted to the pure classical +LPD part of +LPRng. + +Also, you may be able to add printers directly from the print +dialog to your system just in time, without going to +&kcontrol; first. + +Some smaller improvements already planned are: + + +add a file selection dialog from the &kprinter; window +to allow combining of additional files to the present +printjob add a +history button to the +KJobViewer window and also a column to show +the number of pages &CUPS; calculates for the job. + + +Finally, there will be an IO slave that will give +you access to your print subsystem, via &konqueror; for example. With +this you will soon be able to browse your print subsystem from +&konqueror; through a &URL; like shortcut such as +print://printers/printername. A KPart will add +a virtual folder to the services section of the &konqueror; navigation +panel, giving a nice integrated way to browse and manage your print +system via the &URL; print:/manager. + +Please contact Michael Goffioul at kdeprint@swing.be +with any further user or developer suggestions. + + + -- cgit v1.2.1