From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Michael Ekstrand Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Printing Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:06:18 -0500 Message-ID: <87ljqnkvn9.fsf@jehiel.elehack.net> References: <5f0660120903280331y780c80b7i57a8115dc4b029eb@mail.gmail.com> <5f0660120903281352v5d7ab83cy44fcff3cbf4581cb@mail.gmail.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1238418644 20229 80.91.229.12 (30 Mar 2009 13:10:44 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:10:44 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Mar 30 15:11:58 2009 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1LoHHQ-0000ok-0W for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:11:56 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:50897 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LoHG2-00011q-Iv for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:10:30 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LoHFw-0000zq-FP for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:10:24 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LoHFr-0000tG-E7 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:10:23 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=48464 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LoHFr-0000t4-0e for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:10:19 -0400 Original-Received: from main.gmane.org ([80.91.229.2]:59035 helo=ciao.gmane.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1LoHFq-0000rY-AK for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:10:18 -0400 Original-Received: from list by ciao.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.43) id 1LoHFn-0000aK-Fr for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:10:15 +0000 Original-Received: from elehack.net ([216.243.177.100]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:10:15 +0000 Original-Received: from michael by elehack.net with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:10:15 +0000 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ Original-Lines: 77 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: elehack.net User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.0.91 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:a9xC69qi6j5S/nrDgCrHUQd/gxU= X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:109914 Archived-At: Андрей Парамонов writes: > 2009/3/28 Michael Ekstrand : >>> Having analysed mine and other users' experience, and having >>> examined how the printing works in modern applications, I propose >>> the following requirements for the Emacs printing mechanism: >>> >>> 1) Simple printing configuration should require no or almost no >>> knowledge and effort. The only user input that might be required >>> is the printer name. >> >> If you have your printer set up correctly on your system, this >> should be easy to do. > > Yes, exactly, this should be easy. And it *is* easy in other > applications, namely GEdit, Firefox, etc. But unfortunately, it is not > easy in Emacs. That's why I've started the discussion. > > Do you have a printer? If so, could you please print the contents of > Emacs 'Hello' buffer and tell us if all the characters you see on the > screen appear on the printed page as well? I tried it, using my HP PSC 2175 (so GhostScript/hpijs is doing the PS to HP language conversion), and yes, it failed miserably on the vast majority of the characters. >>> 2) It should not be necessary to install additional packages/files >>> solely for the Emacs printing. >> >> I hope you mean packages beyond the core things needed to get >> printing working on GNU/Linux systems in general (CUPS, GhostScript, >> hpijs for HP printers, etc.). > > I mean that if you have all the fonts needed to render your text in > Emacs frame, and you can print that text using GEdit, you must not be > required to install anything else to be able to print from > Emacs. Currently, you must install so-called BDF fonts (in this case, > the quality would be inacceptably bad, but at least some non-Latin > characters would be printed), or you must install a web browser to be > able to use hfyview.el. That is a reasonable expectation IMO. >>> 3) Printing functionality should work equally good on PostScript >>> and non-PostScript printers. >> >> Already covered in a properly configured environment (provided your >> printer is supported by GhostScript/gimpprint/foomatic). > > I own a HP LaserJet 1018 which doesn't support PostScript directly, as > don't most of the consumer printers sold today. I'm not a PostScript > guru, but I'm pretty sure that my system indeed does some kind of > PostScript emulation, translating PostScript commands via GhostScript > and then telling the printer what to do in the language the latter > understands. > > Maybe -- just maybe -- the Emacs printing works nicely on more > expensive printers which support PostScript directly. I can't tell for > sure because I don't have access to such a printer. As for my setup, > the printing functionality provided by Emacs works bad. > > To clear things up: the problem is *not* in the printer, and *not* in > the drivers. Installing the printer on my system was a breeze. I've > encountered the only problematic application so far, and the > disappointing part is that it's Emacs. OK. I misunderstood the framing of the problem. With this clarification, I agree, the problem is a valid one and a solution should be found somehow. I do believe that the solution with the best results will be to enhance the PostScript generation to properly handle the non-latin characters, although this does not seem to be an easy task. - Michael -- mouse, n: A device for pointing at the xterm in which you want to type. Confused by the strange files? I cryptographically sign my messages. For more information see .