pkgsrc-wip/gtklp/DESCR

GtkLP is a graphical frontend for CUPS, the Common UNIX Printing System.
It is used to have easy (and graphical) access to all of the many options
of cups-managed printers. It accepts a superset of the command line
options of lpr(1) or lp(1) and allows them to be adjusted interactively
before printing; if no X display is available, it simply behaves as lpr
or lp with the same superset of options.
Another graphical front-end to CUPS, functionally very comparable to xpp. Both satisfy the goal of being command-line compatible with lp and lpr while presenting the user with all the printer-specific options documented in the PPD file, and using the UIConstraints in the PPD to notify the user if any conflicting selections have been made (xpp does this instantly, in a very slick and nondistracting way; GtkLP can be configured to check constraints always, or provide a button to check them and report any conflicts). The kprinter tool of KDE also offers comparable functionality, provided PKG_OPTIONS.kdelibs3=cups was present at build (and presumably also PKG_OPTIONS.qt3-libs=cups and PKG_OPTIONS.qt3-tools=cups when those were built as well). It notifies the user of conflicting selections with a dialog at save/OK time; the user, on clicking Driver Settings (not Advanced as the dialog instructs), can see which settings are in conflict. The xfprint4 tool in XFCE seems to have missed the boat on providing access to CUPS features at all. I haven't tried gnome, but by report it also misses the boat at present, but may perhaps improve; meanwhile GtkLP or xpp can perhaps be used to print from it. http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2005-December/msg00021.html GtkLP has a companion GtkLPQ for showing queue status; xpp doesn't (but with CUPS you can just browse http://localhost:631/ for that anyway). GtkLP has better support for submitting a multiple-file job, better handling of file names with whitespace or odd characters, and suppresses the file selection when run as a filter (I wish xpp did this). xpp's file selection offers a preview for several file types. xpp is more faithful to the grouping of options in the PPD, presenting them on separate tabs under the PPD's suggested readable names, and correctly treats the InstallableOptions group as view-only; GtkLP tucks them all away on an obscure "PPD" tab, and allows the user to frob the InstallableOptions to values that don't match the printer's actual capabilities, which could lead to confusion. I was in a hurry to test this so I temporarily set IGNORE_RECOMMENDED to avoid updating a bunch of gtk2 stuff. It works for me but someone might check that nothing breaks with the more current gtk2. 2006-02-26 03:39:53 +01:00			`GtkLP is a graphical frontend for CUPS, the Common UNIX Printing System.`
			`It is used to have easy (and graphical) access to all of the many options`
			`of cups-managed printers. It accepts a superset of the command line`
			`options of lpr(1) or lp(1) and allows them to be adjusted interactively`
			`before printing; if no X display is available, it simply behaves as lpr`
			`or lp with the same superset of options.`