Selecting tray of a postscript printer under linux

[Christian Speck]

Hello Newsgroup

I am printing on a HP ColorLaserJet 2550 with optional tray (500 sheet)
under SuSE linux 9.0. The printer is configured as direct networkprinter
using the original HP-ppd-file. Printing works good and quality is fine.
I am using the trays:
1- Manual feed, marked as 1
2- Standard tray, 250 sheets, marked as 2
3- Optional tray, installed, 500 sheets, marked as 3.

Now my problem: whatever I choose in the printing options, the printer uses
always tray 3; if tray 3 is empty it switches to tray 2. If there is some
paper in the manual feed (tray 1), the printer uses tray 1 first.

How can I manage to control the tray under linux? I read already about aps
filters (?), about perl scripts and modifications of the ppd-file, but I do
not understand those possibilities.

How might help? How do I have to modify my ppd-file?

Any help is kindly appreciated, kind regards
Christian

 

[Todd H.]

Hello Newsgroup

I am printing on a HP ColorLaserJet 2550 with optional tray (500 sheet)
under SuSE linux 9.0. The printer is configured as direct networkprinter
using the original HP-ppd-file. Printing works good and quality is fine.
I am using the trays:
1- Manual feed, marked as 1
2- Standard tray, 250 sheets, marked as 2
3- Optional tray, installed, 500 sheets, marked as 3.

Now my problem: whatever I choose in the printing options, the printer uses
always tray 3; if tray 3 is empty it switches to tray 2. If there is some
paper in the manual feed (tray 1), the printer uses tray 1 first.

How can I manage to control the tray under linux? I read already about aps
filters (?), about perl scripts and modifications of the ppd-file, but I do
not understand those possibilities.

How might help? How do I have to modify my ppd-file?

Any help is kindly appreciated, kind regards
Christian

Greetings Christian,

I'm not sure of the collective Linux use quotient here much less
specifics of postscript-based tray selection for a specific model.
Hell, we can't even get one poster not to type in all caps.

I've found that Linux printer use is not for the meek. The filters
and perl script mods are something you should work toward
understanding, because unless HP has published a Linux printer driver
that includes these controls shimmed into your distro or window
managers way of dealing with printers (unlikely I'm guessing), you
won't get point or clickey control. It may be easiest just to control
it manually on the printer's keypad.

This site might be a useful resource:
http://www.linuxprinting.org/


Or repost your question to the appropriate newsgroup that focuses on
your Linux distribution and/or window manager of choice. Be sure to
post the details of which distribution of linux you are running
(RedHat, Gentoo, CentOS, whatever), what version of it, and what
window manager you are using (Gnome, KDE, or whatever). And pray for
someone in that group who might have that same printer and who cared
to figure out how to select paper sources in software.

Good luck!

Best Regards,

 

[Christian Speck]

Hi Todd

Thank you for your help.

Greetings Christian,

This site might be a useful resource:
http://www.linuxprinting.org/

This URL seems to be very useful, but unfortunately I didn't get an answer
to my problem.

Or repost your question to the appropriate newsgroup that focuses on
your Linux distribution and/or window manager of choice.

Probably I am going to do that.Thanks again and kind regards,
Christian