Classification:
Prologue:
Epilogue:
---------------------- Forwarded by Roger K Debry/Boulder/IBM on 12/19/96 06:34
AM ---------------------------
ipp-owner @ pwg.org
12/18/96 11:15 AM
To: don @ lexmark.com at internet, cmanros @ cp10.es.xerox.com at internet
cc: IPP @ pwg.org at internet, babakj @ microsoft.com at internet
Subject: RE: IPP> RE: Printer Instance Creation/Installation -Reply
Don's summary here is better than the one that I just sent out, but I just
got to reading this one.
On terminology:
The language, PDL driver is a Printer Driver. The underlying IPP/Network
redirector should never be called a Driver. It is a redirector or provider.
Is Provider the more common term now?
Scott
************************************************************
Scott A. Isaacson
Print Services Consulting Engineer
Novell Inc., 122 E 1700 S, Provo, UT 84606
V: (801) 861-7366, (800) 453-1267 x17366
F: (801) 861-4025, E: scott_isaacson at novell.com
W: http://www.novell.com
************************************************************
>>> Don Wright <don at lexmark.com> 12/18/96 06:51am >>>
I think we are getting all balled up in terminology. In my thinking
there are two (at least) "drivers" used for printing in the PC OS
(read Win95, WinNT, OS/2) world:
1) Printer Language Driver - generates the PostScript, PCL, etc.
needed by the printer to render the job.
2) IPP/HTTP driver which takes the output from the Printer Language
driver and transports it across the network to the destination. Also
handles responses from the far end.
In my case, the Printer Language Driver is unique for each printer or
printer family. The IPP/HTTP driver is common across all printers.
This scenario is basically what we have today with print redirectors
which send the job to a Server using IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, etc. I don't
see any way to have a universal Printer Language driver any more
than we can today. Sure, everyone can install the Apple LaserWriter
driver and call it a "Universal PostScript" driver or they can install
an HP LaserJet 2 driver and call it a "Universal PCL" driver but
the functionality is of course very low.
I think the choice belongs to the user. The user could:
1) Install a "Universal" language driver and live with the limitations
--or --
2) Install the printer's driver across the network living with the download
time depending upon the user's connection method.
--or--
3) Install the printer's driver from the operating system's diskettes
or CD-ROM if known and available.
Am I missing something? I know in some cases, a PPD driven PostScript
driver is available. In that case, the PPD may be all that needs to be
downloaded but even then, all the features of the printer may not be
available without using a custom printer language driver.
<<RKD>> I think this goes back to our discussion in
<<RKD>> New Orleans of getting the PDL owners,
<<RKD>> Primarily Adobe and HP, to move feature
<<RKD>> handling out of the PDL and into IPP
<<RKD>> attributes. If they do this then a generic
<<RKD>> printer language driver for each of the
<<RKD>> major languages is possible isn't it?
Comments?
Don
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To: babakj%microsoft.com @ interlock.lexmark.com (Babak Jahromi) @
SMTP,
IPP%pwg.org @ interlock.lexmark.com ("'IPP at pwg.org'") @ SMTP
cc: (bcc: Don Wright)
From: cmanros%cp10.es.xerox.com @ interlock.lexmark.com (Carl-Uno
Manros) @ SMTP
Date: 12/17/96 07:23:35 PM
Subject: RE: IPP> RE: Printer Instance Creation/Installation
At 06:46 PM 12/17/96 PST, Babak Jahromi wrote:
>>>>if I recall correctly, one of our user requirements was that we would
>>like to avoid having a separate print driver to install for every new
network
>>printer that a user may want to use. Compare this to fax today - you
do
>>not expect the user to download a new piece of software for every
new
>>fax address he/she wants to use. My hope would be that the "IPP print
driver"
>>is a generic piece of software, which can be used for many different
printers
>>in combination with a relatively short list of capabilities and options
for a
>>particular printer. This list could be stored locally or downloaded every
>>time.
>>Am I too optimistic here?
>>"Generic" is synonym to "poor feature list". Why do we want to force
>people who have invested in full feature printers to treat them like
>monochrome fax machines? If people like to use Internet Printing as a
>fax service, then the server can install the printer with a minimal
>driver, and we can arrage that all Internet clients would have that
>minimal driver. But beyond that, the driver would have to be
downloaded
>from the server. And the good thing is that the driver does not have to
>know anything about the new protocol. i.e. no change is needed in
>today's drivers.
>>Babak
>
OK. I can probably live with having at least a simple generic IPP driver
that does not require explicit download in advance, with downloading
and
automatic installation in other cases. Do we have any expectations about
the time needed to download a print driver over HTTP, using say in worst
case a 14.4 modem? Are there agreed naming conventions for drivers,
so
that the clients can identify if they already have the right driver
installed, or do we need to come up with a driver naming scheme?
Carl-Uno