Subject: New apsfilter V2.3 - lpd input filter, filetype auto recognition
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Summary: new version of input filter is released...
Keywords: aps apsfilter aps-2.2 lpd printer filter


If you are interested in easy handling of printing postscript,
ascii and TeX dvi files with no trouble on a "NON PS PRINTER"
then read the next sections about aps-2:

(1) New features
(2) WHAT IS APS-2X
(3) What do I need for APS-2
(4) Linux specific
(5) AUTO CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE
(6) enhanced A2PS
(7) CHARACTER SETS, GERMAN "Umlaute"
(8) Get it via ftp mail
(9) Get it via ftp

(1) New features
    ============

   ***  An INSTALLATION SHELLSCRIPT, that asks you questions about
	your printer an sets up /etc/printcap, the spool directories
	and the needed symbolic links to apsfilter to turn on or off
	certain a2ps and apsfilter features.

   ***  The installation script shows you details about printer
	filters, so it's no problem anymore to choose between the
	different filters (i.e.: deskjets).

   ***  Support for real Postscript printers ...

   ***	Further modifications to a2ps ! The page header now contains
	Filename and the username !!!
	
   ***  Support for dvips' feature to include postscript files
	into TeX/DVI Documents (i.e. X11 screenshots using xgrab or
	xfig images !!!

   ***  New search database, automatically updated by cron.
	Contains search paths for dvips (updates TEXINPUTS variable 
	for apsfilter) where to look for PS-images.

   ***	print "RAW"

	Print text with FULL SPEED to the printer without processing 
	through "a2ps" first. Certain lpr options are again recognized.
	i.e. "-p" to pipe your document through pr(1) first.

   ***  NO TEMP FILES needed any more .... a simple utility REWINDSTDIN
	allows dvips to read data from a pipe. This SAVES SPACE and makes 
	things FASTER !

   ***	AUTO-CONFIURATION: After file type auto recognition the next 
	logical step for me was "auto configuration".

	That means that in general there is no need to "hack" the filter
	itself for configuration. No need to edit it. You configure it 
	now by naming the filter using a fixed naming scheme !!!
	The new installation script knows about that features and
	installs everything (all features) in printcap and makes
	all possible symlinks in the /usr/lib/apsfilter tree ...

	[ Printer type, paper format, file type auto recognition and 
	  "force printing ascii" (for PS sources) can be selected 
	  by creating a symbolic link to apsfilter using a special name.
	  See (5) AUTO CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE. ]

	For this and future releases I plan additional feature flags.

   ***  Using a2ps to print ascii files.

	a2ps puts a nice banner around a file and prints
	two pages on one sheet. That's a very attractive feature.
	I'll include further options in the next release, that
	allows enabling or disabling of the "two pages on one" feature
	for those people, who think, that the font is too small.

	But you can make modifications very easily in the script.
	The man page for a2ps is available in the a2ps source
	directory: /usr/lib/apsfilter/src.a2ps.


(2) WHAT IS APS-2
    =============

aps-2 is an lineprinter input filter for Unix Systems with Berkeley 
alike printing system (configuration using /etc/printcap).

Main features are AUTOMATIC FILE TYPE RECOGNITION for the filetypes:

	* ASCII
	* DATA
	* POSTSCRIPT
	* DVI

The user needs no knowledge how to print dvi files on his printer
or how to print postscript files on his non postscript printer.

You only need a lineprinter (laser, ink or matrix), that is supported
by gs the free (-> GPL) Postscript interpreter. Since gs has a lot of
drivers, it is usually no problem, to get it running.

(3) What do I need for APS-2
    ========================

The best is a Unix System with the following packages included:

	- gs 2.4 (ghostscript ps emulator)
	- dvi2ps

This is - for example - the case for Linux Slackware 1.2.0 and
future releases. Perhaps I can convince Patrick Volkerding in
the near future, to include it into Slackware.

(4) Linux specific
    ==============

Since I use a2ps (ascii to postscript) to print ascii files (a compiled
and patched version + sources + diffs are included in this package)
you either must have a Linux System with the new libc.so.4.5.24
(as in Slackware 1.2.0) to use the binary in the package or you must
have a C compiler installed to recompile it, no matter what libraries
you have in use.


(5) AUTO CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE:

	* You have a deskjet 500
	- You have the paper format DIN A4
	* You want filetype-auto-recognition
	* you want the option two pages on one without print-header

Then create a symbolic link to apsfilter using the scheme

	aps-PrinterType-PaperFormat-PrintMethod-PrintFeature

		LIBDIR is usually /usr/lib/apsfilter
		Valid PrinterTypes  are described in $LIBDIR/doc/printer
			"laserjet deskjet ..."
		Valid Paperformats  are described in $LIBDIR/doc/paper
			"a3 a4 letter ..."
		Valid PrintMethods  are described in $LIBDIR/doc/method
			"auto ascii"
		Valid PrintFeatures are described in $LIBDIR/doc/feature
			"1 2 1n 2n"
	
	So: ln -s apsfilter aps-djet500-a4-auto-2n

	does the configuration trick.

In /etc/printcap you say, that your input filter for the wanted
purpose is

	if=/usr/lib/apsfilter/aps-djet500-a4-auto-2n

The valid paperformats, supported printers and useful hints
are part of the shellscript itself. 

(6) enhanced A2PS
    =============

All filters after aps-20 use a2ps to print ascii files. I patched a2ps 
so you can select paperformat, print margins, filename and username on the
commandline instead of compiling it in. 
I mailed the diffs to the author of the package, but still received no answer.
Therefore aps-22.tgz comes with the patched source ready for compiling it.
The diffs are also included.

(7) CHARACTER SETS, GERMAN "Umlaute"
    ================================

Using a2ps's -8 option enables the printing of the ISO Latin Characterset.
So it's no Problem to print special characters ;-)


(8) Get it via ftp mail:
    ====================

	File: aps-23.tgz	Size: ~168 KB.

	mail archive-server@germany.eu.net
	Subject: <none>
	uuencode
	send comp/i386/Linux/Incoming.EUnet/aps-23.tgz
	quit

(9) Get it via ftp
    ==============

	ftp ftp.Germany.EU.Net
	login: ftp
	password: -yourmailaddress
	binary
	hash
	get /pub/comp/i386/Linux/Incoming.EUnet/aps-23.tgz
	quit


Have fun

	Andreas ///

--
Andreas Klemm                 /\/\____ Wiechers & Partner Datentechnik GmbH 
andreas@knobel.knirsch.de ___/\/\/     andreas@wupmon.wup.de (Unix Support)
