WC 7830; Select between color/bw while using Linux/CUPS ppd

[elestudiantil.j]

That would be ideal, but the drivers are compiled for x86 machines. The mini-workstations we are trying to set up use an unrelated proccessor architecture (ARM). Passive files such as the .ppd's are not a problem, but it chokes on x86-specific executables.

Having access to the Xerox Black and White Conversion mode would be the perfect solution. Is there a way I can call on it from the PPD file? I can't find any reference to it in the PDL reference. 

Thanks again for your time and your patience. 

[Joe Arseneau]

Ughh, it's possible someone had already installed the proper driver, so it linked the added features when I used the ppd. (Test lab, no way to know what someone else has done to the little linux test bed.)

If you want to retry the debian driver , try the following steps. They require in some part root access, be careful.

This method was/is required in CUPS 2.2

1. Install the driver package, in my case I use ubuntu one. It will create a bunch of files in /opt/Xerox/prtsys
2. navigate to that directory: cd /opt/Xerox/prtsys
3. as root, copy the file XeroxQScript in /usr/lib/share/cups/filters:  sudo cp XeroxQScript /usr/lib/share/cups/filters
4. replace XeroxQScript with a dummy ppd file containing the following 4 lines

• *PPD-Adobe: "4.3"
• *cupsFilter: "application/postscript 0 /usr/lib/cups/filter/XeroxQScript"
• *cupsFilter: "application/pdf 0 /usr/lib/cups/filter/XeroxQScript"

1. replace XeroxXSF with a dummy ppd file containing:

• *PPD-Adobe: "4.3
• *cupsFilter: "text/plain 0 -"

1. Run as root xeroxprtmgr and add the printer

*PPD-Adobe: "4.3"

*cupsFilter: "text/plain 0 -"

6- Run as root xeroxprtmgr and add the printer!

[elestudiantil.j]

Thanks again for your help!

Well, that is very interesting. No wonder I couldn't make sense out of it. We're seeing completely different things. 

I am using the PPD out of the Xerox download page for the 7830. I ran the executable and copied the 7830 PPD over to the Linux machine. As you can see below, there are barely any options available in each tab. 

Are we using different PPD's? Or is it something else? 

[Joe Arseneau]

It's too bad I can't replicate that, it all works just fine here.

CUPS just works, the job prints BW because I set it as the default within CUPS

[elestudiantil.j]

Thank you for your answer. 

The fundamental problem is that I can't find a way to tell the printer that I want a Color document printed in black and white through the PPD. The only way you can do that is by changing global settings on CWIS, which requires the administrator to give random users acces to the machine's setup. That will surely end up badly. 

Option 1 could work for another printer, but the 7830 will print the document in color regardless of what the driver says. Option 2 is very clever. However, I tried it, and it doesn't work. The printer will do his thing regardless. Option 3 fails because thew OS will refuse to install the software. That problem was reported elsewhere in the forum. Option 4 seems to have the same problem as option 1. 

The annoying part is that you can print the exact same document, in the same format through the CWIS "print" tab with full access to all the machine's features, including color selection. 

[Joe Arseneau]

1. Install 2 printers with the same PPD, then go into CUPS and set if it is BW or color, name each according to whether or not it is color.

2. Remove color from the PPD and save it as a different named, then install a printer named BW using it (Or just completely lie and install a 78XX using the 58XX driver (same printer but BW only)

3. Install the Debian packages (Intel or i686)

4. Completely recode a PPD using the official PDL documentation

[elestudiantil.j]

Aplication: Library/Public terminals for searching and printing academic work

Hardware: Raspberry Pi B3+

Software: Raspian, CUPS, PPD File 

Situation:

My users need the ability to select if they want to print a given document in color or in black and white. I already know there is no alternative in the PPD file to allow them to select the mode, and the normal drivers won't install in those machines. 

Is there a way the user can select between color and B/W printing before the document is sent to the printer?

Is there an alternate PPD file or a way to enable the PPD file to select the printing mode?

Thank you for your time.