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From: jrg on 30 Oct 2009 00:33
On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:

> jrg <connyank(a)cox.net> wrote:
>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>>
>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>>> printer directly.
>>>
>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
>
> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
> interface.
>
> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
> print PDF also.
>

The question is do they need drivers?
From: Warren Block on 30 Oct 2009 11:33
jrg <connyank(a)cox.net> wrote:
> On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:
>
>> jrg <connyank(a)cox.net> wrote:
>>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>>>
>>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>>>> printer directly.
>>>>
>>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
>>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
>>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
>>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
>>
>> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
>> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
>> interface.
>>
>> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
>> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
>> print PDF also.
>>
>
> The question is do they need drivers?

If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer.

Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
for the printer.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
From: Warren Block on 30 Oct 2009 21:03
Joel <joel(a)nospam.com> wrote:
> Warren Block <wblock(a)wonkity.com> wrote:
>
>> jrg <connyank(a)cox.net> wrote:
>> > On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:
>> >
>> >> jrg <connyank(a)cox.net> wrote:
>> >>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>> >>>
>> >>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>> >>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>> >>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>> >>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>> >>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>> >>>> printer directly.
>> >>>>
>> >>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
>> >>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
>> >>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
>> >>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
>> >>
>> >> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
>> >> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
>> >> interface.
>> >>
>> >> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
>> >> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
>> >> print PDF also.
>> >>
>> >
>> > The question is do they need drivers?
>>
>> If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
>> file to the printer.
>>
>> Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
>> for the printer.
>
> ALL printers will require Printer DRIVER to communicate between Computer
> and Printer.

This is not correct.

> The printer may not need any special driver (or the system or program
> handle them) to print some special format as long as the system
> supports it/them.

This is unclear, but appears to be restating what I said above:

"If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer."

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
From: Warren Block on 30 Oct 2009 21:14
Joel <joel(a)nospam.com> wrote:

>> Think about your own question: "It is possible to print without one on a
>> network printer by using FTP to transfer the file to the printer"
>
> YES and NO
>
> YES, you can transfer the FILE to a remoted system, then have someone at the
> remoted system print the file for you
>
> NO, FTP is File Transferring Protocal (not File To Print) so you can't print
> using FTP

This is incorrect. HP JetDirect print servers (and maybe other brands)
will accept and print files sent by FTP.

>> The idea that anything can be printed without a driver is nonsensical,
>> unless "anything" is no more than plain ASCII text.
>
> Wrong question again, even with TEXT the system still need printer driver
> in order to print... anything or everything.

This is incorrect. To use the example of HP LaserJet printers, you can
create and print files without a driver if the printer already
understands that type of file. For example, create a text file using a
simple text editor (Notepad, not Word), then send it to the printer via
FTP or port 9100 or lpd or several other ways. No driver.

Certainly there are terrible host-based printers which require drivers
because all they can render are bitmaps. But not all printers are like
that, even on Windows.

>> A driver (and, for that matter, an application) is required. ALWAYS.

See the example above. And watch out for absolutes.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
From: Warren Block on 1 Nov 2009 11:40
Joel <joel(a)nospam.com> wrote:
> Warren Block <wblock(a)wonkity.com> wrote:
>
>> > ALL printers will require Printer DRIVER to communicate between Computer
>> > and Printer.
>>
>> This is not correct.
>
> Then you are correct and it must be a DEAD printer.
>
>> > The printer may not need any special driver (or the system or program
>> > handle them) to print some special format as long as the system
>> > supports it/them.
>>
>> This is unclear, but appears to be restating what I said above:
>>
>> "If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
>> file to the printer."
>
> This is correct and incorrect.
>
> Correct, the printer will except all font types it supports

Not fonts, but PDLs: Page Description Languages:

http://www.undocprint.org/formats/page_description_languages

> Incorrect, but the printer need DRIVER to communicate between Computer and
> Printer.
>
> Samething, you may have the right idea but without internet, without
> computer, or without reader then you can communicate with internet user to
> share your right idea.

There seems to be a basic misunderstanding between two things here. The
first is the PDL. The second is the method of getting the file to the
printer. Those are two separate things.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
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