[Openicc] Gutenprint XML media settings written to live PPD

[edmund ronald]

In my opinion, Chris touches on the usual and important distinction of
where one puts *chosen* settings, *user defined presets*, and where one
puts *possible defaults and options*.

Gutenprint is the originator of the Gutenprint PPDs; in that sense I
believe we are allowed, and in fact required,  to place our own device
presets in the device PPD. This is already done eg. to allow the selection
of  a paper type eg. Epson Premium Glossy. The system admin is, I guess,
also allowed to choose default presets in the PPD,eg. default paper size
and default media,  and of course the admin chooses which printer PPD to
install. In this sense, even with Chris' remark, I have no qualms in saying
that the PPD is a good place to place the XML for Gutenprint's default own
locked-down media defintions.

Regarding any definitions the user may choose to save, Chris's remark is
quite pertinent; if domain experts are ultimately to create and work with
media presets, then they need a convenient way to name and store them, and
read them in from user-space. My own feeling is that the file system
hierarchy can provide the necessary folders etc, but we still need to make
sure a user-PPD, or at least the media setting XML can be accessed by the
print system. There will unavoidably be security issues.

Edmund

On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 12:55 AM, Chris Murphy <lists at colorremedies.com>wrote:

> In my opinion media-settings are user domain, where as a printer
> description file is system/admin domain. My gut instinct is that they
> should not co-exist in a single file. I would think there are also
> potential permissions issues with this, as not any ordinary user would have
> (or should have) permission to, in effect modify a PPD.
>
> As for a way to share the PPD and settings, I think this could be done
> with a package concept, like a folder with a particular filename extension.
> And that folder contains the PPD and also user media-settings.
>
>
>
> On Feb 5, 2012, at 4:33 PM, edmund ronald wrote:
>
> Hi Guys,
>
>  After making a proof of concept XML proto some time ago, Robert is now
> moving towards making a beta-test version.
>  The idea  is that media settings should be encoded in XML by Gutenprint
> on one print pass, and then replayed at will later.
>  We're thinking that a good place for a media-setting XML paragraph would
> be in the live PPD for the printer.
>  One advantage is that people can then trade their media settings, give
> them to friends, just by copying the ppd and emailing it.
>  The current CUPS interface already allows the user to point at a PPD from
> the web interface.
>  The current workflow, tools and user training are little disturbed.
>
>  Is everybody happy with that?
>
>  As for writing the settings, either Gutenprint does it directly, I guess,
> or it dumps the XML in a temp file somewhere, eg in /tmp I guess.
>  Any remarks on this from the distribution guys?
>
> Edmund
>
>
>
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