[poppler] Printing of certain PDF files does not work with "fit-to-page" because of wrong BoundingBox values in the PostScript

Wed Oct 28 02:23:11 PDT 2015

The main problem with setting the option fit-to-page in okular unconditionally 
is that it's impossible to print true to scale anymore. That renders okular 
nearly useless for printing. A quick patch is to open 
/usr/lib64/libokularcore.so.6.0.0 with an binary editor e.g. okteta, find the 
string fit-to-page and replace the leading 'f' with 0. It's an ugly patch but 
after that okular is useable again ;).

Did you report this bug already? I wasn't sure where to report it, because I 
think it's a problem of a missing feature in the print-dialog as well. To my 
understanding the print-dialog is part of Qt. 

Regards,

Martin Pahl

Am Dienstag, 27. Oktober 2015, 18:36:35 schrieb Stefan Brandner:
> I checked the okular source file which is responsible for printing ->
> fileprinter.cpp
> http://quickgit.kde.org/?p=okular.git&a=blob&h=55977a1bad711f9f1dcc38671a25a
> ea5c10ec4c2&hb=c743eceb3d7eee02e6d0726b6e90acb6112ea6bf&f=core%2Ffileprinter
> .cpp The fit-to-page was added by Albert Astals Cid on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 with
> the fix name:
> Fix printing contiguous selected pages with bookmarks
> 
> The printing direct to a printer is done with the lpr command plus
> arguments.
> But this works from the command line so I compared the cups debug messages.
> 
>  From the cups debug when printing with okular pdftops is used as
> follwoing. The printout is not ok!
> 
>   [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Started filter
> /usr/lib/cups/filter/pstops (PID 25207)
> I [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Started backend
> /usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf (PID 25208)
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] Discarding unused job-state-changed event...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] Returning IPP successful-ok for
> Send-Document (ipp://localhost:631/printers/CUPS-PDF) from localhost
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Active clients and dirty files"
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] cupsdReadClient: 14 WAITING Closing on EOF
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] cupsdCloseClient: 14
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Page = 595x842; 0,0 to 595,842
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] slow_collate=0, slow_duplex=0,
> slow_order=0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Before copy_comments -
> %!PS-Adobe-3.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %!PS-Adobe-3.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %Produced by poppler pdftops
> version: 0.26.5 (http://poppler.freedesktop.org)
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%Creator: pdftk 2.02 -
> www.pdftk.com
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%Title: Dirichlet.pdf
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%LanguageLevel: 2
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%DocumentSuppliedResources: (atend)
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%DocumentMedia: A4 595 842 0 () ()
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%BoundingBox: 0 0 595 842 D
> [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%Pages: 2
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] %%EndComments
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Before copy_prolog - %%BeginDefaults
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Before copy_setup - %%BeginSetup D
> [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Before page loop - %%Page: 1 1 D
> [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Copying page 1...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PAGE: 1 1
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] Discarding unused job-progress event...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] pagew = 575.0, pagel = 822.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] bboxx = 0, bboxy = 0, bboxw =
> 311, bboxl = 542
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageLeft = 10.0, PageRight = 585.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageTop = 832.0, PageBottom = 10.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageWidth = 595.0, PageLength =
> 842.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Copying page 2...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PAGE: 2 1
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] Discarding unused job-progress event...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] pagew = 575.0, pagel = 822.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] bboxx = 0, bboxy = 0, bboxw =
> 317, bboxl = 548
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageLeft = 10.0, PageRight = 585.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageTop = 832.0, PageBottom = 10.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] PageWidth = 595.0, PageLength =
> 842.0
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] [Job 10] Wrote 2 pages...
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:32 +0100] PID 25207 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/pstops)
> exited with no errors.
> D [05/Dec/2014:11:27:39 +0100] PID 25208
> (/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf) exited with no errors.
> 
> When printing from the console which works it does additional a pdftopdf.
> 
> I [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Started filter
> /usr/lib/cups/filter/pdftopdf (PID 13386)
> I [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Started filter
> /usr/lib/cups/filter/pdftops (PID 13387)
> I [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Started backend
> /usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf (PID 13388)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] Discarding unused job-state-changed event...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Returning IPP successful-ok
> for Send-Document (ipp://localhost:631/printers/CUPS-PDF) from localhost
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Content-Length: 171
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] cupsdSendHeader: code=200,
> type="application/ipp", auth_type=0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] con->http=0x7f51a291c960
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] cupsdWriteClient error=0,
> used=0, state=HTTP_STATE_POST_SEND, data_encoding=HTTP_ENCODING_LENGTH,
> data_remaining=171, response=0x7f51a29208b0(IPP_STATE_DATA), pipe_pid=0,
> file=-1
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Writing IPP response,
> ipp_state=IPP_STATE_DATA, old wused=0, new wused=0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] bytes=0, http_state=0,
> data_remaining=171
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Flushing write buffer.
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] New state is HTTP_STATE_WAITING
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Waiting for request.
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Active clients and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] HTTP_STATE_WAITING Closing for
> error 32 (Broken pipe)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Client 3] Closing connection.
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] pdftops - copying to temp print
> file "/var/spool/cups/tmp/0344b5639e88d"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PID 13386
> (/usr/lib/cups/filter/pdftopdf) exited with no errors.
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Printer make and model: Generic
> CUPS v1.1
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Running command line for
> pstops: pstops 833 stefan Dirichlet.pdf 1 'finishings=3
> job-uuid=urn:uuid:83106b75-7a24-3dda-5d74-16fc30766fd6
> job-originating-host-name=localhost date-time-at-creation=
> date-time-at-processing= time-at-creation=1445966528
> time-at-processing=1445966528 document-name-supplied=Dirichlet.pdf'
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Using image rendering
> resolution 300 dpi
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Running command line for
> pdftops: pdftops -level2 -origpagesizes -nocenter -r 300
> /var/spool/cups/tmp/0344b5639e88d -
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Started filter pdftops (PID 13392)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Started filter pstops (PID 13393)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Page = 595x842; 0,0 to 595,842
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] slow_collate=0, slow_duplex=0,
> slow_order=0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Before copy_comments -
> %!PS-Adobe-3.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %!PS-Adobe-3.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %Produced by poppler pdftops
> version: 0.26.5 (http://poppler.freedesktop.org)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%Creator: pdftk 2.02 -
> www.pdftk.com
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%LanguageLevel: 2
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%DocumentSuppliedResources:
> (atend)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%DocumentMedia: A4 595 842 0 () ()
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%BoundingBox: 0 0 595 842 D
> [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%Pages: 2
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] %%EndComments
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Before copy_prolog - %%BeginProlog
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Before copy_setup - %%BeginSetup
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Before page loop - %%Page: 1 1
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Copying page 1...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PAGE: 1 1
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdMarkDirty(---J-)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdMarkDirty(---J-)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] Discarding unused job-progress event...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] pagew = 595.0, pagel = 842.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] bboxx = 0, bboxy = 0, bboxw =
> 595, bboxl = 842
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageLeft = 0.0, PageRight = 595.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageTop = 842.0, PageBottom = 0.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageWidth = 595.0, PageLength =
> 842.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Copying page 2...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PAGE: 2 1
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdMarkDirty(---J-)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdMarkDirty(---J-)
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] cupsdSetBusyState: newbusy="Printing jobs
> and dirty files", busy="Printing jobs and dirty files"
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] Discarding unused job-progress event...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] pagew = 595.0, pagel = 842.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] bboxx = 0, bboxy = 0, bboxw =
> 595, bboxl = 842
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageLeft = 0.0, PageRight = 595.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageTop = 842.0, PageBottom = 0.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PageWidth = 595.0, PageLength =
> 842.0
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] Wrote 2 pages...
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PID 13392 (pdftops) exited with
> no errors.
> D [27/Oct/2015:18:22:08 +0100] [Job 833] PID 13393 (pstops) exited with
> no errors.
> 
> Here I need help again. Is this a cups problem?
> 
> Regards
> Stefan
> 
> Am 27.10.2015 um 13:38 schrieb Adrian Johnson:
> > On 25/10/15 21:08, Stefan Brandner wrote:
> >> I want to summarize how the problem appears when printing the file
> >> Dirichlet.pdf with okular.
> >> Find the file at: https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/attachment.cgi?id=616147
> >> 
> >> 1. with OpenSuse 13.1 and okular 4.11.2 the CUPS command was without the
> >> fit-to-page option
> >> following commands are executed:
> >> pdftops Dirichlet.pdf
> >> lpr Dirichlet.ps
> >> The file was printed unscaled but centered and the printout was useful.
> >> 
> >> 2. with the actual OpenSuse 13.2 and okular 4.14.9 the CUPS command is
> >> now with fit-to-page and then the file is shifted to the right with half
> >> of the text cut
> >> this can be reproduced with following commands:
> >> pdftops Dirichlet.pdf
> >> lpr -o fit-to-page Dirichlet.ps
> >> This does not work since the BoundingBox values are incorrect.
> >> See explanation at CUPS documentation:
> >> http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/options.html
> > 
> > I'm not sure which application is enabling the fit-to-page or why it
> > changed. The fit to page would be better performed in pdftops which
> > already has this capability. The problem with performing a fit-to-page
> > based on the PS output is the Adobe Document Structuring Conventions
> > define the BoundingBox to be the smallest box that encloses all marks on
> > the page.
> > 
> > A PS file with correctly calculated PageBoundingBox comments is likely
> > have a different bounding box on each page depending on the content. If
> > fit-to-page is applied based on the bounding box, each page will have a
> > different scale factor applied. A blank page with just a page number at
> > the bottom will be scaled up to fit the page number to the entire page.
> > This is probably not what you want.
> > 
> > The fit-to-page feature relies on the fact that a lot of applications
> > just set the bounding box to the page size since computing the ink
> > extents of all marks on the page is not trivial.
> > 
> > If a future version of poppler tightened up the PageBoundingBox to make
> > it more correct you may find this workflow which relies on an incorrect
> > interpretation of the BoundingBox comment may no longer work for you.
> > 
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> -----
> >> 
> >> Scaling to Fit
> >> 
> >> The -o fit-to-page option specifies that the document should be scaled
> >> 
> >> to fit on the page:
> >>    lp -o fit-to-page filename
> >>    lpr -o fit-to-page filename
> >> 
> >> The default is to use the size specified in the file.
> >> 
> >> This feature depends upon an accurate size in the print file.
> >> If no size is given in the file, the page may be scaled incorrectly!
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> -----
> >> 
> >> 
> >> As mentioned in the opensuse bug:
> >> https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=908624
> >> ghostscript shows Bounding Box values that do work.
> >> 
> >> Martin Pahl wrote a fix that calculates the correct page bounding values.
> >> With this fix above commands work without problem.
> >> 
> >> 3. another solution for the printing with okular would be calling
> >> pdftotops -expand Dirichlet.pdf
> >> lpr -o fit-to-page Dirichlet.ps
> >> 
> >> 4. also a lpr Dirichlet.pdf from the command line is working but this it
> >> is not the way as it is executed with okular
> >> 
> >> 5. since it is not possible to disable the fit-to-page inside okular,
> >> all printouts of files with wrong BoundingBox values are scrap!!!
> >> 
> >> 6. the ideal place to fix this is may be somewhere else but the solution
> >> from Martin fixes it for okular.
> >> 
> >> 7. I had many files with this problems and since I am using the patch
> >> all my printing problems are gone
> >> 
> >> Regards
> >> Stefan
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> poppler mailing list
> >> poppler at lists.freedesktop.org
> >> http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/poppler
> 
> _______________________________________________
> poppler mailing list
> poppler at lists.freedesktop.org
> http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/poppler

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