Printing Guide: FMYiRC V1.00
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Printing Guide: Freemed-YiRC V1.00 -- THIS DOCUMENT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION --
Contents |
NOTE: This document does not include information related to PDF creation. This feature is slated for inclusion in a Post-V1.00 release.
Summary
This document describes the options for Printing with Freemed-YiRC V1.00. Because Freemed-YiRC is a web-based application, printing is NOT a trival thing to accomplish. One might ask, "Can't I simply hit File -> Print from my web browser?". For most home and some business users, this may indeed be the case. However, Freemed-YiRC is designed to be a centralized Information System for an agency. Most agencies will wish to place restrictions upon printing. In addition, agencies with large numbers of computers may not wish for each and every workstation to be able to print. To add even more problems to the situation, sometimes the end result, the printed document, looks different depending upon which web browser and which operating system the user used to print the document!
If you do not have these problems or restrictions, then you may feel free to print from Freemed-YiRC using the browsers File -> Print method, or any other you are familiar with, and may disregard this document.
However, many agencies may prefer to use centralized printing with Freemed-YiRC. Here is where this document may provide very helpful.
How FMYiRC Prints
Freemed-YiRC is currently engineered to produce all reports/printouts in HTML (web-based) format. Then, the HTML file is run through a program which converts this to PostScript.
What is PostScript? It's one standard format for printing that has been around for a long time. Most higher-end or business oriented printers/network copiers support, or can be upgraded with, PostScript.
Freemed-YiRC uses the html2ps program to achieve this HTML to PostScript conversion functionality.
How to get the PostScript file from the Linux server to the printer varies depending upon which printer you are using. Most agencies will need to find Linux printer drivers for their printers. This driver will plug in to a printing system for Linux which usually makes the process of getting this file to the printer transparent, regardless of whether the printer is physically connected to the Linux server (via a cable, not recommended) or is accessed over the network (highly recommended). Network printers/copiers are highly recommended because if you're using a fault-tolerant FMYiRC setup, no cable swapping would be necessary if your primary server were to go down.
Printing Systems Available For Linux
There are several popular printing subsystems available for Linux. The most popular at this point in time is the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) (link). However, traditionally Linux has used the LPR system. Any method which makes it possible to send a PostScript file to a printer via a command-line command should work with Freemed-YiRC.
Freemed-YiRC has been tested for years with the LPRng Linux printing system (link). This was primarly due to the agency at which FMYiRC was originally developed needing to use this for certain printer drivers (Gestetner/Ricoh network copiers).
Printing At Multiple Locations
What if you want FMYiRC to be able to print to printers at multiple locations? There are several possible solutions here:
- Use network printers that have been tested to work across the Internet.
- This may be an easy or a complicated task, this really varies depending upon the manufacturer, and their Linux driver support.
- Use a home-made approach
- Because FMYiRC supports SSH/SCP and FTP, you may use this to transfer a PostScript FMYiRC report to another computer at a remote location. You can then set up a this remote computer to accept files via SSH/SCP or FTP and print them! Linux makes this rather simple using shell scripts.
- For more information, please see SSH/SCP Linux Printing
- Because FMYiRC supports SSH/SCP and FTP, you may use this to transfer a PostScript FMYiRC report to another computer at a remote location. You can then set up a this remote computer to accept files via SSH/SCP or FTP and print them! Linux makes this rather simple using shell scripts.
- If the remote locations are small enough, you may be able to get by with the File -> Print method.
Printing To Non-PostScript Printers
It is possible to have FMYiRC print to non-postscript printers. There are some programs which can convert PostScript files into the printers' native language. However, this is beyond the scope of this document. For more information check out:
