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Printing with netcat

I recently discovered thanks to this blog[1] that you can print with netcat. This was impressive to me, but even still, it doesn't completely solve the problem. Instead it moves it from handling the data for printing on the client's side to handling it on the printer's side.

These issues will arise when you try to print a pdf(pdf is a particularly complex file format. More explanation and discussion can be found here[2]). As such, because there's a long precedent in supporting it, it's best to conver a PDF to Postscript(otherwise the printer will spend a long time processing the file, or just fail because like I said, it's a complex file format).

The command for printing if people are interested is `nc printerIP 9100 < document.ps`. Suffice to say, this was a very interesting read. Thanks Retrohacker!

P.S. In the example provided, where pdf is the proposed alternative, I disagree. I think Gemini is the current viable alternative. I don't think it's in a position where network effects multiply, so the only adopters are technology enthusiasts(and even then it's relatively close in structure to HTML in the mid 90s).

=> [1] Retrohacker, bye cups, printing with netcat
=> [2] Lab6.com, pdf as an alternative to the HTML standard
=> [2] Gemini mirror of above.

Published on 2021/08/07

Articles from blogs I follow around the net

BAT-EYES #5

THE LANTERN PARADE Same street, different decade. The moon was up. TAB2 had to check with his visor to make sure it wasn’t just himself who could see the myriad colorful lanterns floating solemnly over the street. He banged the side of his head until other,…

via I'm not really Stanley Lieber. September 28, 2024

Neurodivergence and accountability in free software

In November of last year, I wrote Richard Stallman’s political discourse on sex, which argues that Richard Stallman, the founder of and present-day voting member of the board of directors of the Free Software Foundation (FSF), endorses and advocates for a ha…

via Drew DeVault's blog September 25, 2024

reblog - Moments of Introspection: Fun With AI: Cute Doggies

Moments of Introspection: Fun With AI: Cute Doggies: I am starting to get into creating graphics with AI. The following doggies, I created with  Idyllic . I was trying to get a god that is simi...:::Feed:::

via Filozofia September 24, 2024

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