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
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
Email your feedback about "Printing with netcat"
Published on 2021/08/07
Articles from blogs I follow around the net
Build an Angel, Not a Demigod (Bezos Post OpEd)
Bill Drexel seems to forget that demigods are half-human, and thus easier to kill than angels.
via starbreaker.org: everything (happy overdose!) July 20, 2026update
while some already claim to have accepted the sacred text of 1986/2006/2026 in its imperfect form, it is presently observed that all remains change. please update your copy of track 1 “out of the drawer” to ensure continued compatability: mp3, flac we regret th…
via I'm not really Stanley Lieber. July 18, 2026Diablo III > a half-assed review
Twenty years have passed since the Prime Evils were defeated and banished from the world of Sanctuary. Now, you must return to where it all began – the town of Tristram – and investigate rumors of a fallen star, for this is the first sign of evil’s rebirt…
via andrei.xyz July 17, 2026Generated by openring