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Raw Print Server
Copyright 2005 Chris Gonnerman
All rights reserved.

BSD Licensed (See the included LICENSE file for details)

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INTRODUCTION

This is my implementation of a "Raw" print server.  It allows a computer
to pretend to be a "Socket API" or "AppSocket" print server, i.e. a network
connected printer.  In fact, this program can serve a number of printers,
each with its own port, simultaneously.


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CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE DEPARTMENT

This software would not exist without Sam Rushing's excellent asyncore
module, nor would it exist without Steve Holden's excellent explanation of
that module (in his book "Python Web Programming" from New Riders, a truly
outstanding book that I can't recommend enough) from which I learned enough
to write this server.  I'm also indebted to Guido van Rossum for Python 
itself, which has made my life SO much easier, and to Mark Hammond for the
win32all modules which are essential parts of the Windows version of the
print server.


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RELEASE NOTES

This is version 0.1 of the Raw Print Server.  There are no installation
instructions to speak of; I plan to write an install script to assist with
getting the software up and running, but for now it's all manual.

You will need a working Python 2.x system to run the print server itself,
and if you are installing on Windows you'll need a working set of the 
win32all modules from Mark Hammond (which you really ought to have anyway).
To run the GUI properties program, you'll need a working PyGTK module set,
and on Windows that means finding a compatible GTK+ runtime also.

Finding all of the above is left as an exercise for the reader.

sigh

Okay.  If you are on a recent Linux system, or any of the BSD family, you 
should be able to install all of the above from your original installation
media, or download them from the appropriate website for your distribution.

If you are running Windows, start by getting a recent Python build from
www.python.org; follow the links from that site to the win32all downloads
(currently somewhere on Sourceforge).  After that, go to www.pygtk.org and
follow their links to the downloads you need for Windows.  Note that as of
this time (October 2005), the GTK libraries normally used for the Gimp 
don't work with PyGTK (despite notes on the PyGTK for Windows site saying 
that they do), at least, not on Win9x.  Get the runtime or development
libraries referenced from the PyGTK for Windows site.  If you already have
the Gimp installed, uninstall the GTK+ libraries you got with it before 
installing the alternate runtime.  My Gimp still works, so it must be okay,
right?

REMEMBER, as it says in the legal bit at the top, this is all at your own
risk and I'm not responsible if the software does harm, or simply doesn't 
work at all.  I've made every effort to make it good, clean, reliable 
stuff, but there are NO GUARANTEES or WARRANTIES.  You paid me nothing
for it, how could you expect me to give you anything if it goes wrong?

After you get that stuff installed, find a folder to unpack the software
into, and do that.  I use C:\Program Files\RawPrintServer on Windows, but
on Linux I'm not sure where the "right" place is to put it.

Run the rpsprops.pyw script first.  It prompts you for the spool directory,
logfile name (and path), and the printer(s) to support.  These settings 
are saved to the configuration file (/etc/rpsrv.conf on Linux/Unix/BSD, 
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\rpsrv.conf on Windows).

I recommend the following on Windows:

    Spool Directory    C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
    Log File           C:\WINDOWS\rps.log

For Unixoids, use what you like.  The proper place for rps.log is probably 
under /var/log, and you could either use a temp folder (/tmp or /var/tmp) 
or create a folder under /var/spool (probably a better place).

The printer definitions are created using the Add button in the GUI.  You
need to define a different port number for each printer; the "standard"
port is 9100, but I've seen 10000 and 10001 used a lot also.  The printer
name on Unixoids is the standard LPR or CUPS name.  For Windows, you can
pull down a list showing the currently-defined "local" printers to select
from.

Note that the Quit button in the GUI doesn't presently ask about saving.
Don't forget the Save button!

If you don't have or want PyGTK on your system, you can easily create the
rpsrv.conf file by hand; it looks like this (between the lines):

------------------------------------------
spooldir = /var/tmp
logfile = /var/log/rps.log
printer = 9100, lp
printer = 9101, dotmatrix
------------------------------------------

Note that the "printer" directive can appear multiple times, each time
defining a different printer.  Blank lines are ignored, as are lines 
beginning with the # character.  The GUI doesn't preserve comments, so
if you create the file by hand and then edit it with the GUI, expect your
commentary to disappear.

To start the server on a Unixoid system, just run RawPrintServer.py.  It 
daemonizes itself automatically.  RawPrintServer.py does not need to be 
run as root (except if you choose to use reserved port numbers), so for 
security reasons I recommend you run it as a regular user, preferrably one 
created just for the purpose.  This is also left as an exercise for the
reader.

For Windows NT/2000/2003/XP, use RawPrintService.py.  Run it from the
command line like this:

    start RawPrintServer.py install

"start" may or may not be needed, depending on the version of Windows you
are using.

After doing this, go look in the Services control panel interface, and
you'll find "Raw Print Server" listed.  Start it, and then (if you want)
right-click and choose "Properties" and make the startup Automatic.

Presently there is no version for use on Win9x.  This is a minor thing to
create (mainly just strip the Unixoid daemonizing parts out of 
RawPrintServer.py) but I haven't done it yet.


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FUTURE PLANS

I plan to create an installer script to make setting this whole thing up
easier.  I also intend to add a minor security feature to the program: an 
IP address "stem" that must be matched before a connection will be allowed.
For instance, if the stem is "192.168.0.", then only computers in the
192.168.0.XXX subnet would be allowed to use the printer.  This isn't a big
deal if you have a NAT firewall, but otherwise it is probably necessary. 
No telling where your print jobs might come from...

I might even set it up to accept a list of such "stems" to accommodate 
those with more complicated networks.


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CONTACTING ME

If you have questions, comments, or (I hope) enhancements regarding my 
Raw Print Server, please feel free to contact me at:

    chris.gonnerman@newcenturycomputers.net


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