rudransh404/ghostscript-printer-app repository overview

⁠ghostscript-printer-app

The ghostscript-printer-app is a containerized Printer Application powered by Ghostscript, designed to provide versatile printing support for a variety of printers. Built on the PAPPL framework for IPP printing and enhanced with cups-filters 2.x, this application excels at rendering PostScript, PDF, and raster data for both legacy and modern printers, all within a portable Docker environment.

⁠Features

• Ghostscript Rendering: Converts PostScript, PDF, and raster inputs into printer-ready formats using Ghostscript’s robust interpreter.
• Broad Driver Support: Includes a wide array of printer drivers (e.g., hplip, foo2zjs, brlaser) for compatibility with diverse printer models.
• PPD Integration: Dynamically loads PPD files for printer configuration and option mapping.
• Printer Discovery: Supports USB and network printers via CUPS backends, ensuring seamless detection and connectivity.
• Web Interface: Provides an intuitive UI for printer management and configuration.
• IPP Compatibility: Maps standard IPP attributes to driver-specific options for universal client support.

⁠Pulling the Image

To pull the image from Docker Hub, run:

sudo docker pull rudransh404/ghostscript-printer-app

⁠Running the Container

Create a persistent Docker volume:

sudo docker volume create ghostscript-printer-app

Run the container:

sudo docker run -d \
    --name ghostscript-printer-app \
    --network host \
    -e PORT=<port> \
    -v ghostscript-printer-app:/var/lib/ghostscript-printer-app \
    -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb:ro \
    --device-cgroup-rule='c 189:* rmw' \
    rudransh404/ghostscript-printer-app:latest

⁠Parameters:

• PORT (optional): Specifies the port for the printer app. Defaults to 8000 (or increments if unavailable).
• --network host: Required for discovering network printers.
• -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb:ro: Grants read-only access to USB devices.
• --device-cgroup-rule='c 189:* rmw': Ensures USB access permissions.

⁠Setting Up Locally

To build and run locally:

git clone https://github.com/rudra-iitm/ghostscript-printer-app -b rudransh404
cd ghostscript-printer-app

⁠Prerequisites

Install Rockcraft:

sudo snap install rockcraft --classic

⁠Build the Rock Image

rockcraft pack -v

⁠Convert to Docker Image

sudo rockcraft.skopeo --insecure-policy copy oci-archive:<rock_image> docker-daemon:ghostscript-printer-app:latest

⁠Run the Container

sudo docker run -d \
    --name ghostscript-printer-app \
    --network host \
    -e PORT=<port> \
    -v ghostscript-printer-app:/var/lib/ghostscript-printer-app \
    -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb:ro \
    --device-cgroup-rule='c 189:* rmw' \
    ghostscript-printer-app:latest

⁠Web Interface Setup

Access the web UI at:

http://localhost:<port>/

From the interface, you can:

• Add a printer.
• Select the discovered printer.
• Configure settings (driver selection, media options, etc.).

⁠Included Components

• pappl v1.4.8: IPP printing framework.
• qpdf v11.10.1: PDF transformation tool.
• ghostscript v10.05.0: Core PostScript/PDF rendering engine.
• cups v2.4.11: Core printing system.
• libcupsfilters v2.1.1: Print job filtering library.
• libppd v2.1.0: PPD handling library.
• cups-filters v2.0.1: Filtering system for print processing.
• pyppd v1.1.0: PPD compression utility.
• foomatic-db 20240504: Printer database.
• hplip v3.22.10+dfsg0-8: HP driver suite.
• c2050 v0.3-7: Canon driver.
• cjet v0.8.9-11: Canon BJ printer driver.
• min12xxw v0.0.9-11: Konica Minolta driver.
• pnm2ppa v1.13-13: HP PPA driver.
• c2esp v27-11: Kodak ESP driver.
• dymo-cups-drivers v1.4.0-12: DYMO driver.
• foo2zjs v20200505dfsg0-3: ZjStream driver.
• fxlinuxprint v1.1.0+ds-4: Fuji Xerox driver.
• m2300w v0.51-15: Minolta driver.
• printer-driver-oki v1.0.2: OKI driver.
• pxljr v1.4+repack0-6: HP PXL driver.
• rastertosag-gdi v0.1-8: Ricoh driver.
• splix v2.0.1-1: Samsung SPL driver.
• brlaser v6: Brother driver.
• ptouch-driver v1.7-1: Brother P-Touch driver.

⁠How It Works

• Print Processing: Ghostscript renders PostScript, PDF, and raster inputs, passing them to the appropriate driver for output.
• Printer Discovery: Uses CUPS backends for USB and network printer detection, supporting IPP, LPD, and socket protocols.
• IPP Mapping: Automatically maps IPP attributes (e.g., print-quality, media) to driver options.
• Driver Flexibility: Supports a variety of legacy and modern drivers, leveraging foomatic-db and custom filters.

⁠Summary

The ghostscript-printer-app Docker image offers a powerful, containerized printing solution powered by Ghostscript. It supports a wide range of printers through diverse drivers, rendering PostScript, PDF, and raster inputs with ease. With features like IPP compatibility, CUPS-based printer discovery, and a user-friendly web interface, it provides a flexible and modern approach to printing, ideal for both legacy and contemporary workflows.