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List:       gimp-print-devel
Subject:    Re: [Gimp-print-devel] Canon Pixma Driver - Assistance with Development
From:       Robert L Krawitz <rlk () alum ! mit ! edu>
Date:       2005-01-10 0:30:51
Message-ID: 200501100030.j0A0UpeP027104 () dsl092-065-009 ! bos1 ! dsl ! speakeasy ! net
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   From: Paul L <techboy74@optusnet.com.au>
   Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2005 23:35:48 +0000

   Hello All,

   I am able to capture  print initialisation and provide codes for known 
   print preferences etc for the Pixma IP 3000. Does anyone know where to 
   go from here to get a driver together?

   I'm happy to assist or co-ordinate a development effort. I have no 
   coding language experience, but know my way around extracting print data 
   etc.

It's basically going to take two things:

1) Determining the command set for the printer, which it sounds like
   you can do.

2) Coding it up (writing a new driver if the command set is very
   different from earlier printers that we do support, or modifying
   the existing driver if that looks easier).

The actual programming involved isn't that difficult -- it doesn't
require any specialized programming skills such as kernel programming;
it's all in user space.  It has a lot in common with shell
programming, since the role of the driver is to take data on its
input, apply a transformation, and write data to its output.  Things
like synchronization with the printer, managing the USB connection,
and so forth do not enter the picture at this level.

The first step I would recommend is to decode the printer command set.
Whatever you do, don't attempt to disassemble the Canon driver (that
can cause legal problems, from what I hear -- IANAL); do it by
examining the output, creating test sequences by hand and sending them
to the printer, and the like.  Then create the sequence of command
flow that needs to be sent to the printer.  At that point, you should
be able to get a minimally-working driver going, using the color and
dithering services provided by the Gutenprint (the new name for
Gimp-Print) framework.  That will require learning about Gutenprint,
and we can help you.

-- 
Robert Krawitz                                     <rlk@alum.mit.edu>

Tall Clubs International  --  http://www.tall.org/ or 1-888-IM-TALL-2
Member of the League for Programming Freedom -- mail lpf@uunet.uu.net
Project lead for Gimp Print   --    http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net

"Linux doesn't dictate how I work, I dictate how Linux works."
--Eric Crampton


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