PDFs and Printing in Linux
Mark Stosberg
A few more people have joined this week. To those of you who are new:
Things are just getting started. There is a "Welcome" thread with a
call for introductions and general input that you are still welcome to
respond to:
http://groups.google.com/group/rosco/browse_thread/thread/f510b5cbe08fb0a8
I'm going to go ahead and jump to share some news and tips about
printing with Linux.
Printing with Linux generally works very well, and there is great
printer compatibility. The modern print system is called CUPS, which is
the same open source project at the heart of the Mac OS X print system.
I've recently added a couple of new printing related pages to the ROSCo
site:
Printers recommended for use with Linux
http://www.richmondcomputes.org/recommended_printers
and another page about my experience with a new networked inkjet from
Office Max:
Setting up a HP Deskjet 6940 with Linux
http://www.richmondcomputes.org/blog/mark/setting_up_hp_deskjet_6940
It's a nice printer, and the networking feature is very convenient in a
wireless home!
Related to printing, I blogged about KPDF, which is a great alternative
to Adobe Reader. KPDF has just recently matured to the point where I
recommend it as a replacement:
Bye Bye Adobe Reader, Hello KPDF
http://www.richmondcomputes.org/blog/mark/from_adobe_reader_to_pdf
Finally, a printing tip:
The "KDEPrint" project hosts a great resource for Linux printing tips.
They have a website at
http://printing.kde.org/
For example, one of the quirks of Adobe Reader is that it's not always
set by default to print correctly. The website explains tweaks that you
make to several specific applications to make sure they understand how
to print:
http://printing.kde.org/faq/kdeprint.php#HowdoIuseKDEPrintinAcrobatReader
Feel free to share your own tips, or ask me about enabling you to post
your own desktop open source blog entries on the site, if you'd like.
Mark
Kurt Ritchie
Kurt