Give Up with Raw Printing on Linux

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

It is good to post my newest blog today, after 4 days hard researched finding a way out how to make raw printing enable in LAN environment from an application built with delphi which running on linux box by crossover 4 pro emulator. Unfortunetely, it seem unsucceded with several ways including using external component such TDXPrint, TRAWPrint and others or with native delphi commands it self such AssignPrn and AssignFile. Those ways has worked fine with windows LAN but nor on linux (the AssignFile work great on single linux machine attached with dot matrix printer by LPT cable). I had been gathering lots of informations from any resources from internet, but there was no responded well yet (click here to track my question).

This problem caused by linux raw printing methodes which definitely differ from windows. Other aspects involved the emulator which has much limitation about handling the win32 api's commands. There was some issues about the latest version of crossover 5, but i am not tried yet. From the log history i've seen, there was no significantly changes about the engine. This is the link of the manual from the crossover developer. So, why I have to bother with the think (the raw printing) that not supported yet?

Anyway, we are completely hi-frustation facing this problem on linux. Next big question is what compiler tools we should use to resolve it? The power builder looks unsustainable against windows raw printing, more over she's doesn’t run on linux by the emulator. What about the PHP? Ahrg... Just forget it. It might take couple years to develop a single modules with hundreds report existing and basically, I am the only web programmer in my team.
Instead of taking much more energy on this fasting month, it will be better if I soon ended this researched. My incoming project will suspended until the company - let's says - using windows as legally and paying for 3 billions per year to micros*ft (;-p). God blessed me.

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