How to print file with the PCL escape sequences

cupsprinting

I have CUPS and use a program that produces the raw PCL format of the document I want to print.

I have no problem printing a plain text file as lp filename but when I give a file that has PCL or ESC/P escape sequences in it, I'll get immediately a completed status for this new print job – no printer reaction. The same happens when trying with each of the followings:

lpr -l filename
lp -o raw filename
lp -o document-format=application/octet-stream filename
lp -o document-format=application/octet-raw filename
lp -o document-format=application/octet-raster filename

Couldn't find in the man nor in cups documentation the way to print a file with filter/driver type defined (send direct pcl or esc/p) in the printing command.

Tried to print with two HP printers DeskJet 640C and D2460.

Portion from my printers.conf that I think can be relevant:

...
Type
Filter application/vnd.cups-raw 0 -
Filter application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertogutenprint.5.2
Accepting Yes
...
ErrorPolicy stop-printer
...

Portion from my D2460 printers ppd file that I think can be relevant:

...
*TTRasterizer: Type42
...
*hpPrinterLanguage: "lidil"
*hpPrinterPlatform: "dj3600"
...
*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-raster 0 hpcups"
...

In your comments please ask for other options to display from the config files if you find it to be relevant to this problem.

My logs after issuing lp -o raw filename in access_log:

localhost - - [date] "POST /printers/printername HTTP/1.1" 200 390 Create-Job successful-ok
localhost - - [date] "POST /printers/printername HTTP/1.1" 200 1894 Send-Document successful-ok

In error_log:

D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 13 from localhost (Domain)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: clients=4
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: jobs=59
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: jobs-active=1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: printers=2
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: printers-implicit=0
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: stringpool-string-count=4354
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: stringpool-alloc-bytes=8592
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Report: stringpool-total-bytes=90176
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Not busy
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST /printers/ujhp HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Create-Job 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Create-Job ipp://localhost:631/printers/ujhp
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] add_job: setting context of job to UNKNOWN SL
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(----J-)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] add_job: requesting-user-name="root"
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Adding start banner page "none".
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Queued on "ujhp" by "root".
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Create-Job (ipp://localhost:631/printers/ujhp) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST /printers/ujhp HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Send-Document 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Send-Document ipp://localhost:631/printers/ujhp
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdIsAuthorized: requesting-user-name="root"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(----J-)
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] File of type application/vnd.cups-raw queued by "root".
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Adding end banner page "none".
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(----J-)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(----J-)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients, printing jobs, and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] job-sheets=none,none
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[0]="ujhp"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[1]="80"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[2]="root"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[3]="filename"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[4]="1"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[5]="finishings=3 media=iso_a4_210x297mm number-up=1 scaling=98 job-uuid=urn:uuid:59dd158c-9473-30a3-478c-0202bcbcb78b job-originating-host-name=localhost"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] argv[6]="/var/spool/cups/d00080-001"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[0]="CUPS_CACHEDIR=/var/cache/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[1]="CUPS_DATADIR=/usr/share/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[2]="CUPS_DOCROOT=/usr/share/cups/www"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[3]="CUPS_FONTPATH=/usr/share/cups/fonts"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[4]="CUPS_REQUESTROOT=/var/spool/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[5]="CUPS_SERVERBIN=/usr/lib/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[6]="CUPS_SERVERROOT=/etc/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[7]="CUPS_STATEDIR=/var/run/cups"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[8]="HOME=/var/spool/cups/tmp"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[9]="PATH=/usr/lib/cups/filter:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[10]="SERVER_ADMIN=root@serverlinux.hamorhq.ro"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[11]="SOFTWARE=CUPS/1.4.2"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[12]="TMPDIR=/var/spool/cups/tmp"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[13]="USER=root"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[14]="CUPS_SERVER=/var/run/cups/cups.sock"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[15]="CUPS_ENCRYPTION=IfRequested"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[16]="IPP_PORT=631"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[17]="CHARSET=utf-8"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[18]="LANG=en_US.UTF-8"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[19]="PPD=/etc/cups/ppd/ujhp.ppd"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[20]="RIP_MAX_CACHE=128m"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[21]="CONTENT_TYPE=application/vnd.cups-raw"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[22]="DEVICE_URI=usb://HP/Deskjet%20D2400%20series?serial=TH7BE541VR04Y7"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[23]="PRINTER_INFO=HP Deskjet D2400 series"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[24]="PRINTER_LOCATION=serverlinux.hamorhq.ro"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[25]="PRINTER=ujhp"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] envp[26]="CUPS_FILETYPE=document"
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Started backend /usr/lib/cups/backend/usb (PID 4967)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Send-Document (ipp://localhost:631/printers/ujhp) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Printing jobs and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 13
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] STATE: +connecting-to-device
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Printer using device file "/dev/usblp0"...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] STATE: -connecting-to-device
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] PAGE: 1 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Discarding unused job-progress event...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] backendRunLoop(print_fd=5, device_fd=6, snmp_fd=-1, addr=(nil), use_bc=1, side_cb=0x4425d0)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Read 1635 bytes of print data...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] STATE: -media-empty-warning
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] STATE: -offline-report
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Printer is now online.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Wrote 1635 bytes of print data...
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Sent print file, 1635 bytes...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Discarding unused job-progress event...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] PID 4967 (/usr/lib/cups/backend/usb) exited with no errors.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
I [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 80] Job completed.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(----J-)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdMarkDirty(-----S)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 13 from localhost (Domain)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 15 from localhost:631 (IPv6)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 18 from localhost:631 (IPv6)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Get-Notifications 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Notifications /
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdIsAuthorized: requesting-user-name="z-laszlo"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Notifications (/) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 1.1 Get-Jobs 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Jobs ipp://localhost/printers/
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] [Job 75] Loading attributes...
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Jobs (ipp://localhost/printers/) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 1.1 Get-Jobs 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Jobs ipp://localhost/printers/
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Jobs (ipp://localhost/printers/) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 15
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 18
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 15 from localhost:631 (IPv6)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 1.1 Get-Notifications 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Notifications /
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdIsAuthorized: requesting-user-name="root"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Notifications (/) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 1.1 Get-Job-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Job-Attributes ipp://localhost/jobs/80
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Job-Attributes (ipp://localhost/jobs/80) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 13
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 13 from localhost (Domain)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Get-Notifications 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Notifications /
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdIsAuthorized: requesting-user-name="z-laszlo"
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Notifications (/) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Get-Job-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Job-Attributes ipp://localhost/jobs/80
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Job-Attributes (ipp://localhost/jobs/80) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 18 from localhost (Domain)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 21 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 21
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 1.1 Get-Printer-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Printer-Attributes ipp://serverlinux.hamorhq.ro:0/printers/ujhp
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Printer-Attributes (ipp://serverlinux.hamorhq.ro:0/printers/ujhp) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 18 1.1 Get-Job-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Job-Attributes ipp://localhost/jobs/80
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Job-Attributes (ipp://localhost/jobs/80) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 13
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: skipping getpeercon()
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAcceptClient: 13 from localhost:631 (IPv6)
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Get-Printer-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Printer-Attributes ipp://serverlinux.hamorhq.ro:0/printers/ujhp
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Printer-Attributes (ipp://serverlinux.hamorhq.ro:0/printers/ujhp) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 13 1.1 Get-Job-Attributes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Get-Job-Attributes ipp://localhost/jobs/80
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Job-Attributes (ipp://localhost/jobs/80) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Printers 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Printers
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Printers (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Classes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Classes
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Classes (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 15 WAITING Closing on EOF
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdCloseClient: 15
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Printers 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Printers
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Printers (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Classes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Classes
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Classes (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Printers 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Printers
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Printers (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Classes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Classes
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Classes (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Printers 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Printers
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Printers (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Classes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Classes
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Classes (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Printers 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Printers
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Printers (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Classes 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Classes
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Classes (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Active clients and dirty files
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdReadClient: 19 1.1 CUPS-Get-Default 1
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] CUPS-Get-Default
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] Returning IPP successful-ok for CUPS-Get-Default (no URI) from localhost
D [04/Dec/2013:10:48:51 +0200] cupsdSetBusyState: Dirty files

There are two threads in this question's comment that refer to a ghostscript converter script for PCL to PS but I saw that this solution has license limitations and I would prefer a more direct/native approach, solution by configuring cups and a little scripting or free script/application to disable the filtering of cups for PCL and/or convert PCL (and ESC/P) to PDF (as I understood PDF is the way for cups now).

Best Answer

To print a PCL code directly without filtering with cups these commands should be used and have to work:

lpr -l filename
lp -o raw filename

I prefer this method over converting it to PDF but a totally free script/technique would be interesting to know of. I didn't found one myself. Comments referring to this are welcomed.

My story is somewhat ridiculous: I started with an old HP printer mentioned in my question (DeskJet 640C that is out of ink) then turned over to a newer one (D2460) assuming that it is HP, has to know PCL. This assumption of mine was wrong, the printer did not understood the PCL codes and returned a job completed right away. After reading a bunch of documentations I got the idea that the commands I try should work so went back to the old printer. There were small problems with the code that made it harder to recognize the problem (old printer started to move only for the second command), but it moved - Hurray! :)

1.

So your first problem seems to be this:

Currently not working:

Cannot add the Windows printer driver to CUPS using the "printmanagement.msc" MMC (I get a "access denied" error). So Samba's Point'n'Print will not work.

Note, that the Windows clients do not retrieve their printer drivers from CUPS, and CUPS itself cannot communicate with the Windows clients directly.

Only Samba can do that, so Windows clients will retrieve their printer drivers from Samba. Samba poses as a Windows print server for the clients, and Samba will also provide a special share (listed [print$] in smb.conf) for clients to auto-install the drivers from. (You should try to use the UNC path of \\myserver\print$ or \\myworkstation\print$ in Windows explorer and see the drivers from any host which shares a printer.)

Windows users need a special privilege in to administer printers and configuring/uploading drivers. This privilege was named SePrintOperatorPrivilege by Microsoft.

Samba implements the SMB set of Windows networking protocols and procedures so Windows clients can use its services.

Hence, only users which have this privilege granted can upload and preconfigure printer drivers to a Samba server, just like it would be the case for a Windows print server.

Typically, you would want to grant the privilege to the Domain Admins group, plus, maybe another Domain Group you may have called Our Printer Admins. I now assume your domain name is MYDOMAIN.

To grant the named user groups that right, execute the following commands:

  net rpc rights grant "MYDOMAIN\Domain Admins" \
     SePrintOperatorPrivilege -U "MYDOMAIN\administrator"

  net rpc rights grant "MYDOMAIN\Our Printer Admins" \
     SePrintOperatorPrivilege -U "MYDOMAIN\administrator"

  net rpc rights grant "MYDOMAIN\User54321" \
     SePrintOperatorPrivilege -U "MYDOMAIN\administrator"

In each case you'll be prompted to supply the domain admin password:

  Enter MYDOMAIN\administrator's password:

If you know this password and everything works, you'll see this confirmation:

  Successfully granted rights.

Of course, you could grant this privilege to one or more individual domain users (example above: MYDOMAIN\User54321) too. But this is not recommended. Better grant the privilege to a group instead of individual accounts. This enables you to add and revoke the privilege by updating the group membership.

To list all users and groups having the SePrintOperatorPrivilege privilege granted, enter:

  net rpc rights list privileges SePrintOperatorPrivilege\
     -U "MYDOMAIN\administrator"

You should see the following output:

  SePrintOperatorPrivilege:
     BUILTIN\Administrators
     MYDOMAIN\Domain Admins
     MYDOMAIN\Our Printer Admins
     MYDOMAIN\User54321

You've now created the pre-condition that users listed above can upload and install printer drivers to your Samba server.

(Update: Just had a closer look at the smb.conf you quoted above... Replace MYDOMAIN\ with MYWORKGRP\ for the commands I gave, or skip it altogether and just use a user name or a group name known to Samba. You could possibly also temporarily try guest ok = yes inside the [print$] stanza. Don't forget to set it back to no once your drivers are in place...)

2.

Your second problem seems to be:

It seems CUPS default options interfere with the workstation's ones: I set duplex printing off by default on CUPS but want it to work if the user tick the checkbox on it's printing settings.

Where should I go to make CUPS use user's settings?

CUPS by default does not "filter" print jobs it gets handed over by Samba. It processes them as "raw" jobs and just passes them to the real print hardware device.

So if the driver is correctly installed on the Windows print clients, whatever job options they click, should be honored by the printer, regardless of default settings which may be configured into CUPS for CUPS-local printing...

You cannot "make" CUPS use user's settings -- CUPS will just pass them through.

How to print PCL file output to PDF file instead of printer

As also pointed out by @StephenKitt, there is GhostPCL/GhostPDL. It takes PCL5 and PCL-XL, and can produce the same output formats as Ghostscript, including PDF.

It wasn't in my Debian package sources, but there are statically linked 9.20 amd64 binaries (12/2016) on the download page, which I have just downloaded/tried, and successfully converted the sample owl.pcl to a PDF 1.5.

the command line was:

./gpcl6-920-linux_x86_64 -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -o owl.pdf owl.pcl

As a sidenote: As @derobert had hinted, PCL is an output format, and indirectly, that it is mostly generated from some other source. And that it may be easier to generate PS(→PDF) from that source directly, instead of first pushing everything through PCL format.

Passing "via" PCL may also net you a semantics loss, and will definitely burn more CPU.

@CityOfHighPoint: If the PCL-files you want to convert all arrive in a specific folder, you can rig up something with inotify to "watch" that folder, and convert any files found to PDF format, and save them to some other folder.

Best Answer

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Windows – Store Windows print driver on Samba for a CUPS print server

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How to print PCL file output to PDF file instead of printer

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