Using the KDE print system?
Posts: 89
I need to send faxes once in a while and I have discovered that the KDE print system has a tool for that. It seems to accept postscript files and sends them out as a fax. I've tested it out and it finds my modem just fine (surprising actually since I think it's a windmodem) and successfully sends the fax.
The question I have is, how do I print to this system from non-KDE apps such as Thunderbird or Open Office? The only printer options that come up the the print dialogs for these apps is my installed laser printer.
In KDE apps like Kate, I see a print to fax option. Oddly enough, when I print from a windows app (QuickBooks Pro) in Crossover, I get a "KDE Print System" option, which when I select gives me options like saving as PDF and sending a fax. Pretty neat, but why isn't that option available everywhere?
I can select "save to file" in any app and then load that into kdeprintfax, but that requires the extra steps and creates another file that I then have to go back and delete if I don't want to keep it (which is pretty much always).
So any ideas on how to make the KDE Print System available to all applications?
Thanks,
Kumar
Solved
Posts: 89
I posted the same question on the Mepis Lovers forum and got these answers. Figured I'd post them here too in case anyone else has the same question.
It seems each app does things a little differently (of course...)
For Open Office,
posted by lykwydchykyn:
"run oopadmin
add a new printer
Select pdf converter
select generic printer
when you get to the point of entering a command to run, it's "kprinter --stdin"
For Firefox and Thunderbird,
posted by mariel77:
"It's easier to set up in thunderbird and firefox.
File > Print
Click on Properties next to the Printer line
In the Print Command box, put
kprinter
or you can use
kprinter --stdin"
I found TB 1.5 and FF 1.5.0.1 to be a little strange in that the command line doesn't always appear. It seems to come back it I go ahead and print to my printer. The next time I go to properties it's there.
All of the above seems to work for me. You end up going through 3 dialogs to get to the fax but it does work. The file it generates in /tmp gets deleted automatically when it's done so you don't have to go back and clean up later.
I'm not sure if there will be command option in every program though. You can get it in Scribus just by clicking "alternative printer command" in the main print dialog.
Kumar