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File Conversion Issue

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BJZeak

Programmer
May 3, 2008
230
CA
There is always more then one way to solve a problem ... just haven't found one that provides a solution

Scenario:
AIX Enterprise Application needs to convert a PCL encoded file to PDF
- AIX 5.3 64 bit
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Device Driver that converts PCL to PDF (set up as a print device in the Windows domain)

Issue 1)
AIX, using the native lpr print spool command, is printing files directly to the windows domain print device ... this results in a pdf file being deposited in an NFS folder

This currently fails to offer a solution because the file name of the resulting pdf file cannot be referenced back to the original file submitted to the AIX spooler (the pdf file name doesn't contain any part of the original file name)

investigations reveal that lpr passes the file to the spooler daemon with the job number as a file name but then because this is a 3rd party device the spooler daemon appears to get another job number which it uses as a new file name to pass along to the PCL PDF device through the Back End processor ... I trapped the job metrics passed along to the Back End processor but it is already too late at that point to reintroduce the original file name as there is again no reference to the original file name.

We are currently attempting to push the PCL files directly to the NFS folder then have a Windows Script pushing these files to the windows pdf device using the native windows lpr command ... this process works in principle but we appear to be having issues with the NFS file properties/rights

We would really prefer not to have to purchase an AIX version of the PCL to PDF convertor (there is a company in the UK that offers a product but at this point the focus is to use the software that has already been licenced)

So long story Short ... wondering if anyone might know if its possible to:

1) force AIX's lpr command and or the spooler daemon to pass along the original file name to the back end external print devices

or

2) bypass AIX's lpr command and spooler and send a file directly to the external device

or

3) maybe use Wine and a Windows flavour of lpr in AIX

or

4) other suggestion?




 
possible option is to convert from pcl to postscript, and then to pdf - there are free converters from pcl->ps and then others from ps->pdf

Manual port to Aix may be required

Regarding NFS ... look into using CIFS instead

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886
 
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