[Xprint] user-level documentation

[Toby Blake]

> For xprint to be accepted by ordinary users (and even by Linux
> distributors) good documentation is absolutely needed. This should
> be the first priority above anything else. I said so before on this
> list.

I agree to a certain extent, but I have my doubts about the overall
readyness of xprint for serious usage.

I say this because I've posted to this list in recent months about

- Augment_Printer_List not working as specified in the documentation
   (cannot use '|' in command as per example, printer list mysteriously
   reversed)

- Using Augment_Printer_List *at all* results in Xprt not being able
   to detect the spooler and hence results in no printing.  This was
   first reported in March 2004 - a patch (which didn't work) was
   suggested at that time.

I didn't receive any replies to my posts about these problems.  I
patched the source code myself to get round these problems, but they
did lead me to have serious doubts about the reliability of the Xprint
code and the existence of an active support community (e.g. this list).

Lately, I've been seeing numerous postscript errors when printing from
Xprint to HP printers - as a result of the postscript produced by
Xprint.  I haven't posted any of these details to the list, as it
didn't appear to be active enough to warrant the effort.

It's slightly disappointing, as I would certainly like to use a
working Xprint, but I suspect I may have to conclude that it's simply
not yet in a state where it's ready for serious usage and development
isn't active enough to become so.

I hope I'm wrong though, as it's potentially a very very useful bit of
s/w.

Regards

Toby Blake
University of Edinburgh