upside down duplexed page -- CUPS issue (was Re: ps problem)

[Warren Block]

On Sun, 26 Jan 2014, Gary Aitken wrote:

> I need a sanity check, please, someone with cups and openoffice installed.
> In my case I'm using an HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 tied to the
> HP Photosmart P1100 ppd file, which seems to be the recommendation.
>
> the fbsd implementation of cups installs an lpr command in
>  /usr/local/bin
> the system supplies one in
>  /usr/bin
>
> The normal path puts /usr/bin ahead of /usr/local/bin
>
> 1. If I print the file below using
>     /usr/bin/lpr duplex.ps
>   it comes out duplexed properly.

The base system lpr and lpd do not mess with the incoming files unless 
you set up a filter.

> 2. If I print it using
>     /usr/local/bin/lpr duplex.ps
>   it comes out with the duplexed page upside down.

I would suspect this is because CUPS has modified the file based on the 
PPD.  Redirecting the final output to a file might be possible, but I 
don't use CUPS and can't help with that.

> I'd appreciate it if someone could verify whether or not they see
> similar behavior.
>
> If I create a simple 2 page document in openoffice,
> when printing from openoffice, I see the following:
>
> 3. If printed duplexed direct from OO, duplexed pages are upside down.
> 4. If printed to a pdf file and /usr/bin/lpr is used on the pdf,
>   no duplexing occurs -- I get two separate sheets.

Again mostly guessing, but the duplexing information, being 
device-specific, is probably removed when the PDF is created.

> 5. If printed to a pdf file and /usr/local/bin/lpr is used on the pdf,
>   duplexed pages are upside down.

And that duplexing works here would be due to CUPS adding the 
device-specific information when a job is printed.