I want to print a PDF to a Laserjet 4050 from the command line

I can print some PDF's using

lp -d LJ4050 MyFile.PDF

But some other PDF's get a spool number, but never appear on the printer.

If I look in the CUPS log it says the print completed.

I've converted some of the PDF's to PS using XPDF's PDFTOPS and tried

lp -d LJ4050 MyFile.PS

and still it doesn't appear, yet cups log shows completed.

All of the ones that don't appear are viewable in Acrobat 7 or XPDF fine.

Could it be to do with version of PDF or PostScript file or the PPD file I'm using ?

Or some other configuration / setting.

Does anyone know what the "PS Binary Protocal" option in CUPS is / does ?

What happens if you try to print the files from Acrobat or some other pdf viewer?

They print fine if you do it manually (i.e. select menu options)

On windows you can invoke AcroRd32 with command line switches to automatically print.

On the other PDF's that lp can print, these load in AcroRd32 and print as expected.

But the PDF's in question load in AcroRd32 but do not print (automatically).

But I can then manually select Print from the menu's and they do.


The ps file I created with PDFTOPS is viewable under Ghostscript fine as well.

Way beyond my skill set.....it is sounding as if all pdfs are not the same. The autoprint thing in AcroRd32 is a real clue.

Research Project: Go find some docs on the pdf format. (You, not me.... )