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Configuring Secure Global Desktop PDF Printing

With Secure Global Desktop PDF printing, users print from a Windows or X application using a Secure Global Desktop PDF printer. The print job is sent from the application server to an SGD server where it is converted into a portable document format (PDF) file. SGD then sends the PDF file to a PDF viewer on the user's client device where the file can be viewed, saved and printed.

You configure PDF printing as follows:

  1. Enable the Secure Global Desktop PDF printers.
  2. Check the Ghostscript installation on the SGD host.
  3. Configure PDF viewers on client devices.

Once you have configured PDF printing, tell users how to use PDF printing.

Enabling the Secure Global Desktop PDF Printers

SGD has two PDF printers: Universal PDF Printer and Universal PDF Viewer.

On Microsoft Windows client devices, the Universal PDF Printer displays the print job as a PDF file in the Adobe Reader, which then prints the PDF file to the user's default printer. The Universal PDF Viewer displays the print job as a PDF file in the Adobe Reader, which the user can then decide whether to print or save.

On UNIX, Linux and Mac OS X system client devices, there is no difference between the Universal PDF Printer and Print to Universal PDF Viewer as the print job is always displayed as a PDF file in a PDF viewer. The user can then decide whether to print or save the PDF file.

The following configuration is needed to enable the Secure Global Desktop PDF printers.

Enabling PDF Printers on UNIX and Linux System Application Servers

To use PDF printing, you must install an SGD printer queue on the application server. You do not have to install the Universal PDF Printer and Universal PDF Viewer, as they are installed by default when you install the printer printer queue.

Enabling PDF Printers on Microsoft Windows Application Servers

The following instruction only apply when printing from Windows applications that are configured to use the Microsoft RDP protocol.

To use PDF printing, you must first select a PostScript printer driver to use for PDF printing. Make sure the printer driver has sufficient features for your users. Install this printer driver on every Microsoft Windows application server. By default, SGD is configured to use the HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS printer driver.

To enable PDF printing from Microsoft Windows applications for all users:

  1. In the SGD Administration Console, click the Global Settings » Printing tab.
  2. To enable the Universal PDF Printer, select the Universal PDF Printer check box.
  3. To enable the Universal PDF Viewer, select the Universal PDF Viewer check box.
  4. (Optional) Select the check box to make either the Universal PDF Printer or the Universal PDF Viewer the default printer.

    If you make a PDF printer the default printer for Windows applications and SGD is configured to only allow users to print to their default printer, users see two printers in their Windows application session: their default client printer and the PDF printer.

  5. In the Postscript Printer Driver field, type the name of the PostScript printer driver you selected for PDF printing.

    The name must match the name of the printer driver installed on the Microsoft Windows application server exactly. Pay particular attention to the use of capitals and spaces. The /opt/tarantella/etc/data/default.printerinfo.txt file contains all the common printer driver names ordered by manufacturer. To avoid errors, copy and paste the driver name from this file.

  6. Click Save.

    Note The changes only take effect for new user sessions.

To enable PDF printing from Microsoft Windows applications for particular users:

  1. In the SGD Administration Console, click the User Profiles tab and select either an organization, an organizational unit, or a user profile object.

    Note If you configure an organization or organizational unit object, this affects all the users in that organization or organizational unit.

  2. Click the Printing tab.
  3. If the Client Printing options are grayed out, select the Override Parent's Settings or Override Global Settings check box.
  4. To enable the Universal PDF Printer, select the Universal PDF Printer check box.
  5. To enable the Universal PDF Viewer, select the Universal PDF Viewer check box.
  6. (Optional) Select the check box to make either the Universal PDF Printer or the Universal PDF Viewer the default printer.

    If you make a PDF printer the default printer for Windows applications and SGD is configured to only allow users to print to their default printer, users see two printers in their Windows application session: their default client printer and the PDF printer.

  7. In the Postscript Printer Driver field, type the name of the PostScript printer driver you selected for PDF printing.

    The name must match the name of the printer driver installed on the Windows application server exactly. Pay particular attention to the use of capitals and spaces. The /opt/tarantella/etc/data/default.printerinfo.txt file contains all the common printer driver names ordered by manufacturer. To avoid errors, copy and paste the driver name from this file.

  8. Click Save.

    Note The changes only take effect for new user sessions.

Note If a PDF viewer is not configured on the client device, the PDF printers are not available in the Windows application session even if a PDF printer is enabled.

Changing the Names of the PDF Printers

The names of Secure Global Desktop PDF printers are configurable. You can amend these names as follows.

To change the PDF printer names for all users, use the following command:

Skip past command syntax or program code$ tarantella config edit \
  --printing-pdfprinter name --printing-pdfviewer name

To change the PDF printer names for an organization, organizational unit or user profile object, the object must also be configured to override the parent object's printing settings. Use the following command:

Skip past command syntax or program code$ tarantella object edit --name object \
  --userprintingconfig true --pdfprinter name --pdfviewer name

Checking the Ghostscript Installation on the SGD Host

SGD uses Ghostscript to convert print jobs into PDF files. To use PDF printing, Ghostscript version 6.52 or later must be installed on the SGD host. Your Ghostscript distribution must include the ps2pdf program.

When you install SGD, Setup automatically detects Ghostscript if it is installed in one of the following locations:

If Ghostscript is installed in a different location, you must run the SGD printer queue installation script (prtinstall.en.sh) on the SGD host with the --gsbindir option to configure the location of Ghostscript.

If more than one version of Ghostscript is installed, you must run the prtinstall.en.sh script with the --gsbindir option to tell SGD which version to use.

If Ghostscript is not installed on the SGD host, or your Ghostscript distribution does not include the ps2pdf program, you must install it and then run the SGD printer installation script.

Configuring PDF Viewers on Client Devices

To be able to use PDF printing, a PDF viewer must be installed on the client device.

Microsoft Windows Client Devices

On Microsoft Windows client devices, SGD supports the Adobe Reader version 4.0 or later.

UNIX, Linux and Mac OS X System Client Devices

On UNIX, Linux and Mac OS X system client devices, SGD supports the following PDF viewers by default:

Client Platform Default PDF Viewer
Solaris OS on SPARC platforms Adobe Reader (acroread)
GNOME PDF Viewer (gpdf)
Solaris OS on x86 platforms GNOME PDF Viewer (gpdf)
Linux GNOME PDF Viewer (gpdf)
X PDF Reader (xpdf)
Mac OS X Preview App (/Applications/Preview.app)

Note The Adobe Reader PDF viewer must support the -openInNewWindow command option. The Preview App PDF viewer must support the open -a command option.

To be able to use a default PDF viewer, the application must be on the user's PATH.

If an alternative PDF viewer is preferred, the command for the alternative viewer application can be configured in the user's client profile. In the profile you enter either the command or the full path to the command, depending on whether the application is on the user's PATH.

How to Use PDF Printing

From a Microsoft Windows application, you print in the normal way, and select either the Universal PDF Printer or the Universal PDF Viewer in the application's Print dialog.

From an application running on a UNIX or Linux system application server, you print in the normal way using the SGD replacement lp or lpr scripts. You select a PDF printer as part of the print command, for example:

Skip past command syntax or program code$ /opt/tarantella/bin/lp -d "Universal PDF Printer" filename
$ /opt/tarantella/bin/lpr -P "Universal PDF Viewer" filename

Note The filename must be a PostScript file, so the application must be able to output PostScript.

On Microsoft Windows client devices, the PDF file is displayed in the Adobe Reader. If the Universal PDF Printer is selected, the PDF file is printed automatically to the user's default printer. The Adobe Reader runs minimized and does not exit when the print job has finished. If the Universal PDF Viewer is selected, the PDF file is displayed in the Adobe Reader window. The user can then decide whether to print or save the file.

On UNIX, Linux and Mac OS X system client devices, the PDF file is displayed either in the default PDF viewer or in the PDF viewer configured in the client profile. The user can then decide whether to print or save the PDF file. There is no difference between the Universal PDF Printer and the Universal PDF Viewer as the print job is always displayed in a PDF viewer.

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