Desktop application developers should never had to write print drivers -
all the printing work should be handled by the OS, with the apps
querying the OS for what the printer looks like. There is no way that
WordPerfect or StarOffice should even have a setting to tell the app
what the printer is. I've told the system once, and once is enough.
Agreed, and on Linux, applications don't. Almost all printing on Linux goes via PostScript -- the same PostScript that sorted out the problems with printing on the Mac. There are exceptions -- the gimp does its own printing because it has somewhat specialised requirements.
There isn't any such thing as a "printer driver" on Linux either, that's a Windows anachronism. Did you know, presumably you did, that Windows drivers reside in kernel space on Windows? Every vendor's printer driver -- and there are hundreds if not thousands -- lives in kernel space and you install them without a second thought. Horrifying thought isn't it?
You really should sort out printing under Linux -- it's come on in leaps and bounds recently. In fact I tend to get better support for printing under Linux than I do under Windows now.
jch
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