Secure Global Desktop Administration Guide > Printing > Configuring Secure Global Desktop PDF printing

Configuring Secure Global Desktop PDF printing

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Learn how to configure Secure Global Desktop PDF printing

Secure Global Desktop PDF printing allows users to print from a Windows 2000/2003 Server or UNIX application server to a printer attached to their Windows client device without having to install the correct printer drivers on the application server. There are two types of PDF printing:

PDF printing; and
PDF file printing (also known as "paperless printing").

How PDF printing works

In their application session, the user selects the Secure Global Desktop PDF printer, named "Universal PDF".
The Universal PDF printer sends the print job in PostScript format from the application server to the Secure Global Desktop server.
The Secure Global Desktop server converts the print job into a PDF file and sends it to the client.
The client starts the Adobe® Reader® and sends the PDF file to the user's printer.

Note When the print job has finished, the Adobe Reader is not shut down.

PDF printing can be configured so that the Universal PDF printer is used by default and the output is sent automatically to the client's default printer. This means no user input is required.

How PDF file printing works

This feature is only supported by the Sun Secure Global Desktop Client running on Windows 2000/XP Professional.

In their application session, the user selects the Secure Global Desktop PDF file printer, named "Print to Local PDF File".
The PDF file printer sends the print job in PostScript format from the application server to the Secure Global Desktop server.
The Secure Global Desktop server converts the print job into a PDF file and sends it to the client.
The client starts the Adobe® Reader® and displays the PDF file.

Note When the PDF file displays, it is not printed on the client. This is why it is known as "paperless printing". The user can decide whether to print or save the PDF file.

PDF printing can be configured so that the PDF file printer is used by default.

Requirements for PDF printing

The application server must be a UNIX application server, Windows 2000 Server or a Windows 2003 Server.
Ghostscript must be installed on the Secure Global Desktop host. We recommend version 6.52 or later.
The user must use a Windows client.
The Adobe Reader version 4.0+ must be installed on the client.

Configuring PDF printing

Check the Ghostscript installation

PDF printing uses the Ghostscript ps2pdf program to convert the print jobs into PDF files. When you install Secure Global Desktop, Setup automatically detects Ghostscript if it is installed in one of the following locations:

/usr/local/bin
/usr/bin
/opt/sfw/bin
/bin
/usr/sbin
/sbin
/usr/lbin

If Ghostscript is installed elsewhere, you must run the prtinstall.en.sh script with the --gsbindir option to tell Secure Global Desktop where to find Ghostscript.

If Ghostscript is not installed (or your Ghostscript distribution does not include the ps2pdf program), you must install it and then run the prtinstall.en.sh script.

Configure the application servers

For Windows 2000/2003 Servers, you must select the PostScript printer driver that will be used for PDF printing. Make sure the printer driver has sufficient features for your users. Check that this printer driver is installed on every server. By default, Secure Global Desktop expects the driver to be HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS.

For UNIX servers, you must configure a Secure Global Desktop printer on the UNIX server (if you haven't done so already) by running the Secure Global Desktop printer installation script.

Ensure client devices have the Adobe Reader

You must make sure that the Adobe Reader version 4.0+ is available on all client devices that will be using PDF printing. If a client does not have the Reader, the Secure Global Desktop PDF printers will not be created in the Windows 2000/2003 session.

Enable PDF printing

You can enable PDF printing:

for the whole array on the Printing properties panel in Array Manager.
for individual users on the Printing panel for organization, organizational unit or person objects in Object Manager.

You need to configure:

which PDF printers users can use, either the Universal PDF printer, the PDF file printer or both.
the PostScript printer driver to use for PDF printing.

You can also set a PDF printer as the user's default printer in a Windows session and choose whether to display the Adobe Reader Print dialog.

If you make a PDF printer the default printer for Windows 2000/2003 and you have also configured Secure Global Desktop to only allow users to print to their default printer, users will see two printers in their Windows 2000/2003 session: their default client printer and a Secure Global Desktop PDF printer.

If you check Display Adobe Reader Print dialog, users will see two Print dialogs: one on the application server and one on the client.

How users select a PDF printer

Windows 2000/2003

From a Windows 2000/2003 application session, users select a PDF printer in the application Print dialog.

UNIX

From a UNIX application session, users select a PDF printer by running either of the following commands:

/opt/tarantella/bin/lp -d "PDF_printer" filename
/opt/tarantella/bin/lpr -P "PDF_printer" filename

The PDF_printer must be either "Universal PDF" or "Print to Local PDF File".
The filename must be a PostScript file, so the application must be able to output PostScript.
You must print using the Secure Global Desktop replacement lp or lpr scripts.

Next steps in configuring Secure Global Desktop printing

Configure another application server:
Configure the Secure Global Desktop server to accept remote print requests.
Configure printing if you use the Common UNIX Printing System™ (CUPS).
Configure printing for UNIX clients.
Configure Secure Global Desktop PDF printing.
Configure Secure Global Desktop print job conversion.
Test that printing works. If you have trouble printing, follow the steps in the printing troubleshooter.

Related topics
Printing properties (array-wide) Introducing Secure Global Desktop printing Printing from a Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 application server The prtinstall.en.sh script