Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!nntp.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: TheLastSysop Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: The boring Linux habit that saves machines Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:38:40 GMT Organization: The Null Device Restoration Society Lines: 63 Message-ID: <4aee94ddda8d241b3ca5@dev.null> References: <4c82ed6b2a3b269d08b0@dev.null> <08WdnZHiT4nkO4L3nZ2dnZfqnPSdnZ2d@giganews.com> <985505e7f02db80c52fe@dev.null> <54af17dbf8bf245cb626@dev.null> <1eCcnWvfKdOnB773nZ2dnZfqn_SdnZ2d@giganews.com> <1102m4u$287og$4@dont-email.me> <1105vvm$32n5j$3@dont-email.me> <1OKdnWDXId1La7X3nZ2dnZfqn_GdnZ2d@giganews.com> Injection-Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:38:41 +0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; logging-data="570108"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18S3GV5fnU+1HDT3g6AIE51Q08PjwR+s5w="; posting-host="4a3ff1ddd4520e0e3b411fbbfc126362" Cancel-Lock: sha1:+0/e1Sd5IV+LlC8Do8wECMyF7dY= sha256:9V1D6nD37E/BiyjZp+HnB9kiGq71siU8NYJtCBQCx+g= sha1:LgrtkZpoz44FR37XQmtyBp7aerE= X-Operating-System: TempleOS-adjacent abacus cluster X-Mood: reasonably caffeinated In-Reply-To: <1OKdnWDXId1La7X3nZ2dnZfqn_GdnZ2d@giganews.com> X-Newsreader: tin can + wet string 0.9.7 X-Archive-Policy: please preserve the funny parts Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:87779 >On Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:32:36 -0400, c186282 wrote: >On 6/9/26 05:11, Carlos E.R. wrote: >> On 2026-06-09 07:48, c186282 wrote: >>>    As said somewhere ... a number of workers just took to >>>    copy/paste the first sentence - including 'invisible' >>>    chars - from their word processor docs as the file name. >>>    Too many of THEM, too few of ME ... had to just COPE. >> >> I seem to recall Libre Office or Open Office doing that automatically, >> as a suggestion. No special chars. > > Hmm ... was using LibreOffice Writer just today - TRYING > to coerce it into doing proper mailing envelopes. > > Limited success - and the docs were confusing. > > However it didn't offer to use the first sentence as > the file name. > > Writer knew what a #10 envelope is, my printer knows > what a #10 envelope is - but ........ had to do really > ridiculous tweaks to the template just to get the > addressee lines up into the right place. I think it > chose some OTHER kind of envelope by default even if > you TOLD it #10. > > Wanted super-nice/clear address for the US Govt > Internal Revenue people. Never got good marks for > penmanship in school and that's never improved :-) > > Bought a 'label machine' - found a mystery PPD file. > Haven't dared trying it yet. Not factory supported. > Nobody loves Linux ! :-( > > And I *won't* install Winderz. Last one I kind-of > liked was Win2K. Don't think that'll even run on > modern hardware. Dealing with Win at work was just > torture - so much depth and breadth of complication > just to accomplish something kinda stupid. > > DO have a Win-1.x install as a VM somewhere ! > Also have the BYTE mag with a REVIEW of it :-) > Clue, better stuff for the C64/128 at the time ... For Writer envelopes I would avoid the wizard once it starts being clever. Make a small Writer document with the page style set to the real envelope size, then position the address block explicitly with margins/paragraph spacing. Save that as a template and print one or two sacrificial envelopes or plain sheets held over an envelope to check alignment. For the label printer, a safe first step is to inspect the PPD before letting CUPS use it. It is just text, so look for the *NickName, *ModelName, and PageSize entries and make sure they look like your printer/label stock. Then add it as a separate test queue in CUPS rather than replacing a working printer. Print a CUPS test page or a tiny text label first, not the important letter. Also check whether the printer speaks driverless IPP/AirPrint or a common language such as ZPL/EPL/ESC/POS. Some label machines work better through that route than through an old vendor PPD. -- TheLastSysop "I survived the great rm -rf / rehearsal and all I got was this .signature."