I'm working on an upgrade, expecting better stuffs

[NaitLee]

It's a long time not updated this repo.
Half years ago I got a laptop (now using) but it's not my development platform at that time, while I need bluetooth on it.
So after a rush the code is very poor, in the sight from 2022 😶‍🌫️

Now that I'm cleaning up the main python script while making a brand new frontend
Going to commit them all together, because at the moment there's no actual difference at all.
I'm also planing to host this project (also) to somewhere else. Here really have problems accessing GitHub.

I see python-for-android while investigating bleak (the bluetooth lib), found that I can build an working Android version with just what a PC version will have -- Python, basehttp, bleak, and a common web interface.
This way we are all free from the original weird app...
And, feel free to discuss what you guys really need in an "app" 😃

Emm, maybe the image monochrome filter needs enhancement as well...

Wish I'll complete this goal 😉

---

EDIT: it's ongoing greatly. In this discussion you can view the history directly (some points maybe false now), or see newest thoughts by sorting with "Newest".

[NaitLee]

This day I costed 10 hours investigating python-for-android, and bleak integration with it.
It's a long process suffering from the dirty job made by those java developers, but I finally made it...
My test python script successfully being compiled to an apk, installed on my phone, printed the pre-defined data.
There are many, many hacks made for the work. Going to summarize these later.
Well, let's see the final result...

[frankenstein91]

@NaitLee in an other project we see CUPS as a good option
rbaron/catprinter#24

[NaitLee]

Hey, current version of this project has a very basic CUPS/IPP support 😄
EDIT: no longer legacy-only. See newest release!
Though, it's really very basic, and it can only receive printed content and print it, no further "status" at all.

1. Enable bluetooth and launch the printer, execute server.py from either a release or cloned repo.
2. In CUPS, add URL ipp://127.0.0.1:8095/ as a Generic PostScript Printer.
   You can (not required) append string after the url, like GB02 or GB02,61:06:ff:7d:8d:fd, for picking the correct printer.
3. While printing, it will directly invoke Ghostscript (gs in Linux) for converting to PBM image format. Be sure to install it.
4. Optionally, config printer settings though Web interface.
5. Try it with something like LibreOffice! Use an A4 portrait paper, and a bigger font (probably more than 32pt)

Note: currently there is no error reporting mechanism. The way to do (via ipp protocol or cmdline) is not determined either.

CUPS/IPP is kinda complex. If it's going to be fully supported, around 80% of the code will be of that.
You can see the IPP specification here. It's not something short after all.

Worth to mention is that this project is different: it aims at a user interface, not just backend. So the desired user-friendliness is going to be on the Web interface.

[NaitLee]

I'm wondering if I should make all the stuffs (like "full" wysiwyg editing and stickers/borders etc) or just keep it simple.
"A software should only do one thing, and do it well." But users won't take it serious. What a dilemma.

EDIT: Determined: the goal is to make a general graphical user interface, while making backend code usable easily with CLI and reusable as library. Both side should be simple & flexible to modify & develop, without requiring heavy dependencies.

[frankenstein91]

I would love to see templates for barcodes, business cards, shopping lists and route information.

[NaitLee]

You mean a full interface 😃
Well, after some thoughts I think I should switch the direction: just make a full featured Printer frontend, and let backends can integrate with it. And there are already many versions of backends across here, just let them expose some functions or a class, or I adapt them.
EDIT: Never the case. I'll do all of them, in my own (or your preference), at least for fun.

[brysonreece]

If it's possible, the addition of GB03 support would be nice - I haven't found any project compatible with that model yet, which is what I unknowingly ordered. For reference, here's a link to Amazon where the GB03 model was purchased.

Another differentiating factor I've noticed is that the iPrint app has to be launched and printer chosen before the printer will show up in my phone's Bluetooth Devices menu. Despite all efforts, my Mac refuses to acknowledge the printer is broadcasting at all and refuses to list the device, even with an external BLE dongle.

[NaitLee]

EDIT: Status of this day: investigating iprint & GB03, completing the new version's frontend.

EDIT: (removed useless things)

[frankenstein91]

I ordered a printer yesterday on AliExpress... I don't know which version it would be... But I think I will be brave enough for testing 🙂

[claudiorrrr]

Oh crap, maybe that's the reason this is not working to me. I just bought a model and it seems to be GB03. How different is it from the older models?

[NaitLee]

I'm wondering if I could:

1. Get/Fake a programmable BLE device
2. Program the device, lead iPrint to regard it as a certain working model (in our case GB03)
3. Do actions with iPrint (like print), but our device actually dump the traffic
4. Analyze the traffic, try to make a equivalent in our way

Well, the nRF52840 dongle I've bought have use now... 😜

In addition there's also a "canPrintLabel" stuff that happens in GB03's bitmap procedure.
Along with compression and detection, it's very different...

In their code those Chinglish function names really suck. Give them some color to see see.

[NaitLee]

Sorry for the long wait, but it's finally released.
You can test the 0.1.0 releases immediately, and play with the Android version!

At the moment there's few function. Going to do them later.
The Android building how-to is not there yet. Patience...
As for GB03, I'll take a look when I feel appropriate, with the bluetooth dongle hack.
My C programming skill is not good enough, though... (doing with the dongle needs to write C/C++ firmware programs)

[claudiorrrr]

Oh still waiting for that GB03 update! :(

[NaitLee]

Well, just now I set up the bluetooth low energy development environment, modified an example code (a typical "blink" program on all IoT stuffs, but have bluetooth interface, I changed the broadcast name to "GB03" and BLE characteristic to the desired) and successfully fooled iprint to list my dongle 😜
But I need real data transferring techniques, serial communication to dump the traffic, and some analytic tricks, will manage to do/learn all of them.
Every day is a new progress 😄

BTW do you really hate "iprint"? I see it just-so-so. Yes it's big.
My reason to do all of these is I hate the chinese version. It even wants my phone number. And everyone else's.
Of course I fight for true freedom of worldwide 😉

[claudiorrrr]

BTW do you really hate "iprint"?

Oh yes I do. The whole point for me of getting this little printer is to be able to manage it on CLI and not install any fishy app on my phone. Thanks @NaitLee for all your work!

[frankenstein91]

Hey, current version of this project has a very basic CUPS/IPP support smile You can see some related code at server.py. I just kept it secret for a long time... Though, it's really very basic, and it can only receive printed content and print it, no further "status" at all. EDIT: The newest commit is not released yet. To test the following please git clone the repo and get the dependencies (can just pick most from a release) It requires ghostscript being installed, and add the ipp://127.0.0.1:8095/GB02 as a PostScript printer. (replace GB02 as your printer bluetooth name) It directly invokes gs in the current shell. Be sure the gs is not alias-ed by some advanced shells to git status... (if it happens, try unalias gs) Now just launch python3 server.py, enable bluetooth and open the printer. Try it with something like LibreOffice! Use an A4 portrait paper, and a bigger font (probably more than 32pt)

CUPS/IPP is kinda complex. If it's going to be fully supported, around 80% of the code will be of that. You can see the IPP specification here. It's not something short after all.

Worthy to mention is that this project is different: it aims at a user interface, not just backend. So the desired user-friendliness is already on the Web interface, and thanks to Web you can actually copy-paste almost anything to it, then print. Going to make it better after all the main jobs, at least mimicking a stable just-work CUPS interface, if ya reilly want stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye

I did not get this working as well

[NaitLee]

Sorry for the inconvenience, the CUPS/IPP feature is in legacy, but not this new version yet. I updated the comment to make it clear.
EDIT: it is there again in new version.

As for frontend, check if that:
a) you have an old browser, that doesn't support newer ecma script features, like firefox esr. and
b) you are using the repo alone, without putting i18n script and/or transpiling a compatibility script (see the points in development.md), or
c) you didn't enable javascript

anyway, press F12 in browser and see what's inside the console.
you may try with a new browser and a published release (like 0.1.0)

[frankenstein91]

d) VPN somehow

[claudiorrrr]

with one of these. It's better to try all... especially the ae81 one:

It didn't work either. Still waiting for the support! Thanks again

[NaitLee]

It didn't work either. Still waiting for the support! Thanks again

Oh, no 😢
Maybe I should check if iprint sent something during initialization...
Just tough.

[frankenstein91]

@Claudioruiz did I get it... you have an none working GB03?
I have a GB03 too... works great

[claudiorrrr]

@Claudioruiz did I get it... you have an none working GB03? I have a GB03 too... works great

Yup, no luck at all even connecting the printer to the computer. It seems as the printer doesn't even exist for the computer (I did test it with my phone using nRF Connect and it's capable to find it). I can't use it so far :(

[frankenstein91]

@claudiorrrr could you give me the output of lsusb | grep Bluetooth

[claudiorrrr]

@claudiorrrr could you give me the output of lsusb | grep Bluetooth

lsusb | grep Bluetooth shows no output on MacOS. Same with Ubuntu on a x220. :/

[frankenstein91]

@claudiorrrr could you give me the output of lsusb | grep Bluetooth

lsusb | grep Bluetooth shows no output on MacOS. Same with Ubuntu on a x220. :/

Try to change usb to pci

[claudiorrrr]

@claudiorrrr could you give me the output of lsusb | grep Bluetooth

lsusb | grep Bluetooth shows no output on MacOS. Same with Ubuntu on a x220. :/

Try to change usb to pci

same

[NaitLee]

I'm wondering if it's just problem of Mac.
If could, you can try with a Linux VM in Mac. I recommend Virtualbox.
It's easy to do basics. And I just mention that you need to attach the bluetooth adapter to VM in virtualbox (in my case it's called "Intel Corp." in USB devices selection), and to do this you likely need "virtualbox extension pack" installed first.
In Linux env you can follow the readme to get work. Don't forget check the common myths like didn't enable bluetooth etc.
The printer is able to be scanned & shown, but not able to be connected nor paired (with 'common' bluetooth protocol). usb cable does no work.
I will publish a pre-release now, including current code, for testing...
Still, feel free to ask any problems encountered 😄

[frankenstein91]

I had the idea that the Bluetooth adapter isn't BLE capable... But it wasn't there as a USB or PCI device. So we can't really check that.

[NaitLee]

I had the idea that the Bluetooth adapter isn't BLE capable... But it wasn't there as a USB or PCI device. So we can't really check that.

Well, why not just test 🙃 My bluetooth adapter is built inside my computer, but still shown as USB device.
Apple MacOS alike is "painful", said by many (at least) web developers, for it's lockdown nature. But Mac computer is yet expensive. I never wanted to waste money on such a stuff... 😅

And BLE have some concepts, thing like our printer is called "peripheral", and our computer is called "central" when it controls the printer.
My computer bluetooth adapter is not BLE peripheral compatible either (unsure), but it can communicate to printer! I can even see the traffic in Wireshark.
My cheap bluetooth earbuds are identified as BLE too. If there is AirPods, why isn't Mac computer BLE compatible 🤫
Android phones can mostly do both, though just one at once. That's how I've dumped iprint traffic with 2 phones 😊

I will also put apk in the release, for also trying on android.
Also in the pre-release there's cups/ipp. Try that, please 😉

[frankenstein91]

as you can "see" here... cups/ipp is working with the current version cc93b98

[NaitLee]

Great 😄

[frankenstein91]

By the way... It's a GB03 and works perfectly

[NaitLee]

See this Bleak Doc, MacOS wants an UUID rather than MAC address.
Maybe that's why it's not even scanned.
I don't really know what's the real difference, though...

[claudiorrrr]

See this Bleak Doc, MacOS wants an UUID rather than MAC address. Maybe that's why it's not even scanned. I don't really know what's the real difference, though...

After using nRF Connect on iOS I finally discovered what is the UUID number of the printer. I'm not certain where to put that info on the python script top be able to communicate with the printer

[NaitLee]

Ouch!

Forgive my silliness, on macOS there's an additional dependency: pyobjc

pip install pyobjc

If it doesn't work, see its document here

It seems hard to be included in "pure" edition. So it's best to use "bare" edition, along with installing bleak:

pip install bleak

I'll update readme asap, when there's another commit ready.

btw the uuid is dynamically given by macos (not characteristic), actually no need to care in usual practice...