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phomemo thermal printing: url fixed

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Wouter Groeneveld 2023-02-03 10:31:38 +01:00
parent 540a9703b2
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content/post/2023/02/phomemo-thermal-printing-on-macos.md
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@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ The problem is twofold:
1. vivier's scripts use Python's deprecated Pybluez, that has been forked a couple of times, but ultimately, doesn't work on macOS (at least not on my M1 with Ventura 13.2). Mac's Bluetooth drivers, [CoreBluetooth](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corebluetooth?language=objc), aren't properly supported. Great.
2. The part where the script is connected to a virtual printer driver doesn't work on macOS. Granted, Ventura also runs a CUPS service; but its file/driver locations are different, as is its structure. Great.
The first problem was fixed by turning to Go and utilizing [TinyGo's Bluetooth modules](https://pkg.go.dev/tinygo.org/x/bluetooth#section-readme) that sit on top of CoreBluetooth[^corebl] and is also compatible with Linux, Windows, and bare metal microcontrollers. I had no idea how Bluetooth---or printer drivers---works, and I still barely do, but "it just works". `adapter.Scan()` found our Phomemo M02, connecting to the MAC works, discovering services works (there's only one), and finding characteristics works (`0000ff01-x` for reading results, `0000ff02-x` for writing, and `0000ff03-x` for... no idea!).
The first problem was fixed by turning to Go and utilizing [TinyGo's Bluetooth modules](https://pkg.go.dev/tinygo.org/x/bluetooth#section-readme) that sit on top of CoreBluetooth[^corebl] and is also compatible with Linux, Windows, and bare metal microcontrollers. I had no idea how Bluetooth---or a printer driver---works, and I still barely do, but "it just works". `adapter.Scan()` found our Phomemo M02, connecting to the MAC works, discovering services works (there's only one), and finding characteristics works (`0000ff01-x` for reading results, `0000ff02-x` for writing, and `0000ff03-x` for... no idea!).
[^corebl]: I later learned that, in Python, through PyObjC, you can also call CoreBluetooth directly. I would probably have preferred to keep everything in Python.
The source code is available at my Git repository called [phomemo-printer](https://git.brainbaking.com/wgroeneveld). It's very hacky and works for our specific situation but could do with a week of fine-tuning---which I don't have. For the second problem, I've had to cut many corners. For instance; I wanted my wife to be able to use it as a "printer" to select in a generic print dialog instead of running a CLI script. The options were:
The source code is available at my Git repository called [phomemo-printer](https://git.brainbaking.com/wgroeneveld/phomemo-printer). It's very hacky and works for our specific situation but could do with a week of fine-tuning---which I don't have. For the second problem, I've had to cut many corners. For instance; I wanted my wife to be able to use it as a "printer" to select in a generic print dialog instead of running a CLI script. The options were:
- Try to get it to integrate with Mac's version of CUPS. My knowledge and time is just too limited to do that.
- Create a virtual printer driver using for example IPP or the [Internet Printing Protocol](https://istopwg.github.io/ipp/ippguide.html). That involves implementing a lot of HTTP endpoints and would probably work but the effort is just too high. I only found existing IPP clients, not servers (one in Java, though).