Fixed buggy connection to printer

.gitignore

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ wheels/
 .installed.cfg
 *.egg
 MANIFEST
+bin/
+share/
+pyvenv.cfg
 
 # PyInstaller
 #  Usually these files are written by a python script from a template

README.md

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 
 > Print out shit from the cloud.
 
+![Ditherd image of a Adafruit Thermal Printer](dither_it_cover.png)
+[CC-BY oomlout](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TPRI-01_(14335248671).jpg)
+
 ## About
 
 This project started when I got a Thermal Printer from a friend. I don't really know if you can do anything more, but I guess it's fun.
@@ -11,39 +14,54 @@ This project started when I got a Thermal Printer from a friend. I don't really
 ## Requirements
 
 To make this project work, you will need :
-- [A Thermal Printer](https://www.adafruit.com/product/597)
-- A Raspberry Pi
+- A Thermal Printer :
+    - I used Adafruit's thermal printer at first, but it broke down. You can get it [here](https://www.adafruit.com/product/597).
+    - I then used a EPSON TM-T2OIII. It's expensive, but it's also high quality, and has better CUPS and specific library support.
+- A Raspberry Pi or any computer with USB or Serial.
 - Some electric wires.
-- Some knowledge of the command line
-- 3h of your time
+- Some knowledge of the command line,
+- Some knowledge of Python.
+- 3h of your time, 5h if things need debugging.
+- `git`, `virtualenv`,`pip` and `python` >= 3.8.6.
 
 ## Installation
 
-Start by following the guide [here](https://learn.adafruit.com/networked-thermal-printer-using-cups-and-raspberry-pi) to install the CUPS software needed to print images. If you want, you can install it via the command line, [following this guide](https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/cups.html).
+For the EPSON TM-T20III, you can get the CUPS driver from [here](https://download.epson-biz.com/modules/pos/index.php?page=soft&scat=32). It's not specific to the printer I've been using, so you can try with other printers.
+
+With that, you can try out your printer and print normal text, images or pdf documents for example. LittlePrynter itself does not require any other software than the ones installed with it, i.e the ones listed in the `requirements.txt` file.
+
+
+
+For the Adafruit printer, start by following the guide [here](https://learn.adafruit.com/networked-thermal-printer-using-cups-and-raspberry-pi) to install the CUPS software needed to print images. If you want, you can install it via the command line, [following this guide](https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/cups.html).
 
 You can also get some information from [here](https://learn.adafruit.com/mini-thermal-receipt-printer) and [here](https://learn.adafruit.com/instant-camera-using-raspberry-pi-and-thermal-printer) if you're stuck.
 
 Then, setup the project :
 ```
 git clone https://git.n07070.xyz/n07070/LittlePrynter
+virtualenv LittlePrynter
 cd LittlePrynter
 pip install -r requirements.txt
 ```
-Now, edit `the users.json` and add a user. **Don't forget to remove the test user.**
+
+You should see a folder named `configuration`. Enter it, and duplicate the file named `config.toml.sample`, and rename the copy to `config.toml`. Now, edit this file by following the comments in the file itself.
 
 You can now start the web server with
 
 ```
-export FLASK_APP=littleprynter.py
+export FLASK_APP=main.py
 flask run
 ```
 
+This command should start a web server with which you can test your configuration. If you plan on exposing your printer to the Internet, and give it an IP / URL, _please, please, please_, don't run it this way. Look at Flask's documentation and read about running a production server. It's a little more work, but it will prevent your computer/server being hacked in too easily.  
+
 Voilà !
 
 ## More
+
 If you liked this project, feel free to support my work !
 
-[https://n07070.xyz/post/about-me/about-me/](Donations welcome :-])
+[Donations welcome ! :)](https://n07070.xyz/about-me)
 
 ## Links
 
@@ -51,7 +69,6 @@ If you liked this project, feel free to support my work !
 - [Github repo with CUPS drivers for the Adafruit Thermal Printer ( zj-58 )](https://github.com/klirichek/zj-58)
 - [A link to buy one in Europe](https://rlx.sk/sk/various-boards/1829-mini-thermal-receipt-printer-adafruit-597.html)
 - [Another link to buy one, direct from factory](https://www.cashinotech.com/csn-a2-58mm-mini-panel-thermal-receipt-printer_p11.html)
--
 
 
 ## Licence

configuration/config.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Configuration file the LittlePrynter
+
+# Printer settings
+[printer]
+vendor_id = 0x04b8
+device_id = 0x0e28
+
+# Users = Password
+[users]
+admin = "admin"
+
+# Secrets for flask
+[secrets]
+flask_secret_key = "ChÕÓhÑLa)Ù<î=F;ÑÊÝ5fV÷}º35+FâXg£Ì;Ñ58ëȤ^ìãtzº<$úÌ¢ü>A¡ÿ:--_Uc²æmÇ)ëÛòöéZ¥÷Z¯¦`,ç¶B°>Å:Zÿ¼Á@ªu-º´¬XäwYÃ`c>YÜYÏJ${_f{MJ[ÙkNzg_WZv"

configuration/config.toml.sample

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Configuration file the LittlePrynter
+
+# Printer settings
+[printer]
+vendor_id = "0x04b8"
+device_id = "0x0e28"
+
+# Users = Password
+[users]
+admin = "admin"
+
+# Secrets for flask
+# See "How to generate good secret keys" in https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/1.1.x/quickstart/
+[secrets]
+flask_secret_key = "random string to do things"

requirements.txt

@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-Adafruit-Thermal==1.1.0
-Click==7.0
-Flask==1.0.2
-Flask-Limiter==1.0.1
-itsdangerous==0.24
-Jinja2==2.10
-limits==1.3
-MarkupSafe==1.0
-Pillow==5.3.0
-pyserial==3.4
-six==1.11.0
-Unidecode==1.0.22
-Werkzeug==0.14.1
+Adafruit-Thermal>=1.1.0
+Click>=7.0
+Flask>=1.0.2
+Flask-Limiter>=1.0.1
+itsdangerous>=0.24
+Jinja2>=2.10
+limits>=1.3
+MarkupSafe>=1.0
+Pillow>=5.3.0
+pyserial>=3.4
+six>=1.11.0
+Unidecode>=1.0.22
+Werkzeug>=0.14.1

src/main.py

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Welcome to the LittlePrynter's source code.
+# This program expose a web interface, with user authentification, that makes it possible to print messages from the web.
+# It also exposes a API, making it possible to print and interface with much of the printer's abilities.
+
+# We first define the connection to the printer itself,
+# Then we build the API around Flask,
+# Then we build the web interface, using the simple Jinja2 templating.
+
+# Following are the librairies we import,
+from flask import Flask         # Used for the web framework
+from printer import Printer     # The wrapper for the printer class
+import toml                     # Used for the config file parsing
+import pprint
+
+# Load the configuration file
+try:
+    configuration_file = toml.load("configuration/config.toml")
+except TypeError :
+    print("Unable to load the config file: invalid type or is a list containing invalid types")
+    exit(-1)
+except toml.TomlDecodeError:
+    print("An error occured while decoding the file")
+    exit(-1)
+except Exception as e:
+    print("Error while loading file : " + str(e))
+
+pprint.pprint(configuration_file)
+
+# We define the app module used by Flask
+app = Flask(__name__)
+app.secret_key = configuration_file["secrets"]["flask_secret_key"]
+
+
+# Printer connection
+# Uses the class defined in the printer.py file
+
+# Define the USB connections here.
+vendor_id = configuration_file["printer"]["vendor_id"]
+device_id = configuration_file["printer"]["device_id"]
+
+printer = Printer(app)
+
+if not printer.init_printer(vendor_id, device_id):
+    app.logger.error('Could not init printer, aborting.')
+    exit(-1)
+
+# API routes
+# The api has the following methods
+# api/print/{sms,img,letter,qr,barcode}
+# api/auth/{login,logout}
+# api/status/{paper,ping,stats}
+
+# If you just call the api route, you get a help back.
+@app.route('/api')
+def api_help():
+    return "Welcome to the API's help page"
+
+@app.route('/api/print')
+def index():
+    return "Printing..."
+
+@app.route('/api/print/sms')
+def api_print_sms():
+    return "Printing short message."

src/printer.py

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+# Importing the module to mage the connection to the printer.
+from escpos.printer import Usb, USBNotFoundError
+from time import sleep, gmtime, strftime
+import os.path
+
+
+class Printer(object):
+    """
+    # The connection is based on the ESC/POS library
+
+    ## Connection to the USB printer
+
+    ## Making sure the printer is alive
+
+    ## Making sure it has paper
+
+    ## Define default print settings
+
+    ## Print starting message, log time of first print, cut.
+
+    ## Annonce readyness : return a positive pong message.
+    """
+
+    # Is the printer ready to accept a new print ?
+    ready = False
+
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        super(Printer, self).__init__()
+        self.app = app
+        self.ready = False
+        self.printer = None
+
+    def init_printer(self, device_id,vendor_id):
+
+        try:
+            p = Usb(0x04b8, 0x0e28, 0)
+        except USBNotFoundError as e:
+            self.app.logger.error("The USB device is not plugged in, aborting..." + str(e))
+            return False
+        waiting_elapsed = 10
+
+        # p.open()
+
+        # Is the printer online ? Is the communication with the printer successfull ?
+        while not p.is_online():
+            self.app.logger.debug('Waiting for printer to get online...')
+            sleep(1)
+            waiting_elapsed -= 1
+            if waiting_elapsed < 1:
+                self.app.logger.error('Printer took more than 10 seconds to get online, aborting...')
+                return False
+
+        # Let's check paper status.
+        ps = p.paper_status()
+        if ps == 0:
+            self.app.logger.error('Printer has no more paper, aborting...')
+            return False
+        elif ps == 1:
+            self.app.logger.warning('Printer needs paper to be changed very soon ! ')
+            sleep(5)
+        elif ps == 0:
+            self.app.logger.debug('Printer has paper, good to go')
+
+        # We're going to print a little text to let know that we're good, as a final check.
+        # p.textln("Hello world ! \nStarting up at " + strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", gmtime()))
+        # p.set(align='center', font='a', bold=False, underline=0, width=1, height=1, density=9, invert=False, smooth=False, flip=False, double_width=False, double_height=False, custom_size=False)
+        # p.textln("------------------")
+        # p.qr("Hello World ! :)",size=1)
+        p.image("configuration/hello_world.png",center=True,impl='bitImageColumn')
+        # p.cut()
+
+        self.printer = p;
+        self.ready = True;
+        return True
+
+    def print_sms(self, msg):
+        clean_msg = str(msg)
+
+        if len(clean_msg) > 256 or len(clean_msg) < 10 :
+            self.app.logger.warning("Could not print message of this length :" + len(clean_msg))
+            return False
+        else :
+            self.printer.textln(strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", gmtime()))
+            self.printer.textln(clean_msg)
+
+    def print_img(self, path):
+
+        if os.path.isfile(str(path)):
+            pass
+        else:
+            self.app.logger.warning("File does not exist : " + str(path))
+
+        try:
+            self.printer.image(path)
+        except Exception as e:
+            return e
+        else:
+            self.app.logging.debug("Printed an image : " + str(path))

src/web.py

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+class web(object):
+    """docstring for web."""
+
+    def __init__(self, arg):
+        super(web, self).__init__()
+        self.arg = arg
+
+    def login_page():
+        return "login page"
+
+    def logout_page():
+        return "logout"