Non-Sun printers on a Sun: Summary

[hansen fred r]

I received several requests to forward any information I received from my
question about using non-Sun laserprinters on a Sun computer.  I've sent
this summary to anyone who asked for information.  I'll leave to the
moderator to decide if it is of general enough interest to post.

The basic answer is no.  Any PostScript compatible laser printer will do
just fine.  The Sun Laserwrite is simply a repackaged Apple laserwriter,
and neither one has any real advantage over any of the other postscript
printer on the market. 

| mn6 at prism.gatech.edu (NAILOR,MARK A) writes
|
| We're using Apple LaserWriters for the hardware end, but any PostScript
| printer should be okay.

| ekrell at ulysses.att.com writes 
|
| Sun just resells the Apple LaserWriter. You can get a PostScript printer
| from anywhere else for much less $$.

However, the Sun does not speak postscript naturally and postscript
printers do not generally speak anything else.  Sending a plain ASCII file
directly to a postscript printer can cause it terrible indigestion. You do
need some software running on the Sun for it to handle postscript printer
properly.  Sun's $2000 conversion package is one possibility (note that
this comes automatically with the Sun Laserwriter).  It consists of an
Adobe software suite called TranScript.  The package is basically a set of
filters used to convert files to postscript.  There is one for plain ASCII
(enscript), another for troff output, etc.  However, you don't have to buy
Sun's package.  Adobe sells the license for the source to TranScript,
$1800 for one machine or $3000 for a SITE license!  And they promise free
minor updates and $75 major updates.  Clearly, Adobe is trying to encourge
the use of postscript.   There are also public domain versions of most of
the filters.

| kaul at icarus.eng.ohio-state.edu (Rich Kaul) writes 
|
| The Sun printer is a repackaged Apple LW and the "conversion kit" software
| is Adobe Transcript, both of which you can get for much less if you don't
| want Sun support.  We know since we got both items from other sources than
| Sun and haven't had any problems, and Adobe is better at support than Sun
| :-).  Much of what you want can also be done with free software from the
| net: psroff, atops, etc.  

| arg at ccvr1.ncsu.edu (Ron Gallant) writes
|
| I'm using a QMS-PS810 PostScript printer that I paid about $3000 for.  The
| drivers are public domain.  lwf for ascii to ps, dvi2ps for TeX dvi files
| to ps, gif2ps for graphics, etc.  These cost nothing.  

| C.Elvin%ee.surrey.ac.uk at RELAY.CS.NET writes
|
| I use a public domain version of transcript called 'tpscript' which
| converts ditroff output to postscript and I have written a filter for
| printcap(5) to drive a postcript printer which works with any serial
| driven printer which uses XON/XOFF flow control (or any that I've used).  

| vrdxhq!escom.com!al at uunet.UU.NET (Al Donaldson) writes
|
| If you *really* want to run Adobe transcript (what Sun sells for $2000),
| you can get a source version from Adobe for $1750 last I heard.  But
| Pipeline's devps is at least as good, with source at around $400...  
|
| Contacts are: 
|
| Pipeline Associates   201-731-7860    devps  
|          Pat Wood (uunet!mtxinu!sun!pipeline!phw) 
| Urban Applied Science 800-872-8763    ditroff 
|         201-242-7230    John Rosemont

I've decided to go with a site license from Adobe.  We a lot of machines
around here, and this is clearly the most cost effective our case.  

I was given a few words of warning about going with non-Sun products.  To
be complete I really should include some of them.

| mn6 at prism.gatech.edu (NAILOR,MARK A) writes
|
| We are using TranScript from Adobe, which comes as C source and is pretty
| easy to install on a Sun.  Don't know prices because the campus has a site
| license.  Drawbacks:  certain filters which Sun software assumes exist are
| not part of the Adobe distribution.  

| kusumoto at chsun1.Uchicago.EDU (Bob Kusumoto) writes
|
| The $2000 sounds like it probably includes the Transcript license,
| although I hear its a bitch to run under SysV machines, which SunOS4.1 is.
| I know it sounds pretty outragous, but it might be worth it.  Just
| remember, SunOS 4.1 is a SysV offshoot rather than a BSD offshoot.

The above is a good point.  Adobe promises that there source will compile
with no problems under either 4.0.3 or 4.1.  We've all heard that before.

One side comment, for those who wonder whether Sun hears any of complaints
voiced in Sun-Spots about there prices/deliveries/policies I also recieved
the following

| Grenville.Whelan at UK.Sun.COM (Grenville Whelan - Sun UK) writes
|
| ... the Apple laser is completely compatible; all you need is a Null-modem
| cable, (ie. pins 2 and 3 crossed, and the third, (pin 20?) straight
| through).
|
| If you want to print non-postscript files, you'll need either Sun's
| Transcript software package, or similar software from wherever you can get
| it. If you're printing pure postscript, just throw it straight down the
| line ..
|
| The conversion, (or interface), kit contains :-
| 
|   o Serial cable
|   o Transcript software
|   o User documentation
|
| Please don't think of this as over-charging, the transcript package is
| pretty vast, and I don't think you'd be able to get all this from
| public-domain sources.

I have to disagree a bit.  $2000 for the TranScript binary seems a bit
steep to me, but it's nice to know that someone is listening.

Hope this help people.  If anyone wants more information, I received 25 or
30 responses to my original question.  I'll be glad to e-mail the lot to
anyone whos interested.  

Fred Hansen					hansen at sandia.llnl.gov