Moving HP Laserjets to Ethernet
Lance R. Bailey
lrb at alex.ctrg.rri.uwo.ca
Fri Feb 8 22:21:17 AEST 1991
In article <1991Feb7.221431.8721 at bellcore.bellcore.com> dmjd at nyquist.bellcore.com writes:
>
>We have several HP laserjet printers (+ II & III) which are now running
>off serial links to System V computers.
>
>What hardware is available to interface GPIB/HPIB or RS232 to ethernet
>
>Hp also makes a postscript cartridge for the laserjet.
> ....
>In short, would we need hp laserjet drivers for ultrix ?
you have THREE issues here. net access ,PostScript printer from HP lj,
and PostScript printing.
1) net access. okay, the easiest way to access the printers is to attach them
via RS232 to a computer which supports remote printing requests. This allows
_computer_ to handle the spooling, timeouts, paper outs etc.how does the
'majik network box' handle the paper outs? or even the darn thing powered
down. does it have a disk for spooling requests? once the printer is
attached to this computer, then set up remote print queues from other
computers to it.
ie: attach the printer to machine A, queue foo. set up machine A to accept
net requests to print to this computer's queue (sometimes this is the null
act, sometimes it means playing with hosts.equiv (suns} sometimes the
printcap entry (VMS running wins/tcp) etc.) now tell computers B,C, D etc.
to have queue foo and that queue foo is a remote queue on A. If B,C,D can
not remote print, then play games with the rsh command to the A as user lp. I
can supply details and printer models for the sys5 spooler setup.
we have ljIII (as PostScript printers), lj2, DEC ln03, applelasers connected
to VAX/VMS, suns, hp 9/800 and NeXT's and they all are very, very happy
printing to each other. very transparent, very nice.
the OTHER method of net access is to buy a printer sharing device and run
a serial line from each computer to the box and a line from the box to the
printer. In this manner I also weave about 8 PC's into the above scheme.
2) get an HP lj cartridge for the lj III to turn it into a PostScript printer.
it has at least one subtle bug in it, but this shouldn't annoy you. besides
right now it is _the_ best for turning an ljIII into a PostScript printer.
for the other printers, there are a host of cartridges, test-drive the
PacificPage and HP models.
2) PostScript printing. if you turn the HP laser into a PostScript (real:)
printer then it will act like a PostScript printer.
Any PostScript printer reads PostScript, and does the following when you
send it non-PostScript.
the processing signal (light, sign, dwarve) blinks for a bit and then stops
with nothing coming out of the printer.
PostScript is a programming page description language. if 'simple ascii'
such as a source listing or a man page is sent to the printer then it chokes.
The ultrix machine (like the NeXT) generates and sends out PostScript. If
you tell it to 'print the screen' it generate a PostScript program and THEN
punts it to the printer. clever.
Any computer that you wish to have access to the (newly PostScripted)
printer must, must, must send PostScript to the printer. If it cannot
generate PostScript then get get yourself a ascii/hpgl/foo --> PostScript
interpretor. I've written them, john down the street writes them, the net
has about a kazillon of them kicking around. take your pick.
welcome to real printing.
--
Lance R. Bailey Systems Manager box: Robarts Research Institute
email: lrb at rri.uwo.ca Clinical Trials Resources Group
fax: 519.663.3789 P.O. Box 5015, 100 Perth Dr.
vox: 519.663.3787 ext. 4108 London, Canada N6A 5K8
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