On Fri, 6 Jun 2008, Michael wrote:
> > If it wants a SYS-V style make (Linux), use gmake from ports.
> >
>
> ok. I'll do that if needed, but wasn't sure if it would conflict with make.
> Thanks.
No problem. The two co-exist peacefully. I know, this sounds unlikely,
but I've never seen a clash. Mirabile dictu, on Linux "pmake" (what they
call BSD make) co-exists with their make, too. Someone should point this
out and get the BugMasters Tiger Team on it. There's no reason for two
such packages not to break each other. Then we could all migrate to
imake [shudder]...
> > > Apsfilter printed out a nice test page, but so far, that's it. Won't
> > > print a file or email with mutt.
> >
> > Try this for unequivocal testing:
> >
> > df | lpr
This would test "text"
> >
> > cat somefile.ps | lpr
This would test postscript
> >
>
> Just 2 lines of gibberish ( k, mm, k, i, ii, etc)
Well, at least the printer is alive.
Sometimes the exact gibberish would be helpful. Probably not this time,
though.
see my note below about "/dev/lpa0", though.
> > Become familiar with lpq, lpr, lpc, lpd from the man 1 and 8 pages.
> > lpc and lpq will usually tell the tale.
> >
>
> I've read them several times. Guess I'm man pages "comprehension challenged"
> ;)
lpq and lpc are the main tools.
> > ****>>> Check that lpd has been started. Set lpd_flags="" in /etc/rc.conf
> >
>
> yep, have it as lpd_flags"-L" for debugging.
-l doesn't get you much.
> > Post your /etc/printcap file. This is really necessary to attack
> > a printer problem.
> >
>
> This is printcap before and after installing apsfilter:
>
> # $OpenBSD: printcap,v 1.4 2003/03/28 21:32:30 jmc Exp $
>
> lp|local line printer:\
> :lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
>
> #rp|remote line printer:\
> # :lp=:rm=printhost:rp=lp:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
>
>
>
> # $OpenBSD: printcap,v 1.4 2003/03/28 21:32:30 jmc Exp $
>
> lp|local line printer:\
> :lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
>
> #rp|remote line printer:\
> # :lp=:rm=printhost:rp=lp:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
> # APS1_BEGIN:printer1
> # - don't delete start label for apsfilter printer1
> # - no other printer defines between BEGIN and END LABEL
> dj870|cdj850;r=300x300;q=high;c=full;p=letter;m=auto:\
> :lp=/dev/lpt0:\
> :if=/etc/apsfilter/basedir/bin/apsfilter:\
> :sd=/var/spool/lpd/dj870:\
> :lf=/var/spool/lpd/dj870/log:\
> :af=/var/spool/lpd/dj870/acct:\
> :mx#0:\
> :sh:
> # APS1_END - don't delete this
OK, you have *two* printer queues defined for lpd. One is named
"lp" and is the default. The other is named dj870 or cdj850.
I would comment out the lp entry, both lines of it, and change the
dj870 line to read:
lp|dj870...<rest of line without change>
Then kill and restart lpd. Then you will be sending everything
through the apsfilter stuffs. As it stands, to get apsfilter,
you would have needed to specify -P dj870 to lpr, for example.
> > > I only have 6 gig for 4.3 on this computer, so was hoping not to install
> > > a bunch of extra programs, but may have to. I'm just trying to print a
> > > few files per week.
> >
> > No, you shouldn't have to. Lpd and friends have run on Unix since
> > the days when a 250 MB disk was HUGE and 4MB memory was AMPLE. They
> > have not changed noticeably since those days. Almost no extra
> > software should be needed for text files.
> >
>
> That's what I was hoping, but couldn't get mutt to print anything. The
> DJ870Cxi is pcl v3.
Worry about mutt last. First get lpd to work.
My impression is that pcl printers, when powered up, accept plain
text as a default. Perhaps this was before the war ;-) I have
a LaserJet 5+ with postscript module and connect via ethernet (HP
JetDirect), so I'm familiar with that setup more than others. (And
it was painless). LJ 5+ also has some sort of pcl ability, but I
never consciously evoke it. I use lpd and no filters (CUPS or
apsfilter or...). I get plain text and PS without glitches. I think
I've even seen it print from firefox, but it's been a while.
> That's why I finally asked for help, after reading man pages for lpd, lpr,
> lpc, afterboot.
> I'm probably making something simple into something complex.
I suspect that mutt has done this on your behalf. That a "mutt-print"
utility is looking for LaTeX is ominous, frightening and silly. It means
some programmer had too much time on his hands.
Most people migrate to Linux from Windoze. They therefore expect
things to be complicated and not work quite right ever, or to perform
bizarre miracles. CUPS was designed to fulfill their expectations.
Many BSD users came here from larger systems, Suns, Vaxes, even the
dreaded mainframes. We expect things to be simple, featureless and
work all the time. (And to cost a fortune. I keep waiting for the
bill from the BSD Trust.)
Lineprinters have usually sucked in some way. Serial lineprinters
suck more than others.
One thing to keep in the back of your mind, is that if you *seem*
to be almost working, but the printer is exceptionally slow, or
seems to hang, change the port from /dev/lpt0 to /dev/lpa0 in
/etc/printcap and restart lpd. This uses the "polling" driver for
the parallel port. Sometimes there are "issues" between the interrupt
driven port driver (lptx) and the printer, also the cable can become
a vexation.
> > I don't want to contradict earlier posters, but are there *really*
> > printers so brain-damaged that they can't print plain text? I
> > exclude from consideration (and so should everyone) so-called
> > Win-printers, but it was my impression that those abominations had
> > all been kicked to the curb long ago.
> >
>
> The printer works great with cups and linux and probably MS stuff. I was just
> wanting to keep it simple for printing mutt email when needed.
I still wonder if it won't print plain text. It seems so odd.
Good luck with it!
Dave
--
The future isn't what it used to be.
-- G'kar
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