[net.micro.mac] Query: Can the printer use the modem port by default?

mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) (02/26/86)

My brother has a 512K Mac with a MacBottom hard disk, which plugs into
the printer port on his Mac. This means that he plugs his printer into
the modem port, and he has to use a ChoosePrinter DA to switch the 
printer port.

	Does anybody out there know of a way to make the modem port come
up as the printer connection by default upon booting? I told my brother
that I suspected that there was a small patch that could be made to the
printer driver that would do this, but I don't know what it is. Can
anybody help me?

	Alternatively - can he hook the MacBottom to the modem port instead?
I forgot to ask him that question, but I'm assuming he would have a good
reason why that won't work.

	Thanks in advance -

-- 
					--MKR

There is none so blind as he who cannot see.

her3@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Benjamin 'Drew' Herman) (02/27/86)

In article <563@mmm.UUCP> mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
>My brother has a 512K Mac with a MacBottom hard disk, which plugs into
>the printer port on his Mac. This means that he plugs his printer into
>the modem port, and he has to use a ChoosePrinter DA to switch the 
>printer port.
>
>I told my brother that I suspected that there was a small patch that
>could be made to the printer driver that would do this.

There is, there is a very nice program available called PRAM that allows you to
set the defaults on the system. Such as the time, the font used on your desktop
and lots of other goodies including changing the printer and modem lines and
baud.  This information is 'kept alive' by the little battery at the back of 
the mac and if you change the defaults using PRAM it stays intact until you 
remove the battery.
'PRAM' is ?SHAREWARE? so if you get it !! PLEASE !! sent the author $$. d|:-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I Have no Idea whose opinions I express But I feel free to 
express them furvently. Consequently, I take no responsibility for anything
that I have said;or for how they are interperated, Nor Should anyone else be 
held for my inaine misnomers. If these seem like the ravings of a madman....... they probably are. ()-:}-\-/-\
=============================================================================

Drew Herman    (-;b 
her3@UChicago.bitnet
{arpa,uucp are never nice to me so I don't give their address}

mrh@Shasta.ARPA (Marc Hannah) (03/01/86)

> My brother has a 512K Mac with a MacBottom hard disk, which plugs into
> the printer port on his Mac. This means that he plugs his printer into
> the modem port, and he has to use a ChoosePrinter DA to switch the 
> printer port.
> 
> 	Does anybody out there know of a way to make the modem port come
> up as the printer connection by default upon booting? I told my brother
> that I suspected that there was a small patch that could be made to the
> printer driver that would do this, but I don't know what it is. Can
> anybody help me?
> 
> 	Alternatively - can he hook the MacBottom to the modem port instead?
> I forgot to ask him that question, but I'm assuming he would have a good
> reason why that won't work.
> 
> 	Thanks in advance -
> 
> -- 
> 					--MKR
> 
> There is none so blind as he who cannot see.

I use a MacBottom at work and use the MacBottom on each port depending.
Since it has a print spooling facility, I don't see why you would want
to plug in the printer to the free port. Instead plug the printer into
the printer port provided on the MacBottom. When you print anything
it will be spooled to disk and then printed. While it is printing the
Mac is free for useful work. See the MacBottom manual for details about
the print spooling feature of the device.
    As far as I know the choose printer desk accessory modifies parameter
ram so that you can set the printer port and it is remembered from bootup
to bootup. 
   David Gelphman     ->   DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET   (from ARPANET)
                           ...lindy!dbg          ( from Usenet)

cralle@lll-crg.ARpA (Bob Cralle) (03/10/86)

In article <127@Shasta.ARPA> mrh@Shasta.ARPA (Marc Hannah) writes:
>> My brother has a 512K Mac with a MacBottom hard disk, which plugs into
>> the printer port on his Mac. This means that he plugs his printer into
>> the modem port, and he has to use a ChoosePrinter DA to switch the 
>> printer port.
>> 
>> 	Does anybody out there know of a way to make the modem port come
>> up as the printer connection by default upon booting? I told my brother
>> that I suspected that there was a small patch that could be made to the
>> printer driver that would do this, but I don't know what it is. Can
>> anybody help me?
>> 
>> 	Alternatively - can he hook the MacBottom to the modem port instead?
>> I forgot to ask him that question, but I'm assuming he would have a good
>> reason why that won't work.
>> 
>> 	Thanks in advance -
>> 
>> -- 
>> 					--MKR
>> 
>> There is none so blind as he who cannot see.
>
>I use a MacBottom at work and use the MacBottom on each port depending.
>Since it has a print spooling facility, I don't see why you would want
>to plug in the printer to the free port. Instead plug the printer into
>the printer port provided on the MacBottom. When you print anything
>it will be spooled to disk and then printed. While it is printing the
>Mac is free for useful work. See the MacBottom manual for details about
>the print spooling feature of the device.
>    As far as I know the choose printer desk accessory modifies parameter
>ram so that you can set the printer port and it is remembered from bootup
>to bootup. 
>   David Gelphman     ->   DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET   (from ARPANET)
>                           ...lindy!dbg          ( from Usenet)

the trouble is u can't use AppleTalk (AT) with MacBottom's printer port &
therefore u can't print to the LaserWriter. Unless u run MacBottom on the
modem port (the LaserWriter (AT) won't work on the modem port!?).


-- 


Regards, &c., Bob		cralle@lll-crg

R. K. Cralle
LLNL        MS L-73
POX 808
Livermore, CA 94550

fone 415/422-4041
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