[comp.sys.hp] HP LaserJet III and the HP9000 345

longstre@erb1.engr.wisc.edu (Jon C. Longstreth) (08/11/90)

    We have just installed an HP LaserJet III on our brand new hp9000 345
We would like to connect it to the parallel port on the hp, however 
our manuals do not inform us how to make a dev file for this particular port.

Does any one know what major and minor numbers to use for 
mknod to get this printer running on either the parallel port 
or even the rs-232 port.

We have tried what the manual suggests as far as the rs-232 port goes, which
was:
	mknod /dev/lp c 1 0x090004
	along with the stty -paren etc... stuff in the rc file
but this did not go anywhere.

Any suggestions?
It would be nice to get i connected to the parallel port.

Please mail me at longstre@cae.wisc.edu
thanks
Jon Longstreth   CAE University Wisconsin Madison

rjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (08/14/90)

re: > We have just installed an HP LaserJet III on our brand new hp9000 345
    > We would like to connect it to the parallel port on the hp...

> Does any one know what major and minor numbers to use for mknod to get
> this printer running on either the parallel port or even the rs-232 port.

re: printing with the 345/375 built-in parallel port         Date: 25 Mar 90
                                                          Revised: 26 Jul 90

Note: This is not supported until 8.0, which is why the Option 012 parallel
      driver is an option, and why the support matrix reflects no supported
      parallel peripherals.

0. This note assumes you currently are using a LaserJet on a serial port,
   and have device files and spooler up & running.

1. Obtain a 345 or 375 with "Option 012".  If you didn't order your 3x5 with
   #012, order part 5061-6574. 

   No other Series 300 CPUs have the parallel port (although 400s do).  No
   DIO "Centronics" card is currently planned.  For other computer models,
   use a third-party HP-IB/Parallel converter, such as the Intelligent
   Interfaces "MicroPrint 45C".  Yes, the 98622A GPIO card can be used with
   a home-made centronics cable, but it isn't worth the trouble, and doesn't
   work with all printers.

2. Enter the boot ROM config menu and verify the desired select code of your
   parallel port.  Leave the other parallel parameters at their factory
   defaults.  The factory select code is 23 (0x17).  This conflicts with the
   factory select code of the X.25 interface (also 23).  If you are using or
   plan to use X.25, reset the parallel port to 12.  The rest of this
   example assumes the interface can remain at 23.

3. Obtain a 24542D (or equiv) Vectra/PC style 25M-to-36M parallel cable.

4. Use /etc/update to install the parallel code.  The tape contains...
	/system/INDEX
	/system/INFO
	/system/CDFinfo
	/system/PARALLEL
	/system/PARALLEL/customize
	/etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS
	/etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS/README.P
	/etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS/dil_hpib.o
	/etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS/parallel.o
	/etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS/libdvio.a

5. Dump a hardcopy of /etc/newconfig/KDRIVERS/README.P    Read it.

6. Use SAM to configure the new driver into the kernel:

   Kernel Configuration
     Change I/O Configuration
       Miscellaneous Drivers
	 gpio (y)
     Modify Operating System Parameters
       Miscellaneous Parameters
	 Max. number of DIL open ....  (greater than 0)
     Generate a New Kernel
   Reboot.

7. Reconfigure the LaserJet for parallel operation and connect the cable.

   In my case, it was a 33447A LaserJet-IID, which can be reconfigured from 
   the front panel (hold MENU key for 5 seconds to enter alternate menu).

   On older 2686A/D LaserJets, you must fire the explosive bolts on the
   back panel and change a switch setting.  See the manual.

8. Create new device files.  Using 'lp' as the target...

   - Shut down the old serial lp configuration...
     # disable lp
     # vi /etc/inittab (and disable any getty on the 'lp' port)
     # kill -9 <lp getty>,  if any (see footnote*)
     # cd /dev
     # mv lp lp.old
     # mv rlp rlp.old

   - Make the new files...
     # mknod  lp c 21 0x170000
     # mknod rlp c 21 0x170000  or simply "# ln lp rlp"
     # chown lp lp rlp
     # chmod a+w lp rlp

9. If you are using an old (pre-7.0) spooler model, edit it to disable any
   'stty' statements that don't 2>&1 redirect std-error to /dev/null, since
   all stty's on the parallel port will fail.

10. # enable lp

On my 7.0 system, I have users doing ordinary ROMAN8 printing, 4-up ROMAN8,
and a variety of plain-text, font-download and graphics printing from
Vectras via MSNet (pre-release LM/X).  Performance on text seems to be much
higher than it was at 19200 bps on an 8-channel MUX port with Xon/Xoff.
Performance on graphics is dramatically higher.

And, so far, so good.  I presume that there are some 'slp' operations that
will be inoperative, since the gpio/DIL driver is missing lp ioctl's.  The
spooler model options seem to cover our needs.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland                                            3404 East Harmony Road
Internet: rjn@hpfcrjn.FC.HP.COM                       Fort Collins
UUCP: [hplabs|hpu*!hpfcse]!hpfcla!rjn                 CO          80525-9599

This response does not represent the official position of, or statement by,
the Hewlett-Packard Company.  The above data is provided for informational
purposes only.  It is supplied without warranty of any kind.

* I routinely place a...

  LP# B19200 SANE CS8 ONLCR CLOCAL IXON IXANY TAB3 OPOST ###LP

  ...getty on serial printer ports to allow direct /dev/lp I/O.  I forgot
  to kill the getty, and went through a half tray of paper full of...

  "getty: failed to open /dev/tty: No such device or address"

  ...before I discovered the oversight.   :-(