mjs@tropix.uucp (Michael J Shon) (12/21/90)
Hello- We recently bought several terminal servers to connect terminals, PCs, and printers to the network. We got our Unix systems set up to open TCP connections to the servers and queue up on the printers, but the PC users cannot (and/or should not have to) use the Unix systems to access the printers. It seems that plenty of other people must have dealt with this by now, so I am hoping that have found a solution that they will share. It is possible to open connections between any two terminal server ports (e.g. one connected to a PC, and another connected to any one of several printers), but it is non-trivial; releasing the connection after the job is printed is also non-trivial. I need to make it trivial (part of my job is smooth PC integration). I need help. *Ideally*, What I want for the PC users is some sort of print redirector which, when data is sent to LPTn: , pops up and asks which printer to use, then issues a series of commands to the serial port which cause the terminal server to connect to the proper printer. It then redirects all of the data to the serial port until LPTn: is closed or some timeout period expires, then either sends out more server commands or blips an RS232 control signal to indicate that the session is complete and the connection is to be dropped. The beauty of this is that it would work from within applications programs, and would not require the user to select the printer before the application starts (which would tie it up for a Loooong time), and does not hold the printer busy after the job has been sent. It also works for applications which don't know how to print to a file. Of course, I will take what I can get...I am even willing to pay for it! I don't have anyone who can write such a thing, or I would have had it done already. I have asked around to all the PC experts and PC software houses I can find, and no one has anything better than a way to select the printer from outside the application. Any suggestions, pointers, techniques, etc, would be immensely appreciated. Please mail directly to me; our site is ~30 days behind in unbatching news, and I need something ASAP. If I come up with anything, I'll post a followup. (let's see if I get 2 .signatures...) Michael Shon mshon@gca.com GCA/Tropel Division tropix!mjs@cs.rochester.edu 60 O'Connor Rd. Fairport, NY 14450 ritcv!tropix!mjs 716-388-3418 FAX 716-377-6332 -- Michael Shon mshon@gca.com GCA/Tropel Division tropix!mjs@cs.rochester.edu 60 O'Connor Rd. Fairport, NY 14450 ritcv!tropix!mjs 716-388-3418 FAX 716-377-6332