[comp.unix.xenix] Problems installing a LaserWriter II

lauther@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Ulrich Lauther) (06/16/90)

I am trying to install a LaserWriter II on a 286 Compaq running
SCO XENIX SysV 2.2.1 and experience the following situation that I
cannot understand:

The printer has a serial interface, so I use /dev/tty1a.

"cat file /dev/tty1a"
prints the file, so I know the connections and switches are correct.

"lpr file"
lets the printer blink, so I know that the spool-system
accesses the correct port, BUT IT DOES NOT PRINT ANYTHING!

If I substitute "cat $file 2>&1" in the interface-script
with "cat $file > /dev/console, the file appears on the screen, as expected.

If I substitute "cat $file 2>&1" in the interface-script
with "cat $file > /dev/tty1a", nothing happens, other than that the
printer happyly blinks.

(I also tried to stty /dev/tty1a inside the interface-script with the same
parameters that are active when I issue the "cat file > /dev/tty1a" command,
to no avail.)

Any clues would greatly be appreciated.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ulrich Lauther               Internet: lauther@janus.berkeley.edu
Siemens / UCB                ph: +1 415 642 3338 fax: 642 2739
				 +1 415 658 8529 home

daveh@marob.masa.com (Dave Hammond) (06/16/90)

In article <37082@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> lauther@janus.berkeley.edu (Ulrich Lauther) writes:
>
>"cat file /dev/tty1a"
>prints the file, so I know the connections and switches are correct.
>
>"lpr file"
>lets the printer blink, so I know that the spool-system
>accesses the correct port, BUT IT DOES NOT PRINT ANYTHING!

We have LaserJet printers which require the lp interface script
to do an stty ixon ixoff  -- might this be the problem?

--
Dave Hammond
daveh@marob.masa.com
uunet!masa.com!marob!daveh

lauther@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Ulrich Lauther) (06/17/90)

In article <267A4425.A45@marob.masa.com> daveh@marob.masa.com (Dave Hammond) writes:
>In article <37082@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> lauther@janus.berkeley.edu (Ulrich Lauther) writes:
>>
>>"cat file /dev/tty1a"
>>prints the file, so I know the connections and switches are correct.
>>
>>"lpr file"
>>lets the printer blink, so I know that the spool-system
>>accesses the correct port, BUT IT DOES NOT PRINT ANYTHING!
>
>We have LaserJet printers which require the lp interface script
>to do an stty ixon ixoff  -- might this be the problem?
>
No, that seems NOT to be the problem. This is my lp interface script:
	:
	printer=`basename $0`
	request=$1
	name=$2
	title=$3
	copies=$4
	options=$5
	shift; shift; shift; shift; shift
	
	stty 9600 ixon ixoff 0<&1
	
	# send the file(s) to the standard out $copies times
	echo LaserWriter starting > /dev/console
	while	[ "$copies" -gt 0 ]
	do
		for file
		do
			cat "$file" 2>&1
		done
		copies=`expr $copies - 1`
	done
	echo LaserWriter done > /dev/console
	exit 0

BTW, the file that I am trying to print has ^D as its last character.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ulrich Lauther               Internet: lauther@janus.berkeley.edu
Siemens / UCB                ph: +1 415 642 3338 fax: 642 2739
				 +1 415 658 8529 home