awalker@POLYSLO.CALPOLY.EDU (Alan K Walker) (07/25/89)
Hi. I have a Sun386i and a LaserWriterIIntx, and am wondering if it's possible to attach the two so I can send postscript files, using lpr, to the LaserWriter, without waiting for the Transcript software package? We've ordered Transcript, but I'm at a University, and that takes almost as long as when I was working for the government :-) Details: Sun386i/150, running SunOS 4.0.1. Apple LaserWriterIIntx. The lp daemon is running, I've changed the printcap, ypprintcap and ext_ports files, as required. I've made sure the parity, etc, are the same. I know everything is hooked up right, because I can print a postscript file by catting it to the serial port. But we need the lpr facilities. I called Sun, and they didn't seem entirely convinced that their missing $1800 piece of software was the problem. Am I missing something, or is it impossible without Transcript to interface these two? (Oh yeah, I also borrowed a Mac and told the printer that its name is 'lp'. Seems that is what lpr wants. What bugs me is that Apple sells these printers for use on other vendors' machines, and the only way to name them (according to Apple) is with a Macintosh! Apple told me it should work without Transcript, maybe, but couldn't tell me why it won't.) Thanks much! Al.
bezanson@.UUCP (Brian Bezanson) (08/02/89)
In article <8907311714.AA01253@brillig.umd.edu> awalker@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Alan K Walker) writes: >Hi. I have a Sun386i and a LaserWriterIIntx, and am wondering if >it's possible to attach the two so I can send postscript files, Yes >using lpr, to the LaserWriter, without waiting for the Transcript Wait for transcript or use a shell script to send the PostScript file. >Details: Sun386i/150, running SunOS 4.0.1. Apple LaserWriterIIntx. >are the same. I know everything is hooked up right, because I can >print a postscript file by catting it to the serial port. But we >need the lpr facilities. Transcipt is designed as a set of translation filters from one format or another to PostScript. The enscript filter converts text files to postscript and sends them to the printer. We also modify lpr to look at the file being printed, if it's ascii, we do a simple translation to PostScript and then send the file to the printer, if it's a PostScript file - denoted by a '%!' as the first two characters of the first line, we send it down as straight PostScript. >I called Sun, and they didn't seem entirely convinced that their >missing $1800 piece of software was the problem. Am I missing >something, or is it impossible without Transcript to interface >these two? First, Adobe wrote transcript and Sun is one OEM - you can call Adobe and get it for a less (800/344-8335). You don't need transcript to use a PostScript printer on a Unix machine if your applications create PostScript files and will send them to the printer, but if you need to print text files, troff, ditroff, unix plot, diable 630, or techtronics 4014 files, and don't have a conversion program - transcript is really nice to have. >(Oh yeah, I also borrowed a Mac and told the printer that its name >is 'lp'. Seems that is what lpr wants. What bugs me is that Apple >sells these printers for use on other vendors' machines, and >the only way to name them (according to Apple) is with a Macintosh! >Apple told me it should work without Transcript, maybe, but couldn't >tell me why it won't.) With transcript you can name the printer anything, because you install the printer onto a hardware line (TTY port) and give that port a logical printer name. You can rename a laserprinter by sending down some postscript code, it isn't tied to a mac. Hope this helps. ---- Brian Bezanson bezanson@adobe.com Adobe Systems