[comp.protocols.appletalk] Limiting file size to LaserWriter

RSILVERMAN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU (Richard Silverman) (02/14/89)

>> I lost the original of this letter, but... Jason from Miami writes
>> that he would like to limit the size of files that can be printer to a
>> public LaserWriter+ controlled by an AppleShare print spooler.

Jason,
	I don't know about the AppleShare spooler, but you could program
the LaserWriter to do it.  With our LW, I have prepared a modified version
of LaserPrep to implement trailer pages for billing.  We download this to
the printer when it's turned on, and the printer password is set non-zero.
This gives us our trailer pages, and also prevents people from using various
versions of the driver and constantly restarting the printer.  You could
add code to such a scheme to do many things, including aborting a job after
some limit of pages has been exceeded.  Unfortunately, I don't see any way
for the printer to know the size of the file as it comes in, so some paper
is wasted anyway.

                                                Richard Silverman

arpa:	rsilverman@eagle.wesleyan.edu           Wesleyan University
bitnet:	rsilverman@wesleyan                     Middletown, CT
CIS:	[72727,453]                             06457