steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) (07/10/90)
I posted the following query to comp.sys.mac.misc. Someone suggested I repost to these groups, too. Please send any response to steve.berkeley.edu since I don't read these groups. Statement of the Problem: An outside contractor is setting up a serial network in our dean's office. The network connects Macs and PCs and allows them to share hard lines to the dean's office VAX and an Apple LaserWriter. The network needs to be serial for reasons I won't go into. So, we need to send LaserWriter output through the serial port. Unfortunately, the standard LaserWriter driver has no output options and directs output through the AppleTalk connection, which is the printer port. So we are looking for nonstandard, customized LaserWriter drivers which permit redirecting output to the Macintosh serial port. We are hoping that we are not the first to tackle such a problem. We would appreciate any information which would point us to such a driver. Again, please send it to steve@violet.berkeley.edu. Thanks, Steve Goldfield College of Engineering University of California at Berkeley
teexmmo@ioe.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore) (07/12/90)
Steve Goldfield wants to print to a Laserwriter on the serial port. So do we! Here is what my boss thinks:- Printing from Apple to Laserwriter via serial line rather than Appletalk. This is most desirable as it would allow a low cost solution to the problem of sharing a postscript printer (Apple Laserwriter) between PC's and Macs. Apple UK say there is no need for a Laserwriter driver that talks to the serial port rather than Appletalk and will only suggest Localtalk cards for PCs. The frustration is "it can be done". When starting to print from any Apple application package, holding down clover F will cause a Postscript disk file to be generated. This file can then be sent down the serial line using a cinit public domain utility (Serialprint - used for connecting non Apple printers), and if the laserwriter is connected and dip switched to the serial port, low and behold you can print Postscript from the Apple to the Laserwriter via the serial connection. Two problems. One this is incredibly clumsy. Secondly Serialprint doesnt just send the file to the serial port, it was written to be helpful and attempts to paginate the stuff it is sending, so the method only works for a small file. Nevertheless it can be used to demonstrate emprically that this method could work - if Apple or some other kind soul would provide a driver!!! Robert Clark (My boss)
swanger@ducvax.auburn.edu (David Swanger) (07/14/90)
In article <1990Jul11.172720.3266@ioe.lon.ac.uk>, teexmmo@ioe.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore) writes... >Steve Goldfield wants to print to a Laserwriter on the serial port. > >So do we! Here is what my boss thinks:- > > APDA used to have a Serial Lasewriter driver for $10.00. Give them a call. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Swanger | "JCL, the Big Lie." Auburn University | | SWANGER@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU <-- INTERNET | SWANGER@AUDUCVAX <-- BITNET | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) (07/14/90)
In article <5983@emory.mathcs.emory.edu> swanger@ducvax.auburn.edu writes:
#>In article <1990Jul11.172720.3266@ioe.lon.ac.uk>, teexmmo@ioe.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore) writes...
#>>Steve Goldfield wants to print to a Laserwriter on the serial port.
#>>
#>>So do we! Here is what my boss thinks:-
#>>
#>>
#>
#>APDA used to have a Serial Lasewriter driver for $10.00. Give them a call.
#>David Swanger | "JCL, the Big Lie."
Actually, I'm told that that driver is quite old. And someone
else sent me a copy of another posting which described in detail
how to patch any of the drivers through 6.X to get printing
through the serial port, which is, IMHO, a better solution and
free, to boot (no pun intended.)
Steve Goldfieldroskar@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Veljko Roskar) (07/18/90)
Since I have seen requests for this many times, I am reposting this here:
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Info-Mac Digest Thu, 1 Feb 90 Volume 8 : Issue 20
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 90 13:47:40 PST
From: Ray_Davison@cc.sfu.ca
Subject: Serial line LaserWriter
Awhile ago someone had a request for information on connecting a LaserWriter
to the serial port through a switch box. I had a similar need. I have a Mac
and a Unix box and wanted to use the printer on the Unix box from the Mac.
I didn't want to spend the money for a Kinetics box for just one Mac so I
went the route of using command-F to create a file, moving the file to Unix
and using macps to print the file. This was rather tedious.
I modified the LaserWriter driver as outlined below. The changes I made
were specifically designed to print over a serial connection from the Mac
to the Unix box, but may be useful to print to a serial connected LaserWriter.
Changes to the LaserWriter driver (version 5.2)
1) Duplicate the file and give it a useful name.
2) Use ResEdit (or something similar) to make the following changes:
- to simulate the pressing of command-F
resource PDEF number 125
location from to
-------- ---- --
B96 '57C0' '51C0'
B9A '56C0' '50C0'
BA2 '57C0' '50C0'
BAA '57C1' '51C1'
BB8 '57C1' '50C1'
if you need the Laser Prep file (as for a serial connected printer)
then you must simulate command-K (note: I haven't tried this). Do
the changes above except:
BA2 '57C0' '51C0'
BAA '57C1' '50C1'
- the following two changes prevent the creating of a file and the
subsequent call to _SetEOF to empty it:
resource PDEF number 125
location from to
-------- ---- --
D96 '554F' '6038'
142C '660C' '600C'
- change the string in resource STR number -8159 to something more
useful than "Creating PostScript File" (e.g. I used "Sending print
job to NeXT").
- set resource STR number -8191 to the name of the serial port you
will use. ".BOut" for the printer port or ".AOut" for the modem port.
A couple of notes: the default settings for the serial ports are 9600 baud
no parity. So far this has worked fine but I may try changing the speed.
When you choose the driver with the Chooser, it will turn on AppleTalk. If
you are using the printer port then you *must* turn AppleTalk back off
before using the modified driver.
On the Unix end: I modified macps to "break" instead of "continue" when
it finds the string "%%EOF" and then the command
macps < /dev/ttyb | lpr
can be installed in a deamon that loops forever (modify /dev/ttyb to use
whatever serial port on your Unix box you connected the Mac to).
I hope someone finds this useful.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Info-Mac Digest Tue, 6 Feb 90 Volume 8 : Issue 24
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 90 00:12:26 PST
From: Ray_Davison@cc.sfu.ca
Subject: More on serial line LaserWriter
A few issues back in Info-Mac, I gave a description of turning the
LaserWriter driver into a serial port PostScript driver. Since then
I have received a couple of messages, mostly asking for similar
updates for the version 6.0 driver (are you people never satisfied :-)
I also recieved a hint on doing one thing differently (see below).
In light of that, I have applied the updates to version 6.0 of the
driver, and present the new formula below:
Resource PDEF number 125
(first always write to a "file")
location From To
v5.2 v6.0
B96 C78 '57C0' '51C0'
B9A C7C '56C0' '50C0'
BA2 C84 '57C0' '50C0' ('51C0' for Laser Prep)
BAA C8C '57C1' '51C1' ('50C1' for Laser Prep)
BB8 C9A '57C1' '50C1'
(the hint on doing this part differently was to modify resource
DITL number -8191 to make the "Disk File" box visible. The
problem I had with this is that the box doesn't stay "ticked"
between uses of the driver, so you have to retick the box each
time. This didn't do me much good since I always want to send
the print job to the serial port. If I am missing something, I
hope someone will let me know.)
(next don't create a file (still in resource PDEF/125))
location From To
v5.2 v6.0 V5.2 V6.0
D96 E9E '554F' '558F' '6038'
(next, don't do _SetEOF)
location From To
v5.2 v6.0
142C 1860 '660C' '600C'
Resource STR number -8191
Change this from "PostScript" to ".BOut" for the printer port,
or ".AOut" for the modem port.
Resource STR number -8159
Change to a useful message instead of "Creating PostScript File".
For example "Sending print job to Unix".
Resource PAPA number -8192
Change the name of the printer if you want to.
Ray Davison
Simon Fraser University
Ray_Davison@cc.sfu.ca
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Best regards,
Veljko Roskar BITNET: roskar@jhuvms.bitnet
Department of Chemical Engineering INTERNET: roskar@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
The Johns Hopkins University UUCP: uunet!mimsy!aplcen!jhunix!roskar
Baltimore, Maryland 21218 VOICE: 301-338-7054
U.S.A