RE: Local printer access question..

[Rick Rankin <rick_rankin at yahoo dot com>]

--- Igor Pechtchanski <pechtcha@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Rick Rankin wrote:
> 
> > --- "Hannu E K Nevalainen (garbage mail)" <garbage_collector@telia.com>
> wrote:
> > > > From: cygwin-owner@cygwin.com [mailto:cygwin-owner@cygwin.com]On Behalf
> Of Igor Pechtchanski
> > >
> > > > On Mon, 28 Jul 2003, Rick Rankin wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > --- Igor Pechtchanski <pechtcha@cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
> > > > > > On Mon, 28 Jul 2003, Hannu E K Nevalainen (garbage mail) wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > From: cygwin-owner@cygwin.com [mailto:cygwin-owner@cygwin.com]
> On Behalf Of Igor Pechtchanski
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On Sun, 27 Jul 2003, Ishwar Rattan wrote:
> > >
> > > > > > > > > Is there a way to access the printer (Deskjet 694C on
> parallel port)??
> > >
> > > > > > > > If your Windows printer name is "Deskjet 694C", try 'lpr -P
> "Deskjet
> > > > > > > > 694C"'.  You can also 'export PRINTER="Deskjet 694C"'.
> > > > > > > >       Igor
> > >
> > > > > > >  I wish it was that easy... I have a "Deskjet 720C" which should
> be about
> > > > > > > the same thing as the one above. I've tried all of the possible
> ways
> > > > > > > described in "man lpr".
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >  All I get is a document showing up "Start > Settings > Printers
> > HP720C"
> > > > > > > indicating that it is printing. The printer itself does nothing.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >  This seems not be cygwin failing but windows or the driver - as
> the
> > > > > > > behaviour is the same from "cmd.exe" using "PRINT /D:<all
> possibilities
> > > > > > > tried>"
> > >
> > > > > > Well, it *is* that easy for me on Win2k.  I haven't tried it on
> other
> > > > > > systems, there might be some peculiarities on 9x/ME/XP.
> > >
> > >  I still have my W98SE runnable, but I am almost constantly using
> > > the "dual-boot" W2K currently. All this has been tried there.
> > > $ uname -a
> > > CYGWIN_NT-5.0 P450 1.3.22(0.78/3/2) 2003-03-18 09:20 i686 unknown unknown
> > > Cygwin
> > >
> > >  setup.exe used very recently (Yesterday? no test/exp-packages).
> > >
> > > > > > Some things to try that I can think of are: renaming your printer,
> or
> > > > > > making it shared and using the UNC notation to access it (e.g.,
> export
> > > > > > PRINTER='\\MYCOMPUTER\HP720C').
> > > > >
> > > > > This doesn't sound like a naming problem to me. Hannu indicates that
> the
> > > > > document shows up on the print queue, but the printer does nothing.
> That tells
> > > > > me that lpr and the DOS print command are finding the print queue
> properly.
> > >
> > >  Exactly.
> > >
> > > Was my writing unclear?
> 
> No, no, it was my late night reading...
> 
> > > Please tell me where if so - private email please!
> > > - In hope this will improve my english.
> > >
> > > > > What kind of file are you trying to print and *exactly* what
> > > > > command are you using to print it?
> > >
> > >  See below for an example.
> > >
> > > > > --Rick
> > > >
> > > > Oh.  Yes, it seems that I misunderstood Hannu's message...  Thanks,
> Rick.
> > > >
> > > > Hannu,
> > > >
> > > > Well, the obvious question first: is the printer paused?
> > >
> > >  Nope.
> > >
> > > > Can you print from Windows apps?
> > >
> > >  Yes I can. :-}
> > >
> > > > Also, try setting up a dummy printer that prints to
> > > > file and see if that works.
> > > >     Igor
> > >
> > >  Hrm... why didn't I think of that! >:-P
> > >
> > > Well, here we go:
> > >  Start > Settings > Printers > Add Printer
> > >  - Add printer wizard > Next
> > >  - Local Printer > DONT Automatically Detect ... > Next
> > >  - Use following port > FILE: > Next
> > >  - Manufacturer and model > Generic > Generic / Text only > Next
> > >  - Printer name: "Generic / Text only" > Default: No > Next
> > >  - Share as: GT > Next
> > >  - Location and Comment: "" > Next
> > >  - Print a test page: No > Next
> > >  - Finish
> > >
> > > F:> print /D:\\P450\GT C:\Autoexec.bat
> > > Filename: d:\zz.txt
> > > $ diff -up /cygdrive/d/zz.txt /cygdrive/c/AUTOEXEC.BAT
> > > --- /cygdrive/d/zz.txt  2003-07-29 13:05:50.000000000 +0200
> > > +++ /cygdrive/c/AUTOEXEC.BAT    2003-05-18 20:41:22.000000000 +0200
> > > @@ -59,4 +59,3 @@ Rem TShoot:
> > >
> > >  echo Autoexec done...
> > >
> > > -
> > >
> > > \ No newline at end of file
> > > $ lpr -P //P450/GT /cygdrive/c/AUTOEXEC.BAT
> > > Hannu@P450 ~ bash PID=2028, Last xc=0
> > > $ diff -up /cygdrive/d/zz.txt /cygdrive/c/AUTOEXEC.BAT
> > > --- /cygdrive/d/zz.txt  2003-07-29 13:09:20.000000000 +0200
> > > +++ /cygdrive/c/AUTOEXEC.BAT    2003-05-18 20:41:22.000000000 +0200
> > > @@ -59,4 +59,3 @@ Rem TShoot:
> > >
> > >  echo Autoexec done...
> > >
> > > -
> > > $
> > >
> > >  Works like a charm... so this should prove one thing:
> > > Cheap HP printers aren't up to all the tasks you could expect.
> > >  :-/
> > >
> > >  I suspect there is a problem WRT printer sharing in this driver too.
> > > I've tried this on W98SE earlier - got very few pages out of it, then it
> > > "died".
> > >  No resurrection possible whatever I tried.
> > >
> > > And then, you ask whether there is a more recent driver:
> > >
> > > http://h20015.www2.hp.com/en/document.jhtml?docName=bpd09190&lc=en
> > >
> > > "
> > > There is no need to download a driver from the Web site if you selected a
> > > download link and were brought here. The most current driver is already
> > > integrated into Windows 2000 and it is already on every Windows 2000 PC.
> > > Follow the appropriate instructions below to install the correct printer
> > > driver using the Add Printer Wizard.
> > > "
> > >
> > > NOTE: The above webpage gives indication of that the "Network Printer"
> stuff
> > > SHOULD work. I don't know what to think about it. The descriptions are
> very
> > > general and matches my actions exactly. (I have tried to vary from the
> > > basics, where possible and where I have deemed apropriate - no go.
> Details
> > > forgotten by now).
> >
> > I don't know about the DOS print command, but lpr is just a raw spooler. It
> is
> > intended to be used as a filter to send data *already formatted for a
> specific
> > printer* to a print queue. In other words, it is intended to send
> postscript
> > data to a postscript printer, or PCL data to a PCL-capable printer. lpr
> knows
> > nothing about any printer and makes no attempt to inject printer-specific
> > formatting codes. *If and only if* your printer can directly print a text
> file
> > will using a command like
> >
> > lpr -P some_device file.txt
> >
> > work. You might try the following. Using notepad or a similar *Windows*
> app,
> > try printing your autoexec.bat file to your Deskjet printer, but in the
> print
> > dialog, check the box that says "Print to file" so that the formatted data
> > stream ends up in a file instead of being sent directly to the printer.
> Then,
> > try spooling that file using lpr and/or the dos print command. Let me know
> what
> > happens.
> >
> > --Rick
> 
> Hannu,
> 
> You could also try using 'a2ps' or 'enscript', both of which are available
> as Cygwin packages.
> 	Igor

Igor,

I'm not sure what you would expect to get out of that, because unless I'm
mistaken, a Deskjet 694C isn't a postscript printer. So, unless he then uses
ghostscript to convert the a2ps or enscript output to something his Deskjet can
understand, I don't see what that's going to reveal.

--Rick

--
Unsubscribe info:      http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple
Problem reports:       http://cygwin.com/problems.html
Documentation:         http://cygwin.com/docs.html
FAQ:                   http://cygwin.com/faq/