SUMMARY: Q: Apple laser printer without CAP?

From: David Lawrence Oppenheimer (davido@davido.remote.Princeton.EDU)
Date: Mon Jun 13 1994 - 18:59:12 CDT


Thanks to those who responded to my question about connecting a non-AppleTalk
Apple LaserWriter (PostScript; Select 310 in this case) to a Sun serial port.

Here was my original query:

I'd like to know if it's possible to use a PostScript but non-AppleTalk Apple
laser printer (the Select 310 in this case) on a SunOS 4.1.3 system without
using the CAP package? If so, does anyone have an appropriate /etc/printcap
entry? I have a cable which purports to connect a Sun Serial Port to the
Serial Port on the LaserWriter.

Here is a digest of the responses I received:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: rob.e.allan@hydro.on.ca (Rob Allan)
To: davido@Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: Q: Apple laser printer without CAP?
Here is the printcap we had for our laserwriter:

## printcap for apple laserwriter with option 0
lw:\
        :lp=/dev/ttya:sd=/var/spool/lw:\
        :lf=/var/spool/lw/lw-log:\
        :br#9600:rw:fc#0000374:fs#0000003:xc#0:xs#0040040:mx#0:sf:sb:sh:

It is set for a baud rate of 9600, xon/xoff serial. Make sure you have
a null-modem cable, (It has a couple of crossed wires).

The option 0 mentioned in the comment is the default setting of the
laserwrite, see the printer manual for more info. You can take the
baud rate up to 38400 once you get everything working at 9600.
(Again check the printer manual.)

Don't assume everything is fine if you get a page out, try a big
multi-page file to be sure the handshaking is working ok.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: emsca!soporte!jap@Venezuela.Sun.COM (Juan Alexander Pulido (emsca))
To: sunven!Princeton.EDU!davido@Venezuela.Sun.COM
Subject: Re: Q: Apple laser printer without CAP?
Cc: soporte!jap@Venezuela.Sun.COM

Hello david:

If you want to connect an Postcript Apple Laser Printer directly to Sun
Sparc with SunOS 4.1.3 by serial line, you need to install the NeWSprint
Software (from Sun) on your Printer Server Workstatrion. The next is the
information which will explain you the features of the software.

NeWSprint can easily and quickly install the printer and its definitions
in the /etc/printcap.

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From: Barry Margolin <barmar@Think.COM>
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 94 16:58:41 EDT
To: davido@Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: Q: Apple laser printer without CAP?

Since CAP just adds Appletalk capability to a Sun, it's unnecessary if
you're not using Appletalk. Here's the printcap for one of our serial
Postscript printers:

lw4|postscripta|apple4|dp|a4|ps4|Printer#4(postscript-cx):\
        :lp=/dev/ttyc3:\
        :rm=jupiter.think.com:rp=lw4:\
        :sd=/usr/spool/lpd/lw4:\
        :lf=/usr/spool/lpd/lw4/log:\
        :af=/usr/spool/lpd/lw4/acct:\
        :br#38400:rw:fc#0000374:fs#0000003:xc#0:xs#0040040:mx#0:sf:sb:\
        :if=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psif:\
        :of=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psof:\
        :gf=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psgf:\
        :nf=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psnf:\
        :tf=/usr/local/lib/transcript/pstf:\
        :rf=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psrf:\
        :vf=/usr/local/lib/transcript/psvf:\
        :cf=/usr/valid/tools/editor/lib/hpf:\
        :df=/usr/spool/lpd/lw4/psdf:

Note that you *do* need a Postscript printer driver, such as Transcript
from Adobe (all the /usr/local/lib/transcript stuff). There may be PD
equivalents, but I'm not familiar with any.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Oppenheimer
davido@Princeton.EDU



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