Very Computer

Hello,

I am having trouble setting up my HP DeskJet 682C printer with SuSE 5.3.

I am testing the printer setup with the following command...

        cp some_ascii_file /dev/lp1

I can get it to print, but there are two problems (so far).

1) For plain ASCII files it only works right for files created with
DOS/Windows (lines end with CR-LF). With files created by VI while
running Linux (lines end with LF only) the printer moves forward one
line for each line in the text file but the printing continues at the
same column (does not go to beginning of line). This makes a perverse
kind of sense, but it must be possible to print plain ASCII files!

2) I need to press the reset button on the printer after the above copy
command before it actually prints.

I used Yast to set up the printer. There was not an exact match for my
printer in the list of printers offered, but I have tried several HP
deskjet selections including a "generic" one (no model specified) and
earlier models (e.g. 550C).

Thanks!
--
Robert Paulsen                         http://paulsen.home.texas.net
If my return address contains "ZAP." please remove it. Sorry for the
inconvenience but the unsolicited email is getting out of control.

Curious. I didn't think cp would work (I usually use "cat" if I want to
test a printer port).

Quote:

> I can get it to print, but there are two problems (so far).

> 1) For plain ASCII files it only works right for files created with
> DOS/Windows (lines end with CR-LF). With files created by VI while
> running Linux (lines end with LF only) the printer moves forward one
> line for each line in the text file but the printing continues at the
> same column (does not go to beginning of line). This makes a perverse
> kind of sense, but it must be possible to print plain ASCII files!

First, your printer should have a DIP switch (my bubble jet does) that
interprets Control-M (end-of-line) as <CR><LF>, not just as <LF>. Check
your printer manual.

Quote:

> 2) I need to press the reset button on the printer after the above copy
> command before it actually prints.

It might be your DIP switch settings.

Quote:> I used Yast to set up the printer. There was not an exact match for my
> printer in the list of printers offered, but I have tried several HP
> deskjet selections including a "generic" one (no model specified) and
> earlier models (e.g. 550C).

> Thanks!
> --
> Robert Paulsen                         http://paulsen.home.texas.net
> If my return address contains "ZAP." please remove it. Sorry for the
> inconvenience but the unsolicited email is getting out of control.

Quote:

> It might be your DIP switch settings.

No dip-switches that I can see without tearing the thing apart. I'll
check HP's web site and see if they have anything to say about it.

Thanks.

--
Robert Paulsen                         http://paulsen.home.texas.net
If my return address contains "ZAP." please remove it. Sorry for the
inconvenience but the unsolicited email is getting out of control.

By default  Suse-Linux creates four entries for every selected printer. If
it is the first printer they are as below (for example the stcolor):
   ascii|lp1|stcolor-a4-ascii-mono-360|stcolor a4 ascii mono 360
   lp|lp2|stcolor-a4-auto-color-360|stcolor a4 auto color 360
   lp-mono|lp3|stcolor-a4-auto-mono-360|stcolor a4 auto mono 360
   raw|lp4|stcolor-a4-raw|stcolor a4 raw

For printing a file you have to use one of the listed printers above. To
print the file "some_text" you have to type the following:
"lpr -Plp3 some_text"

In this way the apsfilter-programm recognices the type of the file and you
can print any type of file.

Good luck.

cut..

This staircasing is caused by the different line terminators of DOS and
Linux. There should be a way to configure the apsfilter to correct it.  
See section 7.1 of the Linux Printing HOWTO and section 9.3 of the SuSE
5.3 book.

Until you find that info, look for a little conversion program named
"todos".You can print like so:   cat some_ascii_file | todos > /dev/lp1

cut...

Quote:

> > This staircasing is caused by the different line terminators of DOS and
> > Linux. There should be a way to configure the apsfilter to correct it.
> > See section 7.1 of the Linux Printing HOWTO and section 9.3 of the SuSE
> > 5.3 book.

> Until you find that info, look for a little conversion program named
> "todos".You can print like so:   cat some_ascii_file | todos > /dev/lp1

SuSE has a similiar program "recode".   SuSE defines the alias
"unix2dos" to use recode to convert unix files to dos.  (There is also a
"dox2unix".) As irv suggests, this could be used until you figure out
the printer setup.

Michael and Irv,

Thanks!

I'll look into unixtodos, etc. (I'm booted back to Win98 right now so
can' check immediately.)

--
Robert Paulsen                         http://paulsen.home.texas.net
If my return address contains "ZAP." please remove it. Sorry for the
inconvenience but the unsolicited email is getting out of control.