Very Computer

I'm using a panasonic kx-p6500 laserjet printer and when I try to print
a text file it prints it out as a stair case.  I've tried to use a hp
laserjet 4 and hp laserjet 2p and still get the stair case effect. I
need to put a carriage return code after each line but I don't know the code
to do that.  Can someone please help me, thanks
to do that.  Can someone please help me, thanks.

: I'm using a panasonic kx-p6500 laserjet printer and when I try to print
: a text file it prints it out as a stair case.  I've tried to use a hp
: laserjet 4 and hp laserjet 2p and still get the stair case effect. I
: need to put a carriage return code after each line but I don't know the code
: to do that.  Can someone please help me, thanks

Some printers have a special control code that you can send to put them
in a mode where a newline is a linefeed (instead of a cr lf pair).

But I fire up perl to handle it.

Real basically, in perl:

-----
#!/usr/bin/perl
while(<STDIN>){
    chop;
    print "$_\r\n";

Quote:}

My filter needs a bit of explaining...

We read the first line of input, to determine if it's postscript or not.

I'm using one of those printers that uses a "color cartridge", but usually
it's black and white. Ghostscript has different arguments for color. So we
use a flag file to tell ghostscript we're in "color".

The variable $gs is the actual gs command used for color or b&w.

I like to have an audio file played to tell me when a print job has
started and ended. (different for color)

If it's NOT postscript (as is usually the case) I have perl remove the
linefeed, add a carriage return and a line feed.

When the print job is over, I have it send a form feed (and play another
sound)

So here's my messy (but fairly simple) print filter, you'll want to change
the line that says system("/usr/local/bin/lps $sound");  to a command
that plays a sound file, (or remove it completely), change the $gs
to whatever you use. (maybe you never have to deal with color cartridges,
I dunno)

In /etc/printcap set your if= to whatever_you_save_this_filter_as make
sure to chmod +x it, (and look it over _real_ good, as I believe it runs
as user root).

Good luck! Let me know if you use it, or have any questions, ok?

Jamie

----
#!/usr/bin/perl
$Line=<STDIN>;
$|=1;
if( -f "/var/spool/lpd/color" ){
    $gs='/usr/bin/gs -dSAFER -q -dBitsPerPixel=16 -sDEVICE=cdeskjet -sOutputFile=- -sShingling-1 -';
    $sound_begin="print_color";

Quote:}else{

Quote:}

Quote:}else{                     # File is assumed to be plaintext.

Quote:}

Quote:}

On 4 Nov 1997 05:46:51 GMT, a small green fish snuck into
guidedog's internet account in order to express the following:

Quote:> I'm using a panasonic kx-p6500 laserjet printer and when I try to print
> a text file it prints it out as a stair case.  I've tried to use a hp
> laserjet 4 and hp laserjet 2p and still get the stair case effect. I
> need to put a carriage return code after each line but I don't know the code
> to do that.  Can someone please help me, thanks

---

#!/bin/sh
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
echo "usage: $0 file [file file ...]"
exit
fi
for i in $*; do
if [ -f $i ]; then
cat $i | todos | lpr
fi
done

---

It ain't exactly pretty but it does the job for text.

If anyone has a nice simple filter (I'm not going to fire up perl
just to add \r to every line) that works as "if" then I want to know.
'todos' chokes on a "-w132" when I try to use it that way.  I've no
idea where that option's coming from.  It's nowhere in my printcap.