help with printing

[Michael]

Dave and others:
I tried everything you wrote here, but it/they didn't work. In fact, printing was worse :( 
About 8 pages with 1 to 5 lines of "gibberish" or weird characters like I used to see when programming on my C64!
I had written a lengthy and detailed reply with all steps I took in using your example commands and then lost it :( I tried to save the draft, but it didn't save. 
I even tried adding lp to the front of the line: dj870|cdj850;r=300x300;q=high;c=full;p=letter;m=auto:\ 
but that didn't help either. 
I went back to my original printcap (as shown below) and finally got back to the 2 lines of ii, m, k, i, mm.

I may try what Jonathon wrote to see if it works and I already have the programs/files installed. 

I have a few things to do today, but can work on this "in-between" times. 

Thanks everybody for your help. Whatever I do/try, I'll let you know how it goes because I do need to get this printer working.


Mike



On Fri, Jun 06, 2008 at 09:38:08PM -0400, Woodchuck wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Jun 2008, Michael wrote:
> 
> > > If it wants a SYS-V style make (Linux), use gmake from ports.
> > > 
> > 
> > ok. I'll do that if needed, but wasn't sure if it would conflict with make. Thanks.
> 
> No problem.  The two co-exist peacefully.  I know, this sounds unlikely,
> but I've never seen a clash.  Mirabile dictu, on Linux "pmake" (what they
> call BSD make) co-exists with their make, too.  Someone should point this
> out and get the BugMasters Tiger Team on it.  There's no reason for two
> such packages not to break each other.  Then we could all migrate to
> imake [shudder]...
> 
> > > > Apsfilter printed out a nice test page, but so far, that's it. Won't print a file or email with mutt.
> > > 
> > > Try this for unequivocal testing:
> > > 
> > > 	df | lpr
> 
> This would test "text"
> 
> > > 
> > > 	cat somefile.ps | lpr
> 
> This would test postscript
> 
> > > 
> > 
> > Just 2 lines of gibberish ( k, mm, k, i, ii, etc)
> 
> Well, at least the printer is alive.
> 
> Sometimes the exact gibberish would be helpful.  Probably not this time,
> though.
> 
> see my note below about "/dev/lpa0", though. 
> 
> > > Become familiar with lpq, lpr, lpc, lpd from the man 1 and 8 pages.
> > > lpc and lpq will usually tell the tale.
> > > 
> > 
> > I've read them several times. Guess I'm man pages "comprehension challenged" ;)
> 
> lpq and lpc are the main tools.
> 
> > > ****>>> Check that lpd has been started.  Set lpd_flags="" in /etc/rc.conf
> > > 
> > 
> > yep, have it as lpd_flags"-L" for debugging.
> 
> -l doesn't get you much.
> 
> > > Post your /etc/printcap file.  This is really necessary to attack
> > > a printer problem.
> > > 	
> > 
> > This is printcap before and after installing apsfilter:
> > 
> > #       $OpenBSD: printcap,v 1.4 2003/03/28 21:32:30 jmc Exp $
> > 
> > lp|local line printer:\
> >         :lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
> > 
> > #rp|remote line printer:\
> > #       :lp=:rm=printhost:rp=lp:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > #       $OpenBSD: printcap,v 1.4 2003/03/28 21:32:30 jmc Exp $
> > 
> > lp|local line printer:\
> >         :lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
> > 
> > #rp|remote line printer:\
> > #       :lp=:rm=printhost:rp=lp:sd=/var/spool/output:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
> > # APS1_BEGIN:printer1
> > # - don't delete start label for apsfilter printer1
> > # - no other printer defines between BEGIN and END LABEL
> > dj870|cdj850;r=300x300;q=high;c=full;p=letter;m=auto:\
> >     :lp=/dev/lpt0:\
> >     :if=/etc/apsfilter/basedir/bin/apsfilter:\
> >     :sd=/var/spool/lpd/dj870:\
> >     :lf=/var/spool/lpd/dj870/log:\
> >     :af=/var/spool/lpd/dj870/acct:\
> >     :mx#0:\
> >     :sh:
> > # APS1_END - don't delete this
> 
> OK, you have *two* printer queues defined for lpd.  One is named
> "lp" and is the default.  The other is named dj870 or cdj850.
> 
> I would comment out the lp entry, both lines of it, and change the
> dj870 line to read:
> 
> lp|dj870...<rest of line without change>
> 
> Then kill and restart lpd.  Then you will be sending everything
> through the apsfilter stuffs.  As it stands, to get apsfilter,
> you would have needed to specify -P dj870 to lpr, for example.
> 
> > > > I only have 6 gig for 4.3 on this computer, so was hoping not to install a bunch of extra programs, but may have to. I'm just trying to print a few files per week.
> > > 
> > > No, you shouldn't have to.  Lpd and friends have run on Unix since
> > > the days when a 250 MB disk was HUGE and 4MB memory was AMPLE.  They
> > > have not changed noticeably since those days.  Almost no extra
> > > software should be needed for text files.
> > > 
> > 
> > That's what I was hoping, but couldn't get mutt to print anything. The DJ870Cxi is pcl v3.
> 
> Worry about mutt last.  First get lpd to work.
> 
> My impression is that pcl printers, when powered up, accept plain
> text as a default.  Perhaps this was before the war ;-)    I have
> a LaserJet 5+ with postscript module and connect via ethernet (HP
> JetDirect), so I'm familiar with that setup more than others.  (And
> it was painless).  LJ 5+ also has some sort of pcl ability, but I
> never consciously evoke it.  I use lpd and no filters (CUPS or
> apsfilter or...).  I get plain text and PS without glitches.  I think
> I've even seen it print from firefox, but it's been a while.
> 
> > That's why I finally asked for help, after reading man pages for lpd, lpr, lpc, afterboot.
> > I'm probably making something simple into something complex.
> 
> I suspect that mutt has done this on your behalf.  That a "mutt-print"
> utility is looking for LaTeX is ominous, frightening and silly.  It means
> some programmer had too much time on his hands.
> 
> Most people migrate to Linux from Windoze.  They therefore expect
> things to be complicated and not work quite right ever, or to perform
> bizarre miracles.  CUPS was designed to fulfill their expectations.
> 
> Many BSD users came here from larger systems, Suns, Vaxes, even the
> dreaded mainframes.  We expect things to be simple, featureless and
> work all the time. (And to cost a fortune.  I keep waiting for the
> bill from the BSD Trust.)
> 
> Lineprinters have usually sucked in some way.  Serial lineprinters
> suck more than others.
> 
> One thing to keep in the back of your mind, is that if you *seem*
> to be almost working, but the printer is exceptionally slow, or
> seems to hang, change the port from /dev/lpt0 to /dev/lpa0 in
> /etc/printcap and restart lpd.  This uses the "polling" driver for
> the parallel port.  Sometimes there are "issues" between the interrupt
> driven port driver (lptx) and the printer, also the cable can become
> a vexation.
> 
> > > I don't want to contradict earlier posters, but are there *really*
> > > printers so brain-damaged that they can't print plain text?  I
> > > exclude from consideration (and so should everyone) so-called
> > > Win-printers, but it was my impression that those abominations had
> > > all been kicked to the curb long ago.
> > > 
> > 
> > The printer works great with cups and linux and probably MS stuff. I was just wanting to keep it simple for printing mutt email when needed.
> 
> I still wonder if it won't print plain text.  It seems so odd.
> 
> Good luck with it!
> 
> Dave
> -- 
>                The future isn't what it used to be.
>                              -- G'kar