Anyone get a Linksys printserver to work with OS 5?

[itfellow]

For various reasons, I need to move a couple of printers from a concentrator to a network print server. I have a few unused Linksys EPSX3 3-port printservers lying around, and I have been trying to get one to work with my Unix server. I would hate to have to buy a new printserver.

Linksys does provide an interface script, along with an install script (C code), but the install script fails and I have not been able to figure out why. Part of what the install script does is compile an executable and that seems to be where it is where it is failing. Unfortunately, SCO is officially unsupported by Linksys for this printserver.

Anyway, given that I am a Unix novice, I have two main questions to help me determine whether I am wasting my time here:

1) How do I determine which C compiler I have installed (if any)?
2) Has anyone out there managed to get one of these printservers working with Openserver?

Here are the tech details:

OS:
SCO Openserver 3.2 v. 5.0.5
patches: RS505A

printserver:
Linksys EPSX3 3-port 10/100

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[PHV]

Type cc -V on the command line.
If you get an Not found error message, then you have no compiler at all.

Hope This Help, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[itfellow]

Well, hey! I don't have a C compiler. Thanks for the tip, PHV. Is there normally a C compiler that comes with the standard installation, or is that strictly a 3rd party thing?

 

[PHV]

The C compiler is parts of the Development system package, purchased separately.
However you should have the Gnu C compiler on you Skunkware CD (unfortunately not much simple to install).

Hope This Help, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[Hemo]

Have you tryed installing as a remote unix print server, with queues of L1, L2, and L3?

That has worked for me in the past with this type of print server.

 

[itfellow]

Hemo, no I haven't tried that option, mainly because I don't know anything about it. How is setting this up as a remote unix print server different than a regular setup?

 

[Hemo]

Set up the remote printer on your Unix system, using the L1,L2, and L3 as the queue names.

Run the SCOAdmin tool, 'scoadmin printer' and then add a new remote unix printer.

SCOAdmin -> Printer -> Add Remote -> UNIX.

For the 'Host' prompt, enter the IP address or hostname (if the system has an entry in /etc/hosts) of the Linksys print server, for the 'Printer' prompt, enter the L1, L2, or L3. Unselect the box for 'extended remote printing protocol'. Choose OK, and the printer is configured and ready to use.

Go through the steps for the queue L1, you will get a spooler queue on your local system named 'L1'. Printing to this will direct the job to the remote print server, printer1.

 

[itfellow]

Hey Hemo, thanks for the info.

I'm not sure if I did something wrong or missed something, but here's what I've got:

I ran through the printer admin setup,using the printservers name (SC001) and the name HPLJ for the printer. I now have a printer listed as HPLJ in printer manager, and the objects usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/printers/HPLJ and /usr/spool/lpd/HPLJ. The printcap entry is:

HPLJ: :lp=:rm=SC001:rp=HPLJ:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/HPLJ

However, when I send something to the printer (I tried "who | lp -d HPLJ" ) I get a request ID, but nothing prints.

Did I miss something?

 

[Hemo]

perhaps this:

Set up the remote printer on your Unix system, using the L1,L2, and L3 as the queue names.


I am not sure if it matters, but you can try editing the /etc/printcap file to look like this:

HPLJ: :lp=:rm=SC001:rp=L1:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/HPLJ

The 'rp' is the 'remote printer' name, and on some of these servers it matters, on some it doesn't, but usually it matters that there is a 1,2, or 3 at the end of the name because that is how the print server 'knows' which printer port to print to. (to the best of my understanding).

Also, you sometimes cannot print to printer 3 on the print server unless you actually have printers attached to ports 1 and 2, print to port 2 only if port 1 installed, etc.

 

[Hemo]

forogt to mention you may need to stop and restart print services after editing /etc/printcap

 

[itfellow]

I went ahead and installed the printer using the name L1. I also plugged the printer into port1 on the printserver (it's the only printer at the moment). Even though the system edited the printcap file, not me, I still bounce the print service just to be sure. I still can't print.

Could I be missing something else? Do I need to have the correct interface file before anything will be sent to the printer at all?

Also, I noticed that when I leave printer manager and go back in, my new printer is no longer listed. Could this be an indication of what my problem is?

 

[Hemo]

Now you are starting to hit some of the reasons why I always recommend HP JetDirect print servers, or any print server that can do the jetdirect protocol (print to port 9100). (they work)

I wish I could help more, but I generally do not invest much more time into a product that is difficult to configure. I've gotten as far as this in the past, when it has worked I left it working, when it acted as yours is, I replaced it. The time invested (as part of my job) wasn't worth the price of a known working unit, so I never ventured farther down this path.

 

[PHV]

Can you ping SC001 ?
What is the output of: rlpstat HPLJ

Hope This Help, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[itfellow]

Hemo,I understand about the Jetdirect philosophy. My predecessor bought the Linksys printservers and I just thought it would be a shame to have to let these go to waste. Thanks for all your suggestions, by the way.

I did make some progress, though. After doing quite a bit of reading, I edited the printcap line to include mx#0 at the end, so now it looks like this:
L1: :lp=:rm=SC001:rp=L1:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/L1:mx#0:

Now I can print, but my printing comes out mangled. I get the stair-step effect, where the output of a ten line file is:
LINE #1..................
LINE #2........

I figure it's the interface file. I have one that's supposed to work with this printserver, but I can't figure how to associate it with this printer/printserver (there was never an option to do that in scoadmin printer manager). I have copied it to /var/spool/lp/model/ , /var/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces/ and
/var/spool/lp/admins/lp/printers/. Any idea how I can get it to read my interface file?

PHV, I can ping SC001, and the output of rlpstat L1 is:
(LPD Server):
(P1)STATE: Idle
TYPE: Parallel
PRINTER STATUS: On-Line

Of course, this probably doesn't surprise you now that I say I can get print output.

 

[Hemo]

nice job!

Is there an option on the printer to do a carriage return after a form feed? This is how I have always resolved this issue, though I am sure you could specify a filter to convert UNIX LF characters to DOS CR/LF format. (xtod?)

I do not know if xtod can be used as a print filter, or if it is overkill.

 

[PHV]

If the printer understand PCL, then the escape sequence is:
\033&k2G

Hope This Help, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[itfellow]

Hemo, the HP printer I'm using at the moment isn't that smart - no settings on the printer itself. I also don't understand why it would be necessary to convert from Unix to Dos format. Why would I expect the printer to understand DOS format any better?

PHV - I'm not sure what you're referring to. Where would I put this escape sequence?

 

[PHV]

To be sure, try this:
(echo "\033&k2G\c";cat /path/to/file) | lp -dL1

Hope This Help, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[itfellow]

PHV, I tried your suggestion and didn't see any change in the output.

Do you know of any way that I can verify or change which interface script a printer is using?