Printing to parallel port in Digital UNIX without lpd -- odd problems

From: Frank J. Perricone <frank_at_dlc.state.vt.us>
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 07:18:44 -0500

I've been trying to set up my Digital UNIX 4.0b system to print via the
parallel port for some time now and am stuck. Since we're using some
queueing software, I'm not using lp or lpr, as lpd isn't running at all.
I'm trying to be able to print directly to the port. Yet when I try
something like this:

> date >/dev/lp0
ksh: /dev/lp0: cannot create

Following up on a lead someone else had posted somewhere, I rebooted and
went into ECU on my AlphaStation to see if maybe the parallel port hadn't
been set up. It had, and I started the system back up, fired up a shell on
the console, and even though I hadn't changed anything I tried again. It
printed!

I rushed to my PC, fired up a terminal window, logged in, and did it again
(this time with the echo command). Still worked.

Elated, I announced the results to the others in MIS, then sat down to do
some more thorough testing. Tried to cat a whole file there and bang, got
the same "cannot create" error as ever. Tried the date command again, and
now it wouldn't work. I doubt the cat command killed it, so I have to
assume something loaded in in between tests that screwed it up; but what?
I've tried unloading the queueing software (QMaster) but it doesn't change
anything. I've also killed and re-mknod-ed the /dev/lp0 file without it
accomplishing anything.

Any suggestions would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

--
Frank J. Perricone                               frank_at_dlc.state.vt.us
DP Systems Manager                                        802-828-2345
Vermont Department of Liquor Control                 Fax: 802-828-2803
http://www.state.vt.us/dlc/   http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn/f-pgp.txt
Received on Mon Dec 01 1997 - 13:44:50 NZDT

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