Subject: Re: [netatalk-admins] printing from the mac

From: Tom Watson <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 98 23:15:17 -0500

DeskJets and DeskWriters aren't compatible in software - completely 
different drivers. I'm not sure that there is a DeskJet driver that will 
run on the Mac. Since Mac's don't have parallel ports, HP assumes that 
nobody would need or want it.

On second thought, you might want to investigate the 3rd party printing 
packages that do Postscript emulation for inkjet printers - I'm sorry but 
I can't think of any names right now. Using one of those 3rd party 
printing packages on the Mac, it would think that it was printing to a 
Postscript printer. However, the software would translate the Postscript 
into the output necessary for your particular printer - gobs of inkjet 
printers are supported by these packages - and spool it via the Linux 
printer.

It's all theory, since I haven't actually done it. However, it should 
work.

Tom

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>I just installed netatalk but I can't get the mac to print
>on my linux machine (HP deskjet 540). I can print from nt
>with samba, I have mounted nt files on the mac, I can see
>the linux deskjet on the mac but I think I don't know how to
>get the right driver setup on the mac. I tried a PS laserjet
>driver (which I can attach to the linux name)--but it
>doesn't work.  The other printers seem to imply  that they
>are attached to the mac.  I may need to install something
>but since the mac is my son's I don't know what or where
>one does this for macs.
>
>In other words help!!
>
>bob lester
>[email-masked]
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From: PayPC System Mail Subscriber <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 17:08:15 +1000

Tom Watson said in Re: [netatalk-admins] printing from the mac at 30/Oct/1998 
(Fri) 14:15:17.

> printers are supported by these packages - and spool it via the Linux 

Well, there's Birmy PowerRIP...  and then there's Ghostscript.  I'd imagine 
you could make a ps printer device with an lpr interface (new LaserWriter 
drivers support LPRs), with papd... it should work ok.  Feed jobs from it 
thru Ghostscript to image the bits for blasting to the printer.  Ghostscript 
seems awfully complete enough from what I've used of it.

=R=

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From: Bill Studenmund <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 15:26:23 -0800 (PST)

> nobody would need or want it.

That's not quite correct. You're right that there are driver problems, but
the printers are identical from the PCL level. I first learned this when I
was able to print out HP's DJ500 command reference on my DeskWriter, and
it worked (except for a few glitches which I attributed to the file being
for a 500 when I had a no-number DeskWriter).

You're VERY right that HP's drivers make it VERY hard to hook a printer up
other than how they expected. A while back, you could hook a DeskWriter up
to a PC, and could have printed using the DeskJet drivers, _IF_ you could
have gotten the DeskJet driver to work at 57600 baud.

> printers are supported by these packages - and spool it via the Linux 

I think a GhostScript queue would work. I.E. set up a print queue on the
linux box to make postscript dump to the printer, and have papd advertize
that as a laserwriter.

The other option would be to make a papd variant which acted like a
DeskWriter connected via AppleTalk. But I think the protocol's a bit
different from a laserwriter (I bet the status info's different).

Take care,

Bill