From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Dec 10 01:27:18 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4F24816A4CE for ; Wed, 10 Dec 2003 01:27:18 -0800 (PST) Received: from web21107.mail.yahoo.com (web21107.mail.yahoo.com [216.136.227.109]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id A6AF143D2E for ; Wed, 10 Dec 2003 01:27:16 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from materribile@yahoo.com) Message-ID: <20031210092716.75903.qmail@web21107.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [24.228.74.10] by web21107.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Wed, 10 Dec 2003 01:27:16 PST Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 01:27:16 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Terribile To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20031209193505.805F016A4E9@hub.freebsd.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii cc: Marco Beishuizen Subject: How to make printer print faster? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 09:27:18 -0000 Marco Beishuizen writes: >I own a HP LaserJet 2100, connected to my home network. According to the >specifications it should be able to print 10 pages per minute. When using >Windows that's not a problem. But using FreeBSD (with lpd configured with >help of Apsfilter from the ports) it prints very slowly, I guess about 2 >pages per minute. > >Is it possible to make printing go faster? When something is slow, the first thing to learn is _why_ it is slow. With it running, call up systat 1 -vmstat (systat-one-dash-vmstat) and look at the bar graph from the lhs to the center of the display. If you see lots of dashes or angle brackets, the problem is with user-level code such as ghostscript . If you see lots of equal signs, then something in the kernel (a driver?) is eating the time. If you see lots of plus signs, then a lot of time is being spent fielding interrupts, which suggests that the communication between the computer and the printer is not well handled. (Parallel ports are horrible in this way.) If there is not a lot of CPU being used, then the problem lies in the printer or in the precise instructions is is being given -- or else in some other source of delay in the computer. In an extreme case, heavy disk I/O could do this; you'll see that in the display on the bottom left to bottom center. Once you know where the bottleneck is, or at least where it ISN'T, you can look for the precise problem and the real fix. systat -vmstat may be the best thing a performance-concious developer will find in FreeBSD. Apart, that is, from a system which wants to run fast if only you'll let it. Mark Terribile __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/