Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 22:03:01 +0200 (METDST) From: Jochen Solbrig <Jochen.Solbrig@urz.uni-heidelberg.de> To: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG (fbsd-newbies) Subject: curious printer setup Message-ID: <199808032003.WAA62932@aixterm8.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
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hello!
a few weeks ago I installed freebsd 2.2.6 on my computer. after configuring
x-windows and some other programs I decided to set up my printer.
I did every step the book "the complete freebsd" and the handbook explaines.
I also new about /etc/printcap, lpd and lpr because I used linux for two
years, but...
first I set up a raw printer in /etc/printcap (just the default). nothing
happened when I tried to print a file using "lpr file". I checked if the
printer was connected to the pc (yes) if it was switched on (yes) and if
I could print directly to the printer port (cat file > /dev/ttyd0) (yes).
very funny. I tried lpq and lpc to find out what was going on. well I
can't remember exactly each step I tried but finally I found out that
lpd was not running. after I started it by hand I could print.
I already read about the file rc.conf so I thought there must be some
entry to start lpd at at boot time. nothing is mentioned about editing
rc.conf to start lpd, neither in "the complete freebsd" nor in the
online-handbook or the faq!
ok, first problem solved. here comes the second one. I wanted to print
ps-files on my deskjet. in "the complete freebsd" there are only a few
lines concerning this important topic. the online handbook gives more
information. Again, I could profit from my linux experience. I knew
already about ghostscript and how to write filters.
I wrote the following filter :
#!/bin/sh
gs -q -sDEVICE=cdjmono -sOutputFile=- -
Then I made a spool directory and an error file to log errors.
result: an error message saying something like "file: connect: not found"
nothing mentioned in the man pages for lpd, lpq, lp or lpc.
I also thought that there may be an incorrect path to the spool
directory or the log file.
then I discovered somewhere that I should use
exit 0 and/or exit 2 in the filter. I also found a script for printing
ps-documents on non-ps-printers in the online handbook and finally it worked.
second problem solved. next, I wanted to install apsfilter. I couldn't
find it as a precompiled packages, so I performed the steps for installing
ports listed listed in the handbooks
but every time I called make there are only
some error messages complaining about a missing apsfilter.??.tar.gz.
hm, I searched for the file in /cdrom/ports/distfiles but nothing was
there. I even didn't find this funny file on any of the four cdroms!
At first I thought cdrom.com forgot this file while mastering the
cdroms. Actually I wondered why there are _two_ source directories,
/cdrom/ports/distfiles and /cdrom/ports. I later found out that there are
no source files in /cdrom/ports/... ??? the explanation is somewhere in
the documentation. the faq (I read it _hours_ later. I know, I
should have done it first) explained that for copyright reasons some
files could not be distributed on cdrom.
I decided that I don't need apsfilter and was happy for the last
remaining 4 hours of the weekend.
ciao,
jochen
--
god is real -- unless declared integer
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