Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006, Jason Kooner wrote:

> Which modules do I need to get my HP 895 deskjet working on my 486?
> I found these modules in the misc directory:
>
> parport
> parport_pc
> lp

> do I need to use the 'insmod' command on all three of these? Any other 
> modules?

Yes, no.

> Then would I issue something like:
>
> cat somefile.txt > /dev/lp0
>
> to send a file to the printer? Also would I only be able to print text files?

This would work with a dot-matrix printer but inkjets and laser printers 
(as far as I know) need the unix format converted to DOS format first.

Look at Steven's wp script for how to do this (dos2unix with a switch).

To print non-text files:
1)  You can print images (ppm, pbm) with netpbm programs on some printers 
- mono epson-compatible and mono or color deskjet/laserjet (pbmtoescp2, 
pbmtolj, pnmtolj).  There are packages for BL3 and BL2 at my website

http://keesan.freeshell.org/bl

and explanations in ./bl/blfiles.htm

Netpbm has programs for converting many image formats and even text 
(ascii) to ppm or pbm first.  I don't know if the newer HPs are still 
lj-compatible.  The C60 and C80 Epsons won't work as 'epson' with netpbm, 
or with older ghostscripts, they use different drivers.  Some HPs are 
'Windows' printers and require ppa drivers, and the netpbm drivers may 
still be broken.  (I recycled my 720 and 822 so can't test). pbmtoppa.
Look up your printer online.

2)  To print pdf files, you can convert to images (if they consist only of 
images) with pdfimages, or to mixed text and images with pdftoppm, but 
from xpdf.  You will need ghostscript fonts.  You can use my set of 
minimal fonts and the mapping file for them (pdf-noX-BL3.tgz ? and another 
package with the word fonts in it that does not contain the actual 
binaries).

3)  If you have the space, speed, and RAM, install ghostscript from SW4.0 
for BL3 (or my newer version which does the new pdf 1.5 format but needs 
libc6 from SW81) and print pdf files with that.  You would need to convert 
images to pdf format, or use programs set to do this (xv, maybe Opera).

You can print directly with ghostscript commands (see previous postings 
about this or I can upload my little scripts for deskjet and laserjet4 
which also works with laserjet3) or set up print filters and print with 
scripts that contain those, or use lpr and printcap.  I posted a large 
printcap at my site.  Put your printer first on the list or use the -P 
switch to specify it.  You will need to insert the modules and run lpd 
as root, and then switch to 'user' to actually print, which means 
installing Steven's password package first to set up 'user'.  (We can't 
figure out why root is not allowed to print).

Ask for more help.  It took several of us a long time to get this all 
working.  You seem to know more than I did to start.

netpbm is much easier to use if your printer is laserjet compatible 
(PCL5?).  And it does not need libc6, nor do the xpdf programs.

> Thanks,
>
> Jason Kooner.

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org