I wanted to say a big thank you to all who replied last week with advice on
the subject of connecting non-standard printers to an Omega. There are too
many to thank individually, so I wanted to do a quick bulk mailing.
While the problem is still not yet solved, and no one user had worked the
same configuration I have here, there was a whole lot of information that
helped me along the learning process.
A couple of extra pieces of information, prompted by some replies:
* We currently tell the ConfigOmega script that there *is* a LaserWriter on
serial port B. This postscript plot commands work, and create a PS file
which the computer then tries to send to the printer. It can't find it, and
so generates print-queue messages. We kill the print-queue, and then drag the
PS file across the network to where there are working PS printers.
While this *is* clunky, I do like it from the point of view that it lets me
retrieve the PS files, drag them into Adobe Illustrator or similar, and play
with annotation, labels, fonts, etc etc.
* The donated printer was a LaserJet 4 (with no additional letters), and
was minus a postscript cartridge or memory cartridge. The advice from HP was
that I would need an additional 4MB in the printer to handle postscript. By
the time I priced the PS and memory cartridges from a HP supplier, the cost
came out to around $400, which nobody who shells out the money is prepared
to spend. So, unless I can find some used equipment, as some of you
suggested, the printer will be going back into storage.
* In the meantime, I'm working on connecting it to the networked printer, a
Lexmark Optra postscript printer. So far, after configuring the omega for
remote LaserWriter, and hacking the printcap file a little to reflect the
lexmark printer name, I have had everything appearing to print OK from the
omega.... ie print commands accepted, print queue listing displayed, no
error mesgs, etc etc. The fact that no job seems to arrive at the Lexmark,
and no paper ever emerges from it, is probably one for the network people
around here.
Finally, a number of you raised the question of having transcript or TOPS
installed on the Sun. Is there a way of determining which, if either, is
installed?? There are manuals for TOPS lying around here, but I'd never
assume anything.....!!!
Once again, many thanks to all who responded.
Ross
-- Ross Mair Visiting Scientist Office Phone: (617) 495 7218 Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics Office Fax: (617) 496 7690 (and Brigham and Women's Hospital) email: rmair@cfa.harvard.edu 60 Garden St, MS 59, Cambridge, MA 02138 NMRlab Phone: (617) 278-0638 USA (at Brigham and Women's Hospital)