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RE: [TCLUG:7538] printing (lpr/lpd?) problems



Ok, let's break this problem down into itty bitty bits.

>         We bought a new accounting application, and I convinced
> the boss to
> get OSAS 6.0 for Linux. I'm installing it on a RedHat5.1 server, and
> attempting to print to a HP LaserJet 4V via a JetDirect network card.

Sounds pretty standard.  Thank you for supplying the version numbers, it
helps a lot.

Is the JetDirect card internal or external?  What happens when you try to
print a text file from the command line (i.e. lpr -P hp4v test.txt) in
scoansi or vt100 emulation?  Is the printer set up in /etc/printcap?

>         our accounting app won't print reports. (in most cases). screens
> will print (there's a sort of print-screen function included in the
> program); but reports tend to go into the print spooler, and jam up in
> there, refusing to print.

Ok, is there anywhere in OSAS that you can look to see if it is using two
different methods of printing, one for screen captures and one for regular
reports?

>         our consultant could get reports to print, when he was logged in
> with Windows Telnet. however, when he logged in with TinyTerm, it wouldn't
> work. I poked around with terminal emulations, and actually got a
> report to
> print once; I think it's because I was using vt100 emulation. (however, I
> haven't been able to repeat that since)

Take good notes of what works and what doesn't.  See if you can reproduce it
working under vt100.  I wonder if it's using terminal pass-through printing,
where the print job goes through the terminal emulator to your default
client printer (assuming you're using Windows clients).  That's the only way
of printing I can think of that depends on your terminal emulation.

>         problem is, the app seems to be a direct port from SCO; and the
> interface doesn't exactly work right under anything but SCOANSI emulation.
> (although AT386 emulation is about as good). ;(

<RANT> The whole ANSI vs. SCO ANSI issue makes me wince.  Why why why?
</RANT>

>         when the jobs are stuck in the print queue i can see that they're
> printing from "standard input"; which is one of the reasonsi'm suspecting
> the problem has something to do with the terminal emulation. (the program
> seems to be too stupid to readily recognize networked printers;
> so in order
> to print to one, you need to use something like "> lpr -P hp4v -s
> 2>/dev/null" rather than '/dev/lp1')

If you hook a printer to the parallel port on your server, and use ">
/dev/lp1'" does it print normally?  How about "| lpr -P hp4v" ?  Note that
I'm using a pipe ("|") instead of a re-direct (">") to pass it to the lpr
daemon.

> anyone got a clue what to try next? if I can upgrade RH5.1 to 6.0 without
> damaging anything in the process, would that help? (never done a Linux
> upgrade myself; nor do I know anything about how smooth they are).

It'll help as printtool has been improved with every RH version.  Try
upgrading, then delete and re-create the hp4v using printtool.  I just
upgraded my box at home from 5.2 to 6.0 with zero breakage.

>
> if anyone has a working fix for this; i'm sure I can get them paid as a
> 'consultant'.

No need unless you have to have someone come on-site or telnet into your
box.

--
Carl Patten
Systems Administrator
Trimodal Inc.
cpatte@trimodalinc.com