Re: Printing w/Epson SC800

[USM Bish <bish@nde.vsnl.net.in>]

On Mon, Sep 11, 2000 at 09:44:47PM -0700, John Gilger wrote:
> I feel like a total mental case. I have potato up and running fine, but
> even though I've read a pile of f'ing manuals I can't get my epson sc800
> printer to listen when debian talks!
> 
> I have installed apsfilter, lprng, and aladdin-ghostscript as
> recommended in the PRINTING-HOWTO, but for some unknown reason my brain
> has failed me in its ability to figure out what I have to to to get
> everything working in sync.
> 
> The embarassing part is this is not the first go round with linux or
> debian and I am sure that I'm overlooking something blatantly obvious
> and simple. :(
> 
> Anybody willing to lend some intelligence to an antique geek with bad
> memory banks?
> 
> TIA
> 
> John
> 

"Lets start at the very beginning ..
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with ...."

[from Sound of Music!]

1. DOS: Do you have DOS Installed as well ? [Y / N]
   (An old DOS boot diskette will also do ...)
   
   IF Yes THEN
   
       Do a TYPE TxtFile > PRN
       IF Output Ok THEN
          NO Hardware problem
          Exit DOS and go to Linux
       ELSE
          Hardware problem (?)
          Check cables/ connectors etc.
          Reboot & pray
               
2. LINUX:
 
       a) Do a dmesg. Check which device your printer is polled
          IF polled THEN
             No kernel problems
             Move to b)
          ELSE
             lp support in kernel (!)
             Exit ... recompile kernel ...
                            
       b) Do a cat Txtfile > /dev/lpN (where N is the device polled)
       
          IF Output Ok THEN
             NO Hardware/ kernel problems
             Exit and go to (c) PrinterSetUp
          ELSE
             Check cables etc
             Reboot and retry
          
       c) PrinterSetUp : If system installed properly, a printer 
          software should have been installed (lpr or lprng):
          
          IS lpd daemon running ?
             IF no THEN
                Kick yourself!
                Start lpd daemon ...
                
             ELSE
             
                Try manually to get lpd to work and produce anything !
                
                   i) Make a spool directory
                      mkdir /var/spool/lpd
                      
                  ii) Make a simple /etc/printcap
                      lp|foo|my-printer:\
                        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/foo:\
                        :mx#0:\
                        :lp=/dev/lpN:\  [substitute N for number]
                        :sh:
                      
                      Dont bother about the "if=" (input filter) at this
                      stage. Just get anything going ... even staircasing
                      is acceptable.
                        
                 iii) Do a cat FileName | lpr
                      IS something coming ? [Y/N]

                      IF yes THEN
                         Happiness ...
                         Read Printing-HOWTO
                         Install magicfilter / aspfilter etc
                         Finger around (and you will get it right sometime!)
                         (geeks are known to have memory-rebound phenomenon
                          after a spell of mental-block!)
                         
                      ELSE
                         Grim scene !
                         Check for PLIP conflict
                         Check IRQ conflict
                         Check file permissions of lpr, lpd etc

                         Set port addr/ int at boot time with LILO or Loadlin
                         [e.g.lp=0x278,5,0x378,7 ** see Printing-HOWTO] and
                         force your presence into the printing port:
                         
                         IF still no joy THEN
                            PRAY !
                         ELSE
                            suicide ...   
                            
                            
You would agree, if nothing is coming out from the printer, 
this checklist should cover almost everything that readily
comes to the mind. 

Please add if something has been missed ..

The rest is actually getting an appropriate driver for your 
specific printer (for ps printing mainly).  Normally  epson 
printers pose no problems,  and there should be a driver in 
either magic/ apsfilter. If no joy you would have to settle
for a generic driver ....  but printing should not stop.

Best wishes,

USM Bish