Re: OpenVMS spld output to netwrkd Apple Laserwriter?

[ron@cajon.fusion.ucla.edu ()]

In article <1996Apr16.185452.1@dymaxion.ns.ca>, rr@dymaxion.ns.ca (Rod
Regier) writes:

I've worked with Apple LaserWriters and VAX's with both methods.  Using
Pathworks/Mac can be a little problematic (perhaps because I've never
used DCPS/Open) but for us, it was a zero cost hack to get LaserWriter
support on our workstations.

LPR support is available on the newest LaserWriters (such as the 16/600)
that have ethernet built-in.  I've never heard of lpr on the older
LaserWriters, though I bet there are printer bridge boxes that might be
able to do lpr for an older Localtalk LaserWriter.  In any case, the
LaserWriter 16/600 has lpr with separate queues for text (text) and
PostScript (raw).  It even has NetWare support if things are further
confused at your site.

By the way, all of my tests with remote lpr from the VAX were running
UCX 3.3 on VMS 5.5-2.

Ron Lehmer
rlehmer@ucsd.edu


>We are looking for a way to support spooled output from a networked
>OpenVMS (V6.2) platform to a networked Apple Laserwriter.
>
>The OpenVMS system is licensed for DECnet and TCP/IP
>Services for Open VMS.
>
>(1) Digital's recommended supported solution is to use DCPS Open,
>    which apparently requires Pathworks for OpenVMS (Macintosh)
>    to provide Ethertalk or Localtalk transport.
>
>    Because of the additional licensing costs,
>    and the fact that Pathworks is involved, this is *not*
>    a very attractive solution.
>
>(2) The Apple Laserwriter product is alleged to have LPD/LPR
>    capability, which could be driven by TCP/IP Services for
>    OpenVMS LPR/LPD functionality.
>
>    Because the TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS LPR/LPD capability
>    (UCX$LPD_SMB) is designed around the assumption that the
>    remote host will be handling the end-of-job processing
>    (such as the character sequence to force out last page),
>    and so offers no capabilities in that area.
>
>    This presents a major difficulty with Apple Laserwriter 
>    support because, to our knowledge, the Apple Laserwriter
>    has no end-of-job processing capability, which means that
>    it would be most difficult to force out the last page of output.
>
>    We want to avoid having to add to the spooled print request
>    data on the OpenVMS side.
>
>
>Can anyone suggest another approach, or a means of resolving
>the problems with (2)?
>
>--
>Rod Regier, Software Development                bus: (902)422-1973 x108
>Dymaxion Research Ltd., 5515 Cogswell St.,      fax: (902)421-1267
>Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1R2 Canada       Internet: RRegier@dymaxion.ns.ca
>