OpenVMS spld output to netwrkd Apple Laserwriter?

[rr@dymaxion.ns.ca (Rod Regier)]

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