From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Mar 20 17:31:32 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AB2FC106564A for ; Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:31:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from aristotle.thought.org (dsl231-043-140.sea1.dsl.speakeasy.net [216.231.43.140]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4FE218FC18 for ; Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:31:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from thought.org (tao.thought.org [10.47.0.250]) (authenticated bits=0) by aristotle.thought.org (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id m2KHVRqL064846 for ; Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:31:27 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: by thought.org (nbSMTP-1.00) for uid 1002 kline@thought.org; Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:31:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:31:27 -0700 From: Gary Kline To: FreeBSD Mailing List Message-ID: <20080320173124.GA2611@thought.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: With 21++ years of service to the Unix community. X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.4 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.2.3 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on aristotle.thought.org Cc: Subject: more on FreeBSD and Brother HL-5250-DN X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:31:32 -0000 Not to bore anyone, but my finding may be of interest. Predrag pointed me at a Brother lpr/printcap setup for Linux-- will wonders never cease?, :-). The URL is http://solutions.brother.com/linux/en_us/index.html and had configurations (binaries, not plaintext) for Redhat andDebian. I managed to install, and thus unpack, the *deb (is that cpio?) on my Ubuntu desktop. Very late last night it occurred to me that the reason no /dev/lpt0 was that my parallel cable isn't plugged into my new printer. The test pages work via the cat5 <-> switch; this HTML helped me configure the 5250. When I another geek over here to plug things together, I'll be able to test the /etc/printcap. Here it is, as auto-installed by dpkg -i:: HL5250DN:\ :mx=0:\ :sd=/var/spool/lpd/HL5250DN:\ :sh:\ :lp=/dev/usb/lp0:\ :if=/usr/local/Brother/lpd/filterHL5250DN: Most of this will port to FreeBSD easily. The Brother directory is full of two subdirs each with a number of files. The input filter, "filterHL5250DN" and other /bin/sh scripts in lpd/ will take some porting. Soooooooo: is printcap the best way to go? What about IPP? The nutshell is that I'd like to use the printer in the way that takes the least messing-with. I have two "desktop", BSD and Ubuntu. I would like to make the FreeBSD computer my printserver ... if I can't use the 5250 as a networked printer. Advice please!! gary -- Gary Kline kline@thought.org www.thought.org Public Service Unix http://jottings.thought.org http://transfinite.thought.org