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Message-ID: <3FF9AF5A.A96853F0@tenzing.org> 
From: Roger Cornelius <racpop@tenzing.org>
Subject: Re: OSR50x: Terminfo entry for epson printers?
References: <btc1fl$436$1@sparta.btinternet.com> 
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 18:39:23 GMT

Ian Wilson wrote:
> 
> I have a question about printer support in OSR507 (and earlier 5.0.x):
> 
> SIMPLE VERSION
> 
> How do I define a new terminfo entry for a printer such that it shows up
> in the list at
> "scoadmin printer" -> Settings -> Advanced -> Terminfo Type.
> and what are the minimum attributes/capabilities to be defined?

The scoadmin printer Terminfo Type pick window is populated at run time
from /usr/lib/terminfo/terminfo.lp, so you need to add your entry there
for it to appear in the list.  You can also use lpadmin to set a
printer's terminfo type.  See the article referenced below.

> VERBOSE VERSION
> 
> First some background, I have a local printer attached to a parallel
> port, it is an Epson FX-2180 dot-matrix impact printer used for printing
> 5-part forms.
> 
> The main application knows the printer is an Epson and, when printing,
> embeds the appropriate ESC/P control codes in the file before invoking
> "lp". The application switches from 6lpi to 8lpi for some reports and
> inserts the appropriate number of (narrower) blank lines between pages
> for pagination.
> 
> The "standard" and "epson" printer models also try to insert formfeeds
> or blank lines to reach the top-of-page after each file and at the end
> of the whole job. However these models are not aware of the embedded 8
> lpi codes and so get the line count wrong thus adding linefeeds that
> position the start of the next print job in the middle of a sheet.
> 
> These models invoke /usr/spool/lp/bin/lp.pager to add blank lines if the
> terminfo type is "unknown" for this printer. This terminfo type is the
> default.
> 
> lp.pager would do the right thing if we could pass it a pagesize of "1"
> (line), but lp wont accept "-o length=n" since the terminfo type is
> "unknown". And anyway the "length" option is inches not lines.
> 
> There isn't a terminfo type for ESC/P (or "epson") and selecting any
> other causes the printer model to emit unhelpful initialisation control
> codes.
> 
> The obvious workaround is to make a custom interface model and use that.
>   I've done that.
> 
> However, it seems to me that defining an "epson" terminfo entry for
> ESC/P printers might be more versatile and fit in better with the
> overall philosophy of the OSR print system? Then the app could invoke
> "lp -o lpi=8" etc. Both the app's output and commands like "lp
> /etc/hosts" would get paginated correctly.
> 
> Its a puzzle to me why there's terminfo entries for dozens of ATTxxx
> printers (obscure ones to me) but no terminfo entry for the popular
> ESC/P or ESC/P2 standards supported by many manufacturers.


Try reading this old article:


http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=9701282251.aa02290%40sherpa.UUCP
-- 
Roger Cornelius        racpop@tenzing.org

My Unix/Linux Troubleshooting Book

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