From: rick%qucdnee.bitnet@qucdn.queensu.ca (Rick Pim)
Newsgroups: vmsnet.networks.tcp-ip.cmu-tek
Subject: an obscure lpr difficulty inspired by the PostScript/LPR thread
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:33:00 GMT
Reply-To: Rick Pim <RICK%QUCDNEE.BITNET@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
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the recent thread about problems printing PostScript made me dig up some
difficulties i was having many months ago with printing via CMU lpr to a
remote unix system. the printer in question is an LN03, the application
that generates my .LN3 files is DVItoLN03, by brian hamilton kelly.

the setup is something like

vax/dvitoln03  -> cmu 6.5 -> sun -> ln03

historically, this has always worked fine. the most recent version of
dvitoln03 i have working is (i think) 3.1-4. this version wrote its
files with a format something like

File organization:  Sequential
File attributes:    Allocation: 47, Extend: 0, Global buffer count: 0, No versio
   n limit
Record format:      Variable length, maximum 128 bytes
Record attributes:  Carriage return carriage control
RMS attributes:     None
Journaling enabled: None
File protection:    System:RWED, Owner:RWED, Group:RE, World:

at or around version 4.0, the format of the .ln3 file changed to

File organization:  Sequential
File attributes:    Allocation: 44, Extend: 0, Global buffer count: 0, No versio
   n limit
Record format:      Variable length, maximum 128 bytes
Record attributes:  None
RMS attributes:     None
Journaling enabled: None
File protection:    System:RWED, Owner:RWED, Group:RE, World:
Access Cntrl List:  None

note the change in carriage control.

this difference in file format caused some problems with this printer
configuration. some (not all) dvi files that will convert and print
correctly with 3.1-4 will not print correctly under 4.0. (my standard
example of this behaviour is a page in LaTeX picture format. it has all
the expected output, but instead of being on one page is split between two.)

after chris higgins' note indicating that he had success with postscript
printing problems by fiddling with forms, i went back and looked at this
particular problem again. as i recalled, making changes to form
definitions had no effect: with any form i defined, my output on the
ln03 looks identical. (if i transfer the ln3 file to the sun via ftp it
prints fine, so it doesn't appear to be a problem with the unix lpr
filter. i also spent a rather unproductive time massaging the unix
printcap file Just In Case, with no luck.)

one thing that i have access to now that i didn't last year is a system
running multinet. if i add a queue:

vax/dvitoln03  -> multinet -> sun -> ln03

then, using the default form, i also get a garbled printout. if, on the
other hand, i use a form with WIDTH=a_large_number, then it DOES print
correctly.

now i know it's possible. :-) does anyone have any idea how one might be
able to coax the cmu lpr daemon into printing this kind of file (ln03
format, no carriage control) "correctly"?

rp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Rick Pim                                            bitnet:rick@qucdnee
Department of Electrical Engineering         rick@qucdnee.ee.queensu.ca
Queen's University, Kingston                     (bitnet:rick@qucdnast)
(613) 545-6772                               (rick@bill.phy.queensu.ca)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"I think I have just made the biggest mistake of my life."
"It is unlikely. I would predict there are far greater mistakes waiting to be
 made by someone with your obvious talent for it."
                    -- Vila & Orac