From: tom@nds.com (Tom Williamson)
Subject: Re: Sloooow Printing with OS/2
Reply-To: tom@nds.UUCP (Tom Williamson)
Organization: Northwest Digital Systems
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 17:46:28 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.232956.9993@midway.uchicago.edu> sip1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>In article <1992Sep01.181953.5732@nds.com> tom@nds.COM (Tom Williamson) writes:
>>In the recent past I have posted to this newsgroup a couple of articles asking 
>>for assistance in making os/2 print something.  I would like to say "Thanks" 
>>to everyone for their suggestions.
>>Here is the current status:  I have os/2 running on a 486-33 (DX) system with 
>>8 MB RAM and two 100+ Meg IDE hard drives.  The printer is a HP LaserJet IIP.  
>>Initially, I was complaining that the system would send information to the 
>>printer and nothing was coming out.  It appears as though I was a bit 
>>impatient.  I was not waiting long enough.  From an os/2 command line I would 
>>issue a PRINT AUTOEXEC.BAT command.  About 8 minutes later my 8 line 
>>autoexec.bat file would print.  To print the config.sys file would take about 
>>one half hour.
>>[Much deleted.]
>
>You clearly have some sort of hardware configuration problem.  Here's
>what you need to check (and note that I am amplifying on this subject
>from information already in the FAQ List):
>
>(1) Your parallel port is sharing an interrupt with a device -- an
>absolute no-no on AT-bus systems.  Shame on you.  :-)  For example,
>you might have a SoundBlaster card set for IRQ 7.  LPT1 uses IRQ 7, so
>reset any other card in the system to some other interrupt.  Also make
>sure that LPT1 is set to generate interrupts on IRQ 7.

According to the MSD.EXE program, I have no interrupt conflicts.  The only 
boards installed on the motherboard are the super I/O card (IDE controller, 
floppy controller, serial ports, parallel ports) and my graphics card.

>(2) You have a substandard cable.  Some vendors like to cut corners
>and provide a cable which doesn't contain all the wires!  Swap cables
>to see if that cures the problem.

I have tried out other cables and even went so far as to do a continuity check 
on my cable.  All pins are connected as they should be.

>(3) Your parallel port just isn't generating interrupts properly on
>IRQ 7 (and is thus out of spec).  See if you can borrow a parallel
>port adapter to check if the situation improves.

I have also swapped out the I/O card with no change noted.  I will admit that 
I am unsure of how to check whether the interrupts are being generated.

Initially, I started out saying that my system would not print.  I realize that 
now that it will print.  It just takes forever.  I have successfully done a 
print screen, I can type from a command line and have it print, and in general 
everything seems to be working.  Again, my problem is that it is very slow.  

As a general note to all HP LaserJet users - In talking with HP they tell me 
that the most recent version of the os2 drivers is 1.3.450.  The laserjet 
driver available at ftp-os2.nmsu.edu is version 1.3.350.  They could not tell 
me what the difference is.  Also, I am still waiting for the disk so haven't 
had the chance to try it out.  

Another note on this subject - Finally, someone at IBM os2 support admitted 
that they have received lots of complaints about the slow printing on HP 
LaserJet printers.  They didn't say what, if anything, is being done about it 
though.

Finally - I would like to say Thank You to Tim Sipples and all of the other 
folks on the network that are so willing to help others with the problems 
that have come up.  I know that I would be lost without this type of support.  
You guys are the best!  Kinda reminds me of the old days before DOS when 
systems were called Altair and Imsai and these little discoveries were shared 
amonst all users for the good of all.  Computing is fun again!

>-- 
>Timothy F. Sipples      | The OS/2 FREQ. ASKED QUESTIONS LIST is avail. from
>sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu | 128.123.35.151, anonymous ftp, in /pub/os2/all/faq.
>Dept. of Econ., Univ.   | Or from LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET (send "HELP").
>of Chicago, 60637       | Family Values Means a Job

Tom Williamson
tom@nds.com