Newsgroups: vmsnet.networks.desktop.pathworks
Subject: RE: HP printers problems...HELP
From: "Nalley, Gary K." <nallegk@OKRA.MILLSAPS.EDU>
Date: 06 Jan 1993 18:33:19 -0600 (CST)
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-cc:         biol_res@gw.wmich.edu

> Sir,
>
> In your posting I noticed that you have mentioned that you got HP printers
> to work with Pathworks...?

Sorry if I my message was mis-leading , we do not use HP printers.  I have
gotten the IBM 4019 and IBM 4029 to work.  The IBM has an HP emulation mode
which we use from time to time.  We mainly use them in IBM PPDS mode and
POSTSCRIPT mode.  We have configured the IBM's with the emulation mode
switching postscript card to switch between PPDS, HP, Plotter and
Postscript mode from a VMS queue using FORMS.

My apologies to those who have requested the info on how we are doing this.
I haven't forgotten you, I just have >30 network stations, some OS/2
servers, and a new, big, vital...client server application to get installed
...will get that information out the first of next month...I wish I could
clone myself about three times...

> I've called HP and DEC support several times on this issue and all they
> replied was that HP Postscript (or any other postscript printers except
> DEC) are not supported ina Pathworks environment.

You can use non-DEC postscript printers, you just configure it as a generic
VMS queue and do not use the CPS or DEC print software for VMS.  Just
create a generic queue like you would for a line or dot matrix printer.
You won't get all the nice communication from your printers to your VMS
host that a DEC Printer gives you, but it works.  Now the re-direction to a
PCs printer port, we don't do that so I can't comment on that.  We talk to
terminal servers.

> They we desired was that the HP Postscript IIIP printer would run off the
> parallel port of a PC and would be configured as a queued printer, then on
> the VMS side a queue was set up for it. The problem is that it prints
> sometimes and sometimes it does not print. When a print job is sent to it
> from an application (say WP or 123) it kicks the print queue into a
> stalled/paused/stopped state. There is no say to which state it would go
> to. Then we would have to manually stop and reset the queue. There have
> been instances where the whole queue had to be rebuilt.

What does it do with a postscript file queued directly to it from the VMS
server?  Do you have a terminal server attached to your VMS system?  If so,
does it perform the same configured as a serial device off a TS?  Just
guessing and it works in the above configurations, then it would sound like
a bug in your PC printer servers configuration or something like that.
Serveral people have had problems with this.  But since we don't do it,
sorry I can't help.  I would post some messages on CompuServe in the DECPCI
forum.  (You can get a lot of help on "unsupported" configurations from
CompuServe when you can't from CSC)

> We are not using any extra software, cause DEC said that they have
> a 3rd party software which would only work with DEC postscript printers
> (how selfish of them). If any netter got either a HP postscript
> printer or a NEC silent writer (model 95 or 890) to work, could you
> please share the information with me/us.
> I really do not know why DEC has held back on the printing over the
> network with other printers...to boost their sales in postscript
> printers...? Well if that is the case they should realize that they
> are loosing quit a few customers wanting to go for Pathworks but
> eventually backing out due to the various printing problems. (my thought)

You can use any printer you want, it's all a matter of how much time you
want to spend making it work and supporting it.  In fact, there are third
party software packages which do the same things as DECs CPS or DECprint
software and support a wider variety of printers.  Again, we don't use them
so I can't be more specific, but I have talked to people who have and they
appear pleased.  DEC just doesn't always document how or guarantee it will
work with other peoples printers.  They only guarantee their own.  I know
of *lots* of sites that are using HP printers with PATHWORKS.  We are the
*loud* group at DECUS symposia complaining about how slow PCL code is going
through a terminal server...  You can't jump down DECs throat for not
documenting and testing all the billions of different printers on the
market.  If novell made printers, I bet they wouldn't directly support
others as well...

> Once again if anyone has a solution for the printing problem please
> share
> Thanks

        +-------------------------------------------------------+
        |   Gary. K Nalley         Network Specialist           |
        |   Computer Services      nallegk@okra.millsaps.edu    |
        |   Millsaps College       nalley@decus.org             |
        |   1701 N. State St.      Fax:    601.974.1168         |
        |   Jackson, MS 39210      Voice:  601.974.1140         |
        +-------------------------------------------------------+