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I have installed Gentoo recently and had few configuration problems with
it (X server, KDE, CD recording, other). I learn Gentoo and i managed to
solve the problems somehow so far.

I even installed CUPS and managed to select a printer. But i still cannot
print. I noticed that there are no devices in the /dev directory
representing parallel port or printer port, like /dev/lp0
There is also no /dev/fd0 device for a floppy drive so i have no access to
my floppy either.

When i boot my Knoppix on the same HDD the /dev directory contains many
different devices, also lp0 and fd0 so under Knoppix i can print and
access the floppy.

I browsed thru some documentation, but failed to find any hint about how
am i supposed to solve the problem and install the devices manually in the
/dev directory.

Searching the manuals i found 'mknod' command available, but i have never
used that and have no experience. I only guess this command could have
something in common with creating devices in system.

I compiled the kernel and there was 'parallel port support' selected.

I kindly ask for some suggestions, hints, links about what i made wrong
installing Gentoo, how to get parallel printer port in Gentoo, are there
any tools etc.

I installed several distributions before and had never such problems -
installers detected my devices and ports and made appropriate
files/devices in the /dev directory. My Knoppix distribution made that all
automatically. I noticed that the /dev devices in Gentoo differ from those
in other distributions of Linux.

Thank you in advance. Greetings!
--
Albert Jacher, Religer, Speaker of God, Holy Prophet
www.albertanism.freezope.org | www.religer.da.ru
news:alt.religion.albertanism
www.albertanism.freezope.org/en/com/usenet.html ./contact.html

just a quick guess. did you check the parts of the
`gentoo linux installation instructions' dealing
with the `/dev' filesystem? there is also kernel
support needed for this...

patrick

Gentoo by default uses devfs.

Check /dev/floppy/0 and /dev/printers/0

--
Jon Portnoy
avenj/irc.freenode.net #gentoo, irc.oftc.net #cola
Opinions expressed are my own, not those of Gentoo Linux or any
other entity I am associated with unless stated otherwise.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 18:39:43 +0000, in
<slrnbpavbi.4vb.jdpNOSPAM@eris.oppresses.us>, Jon Portnoy wrote:

> Gentoo by default uses devfs.
>
> Check /dev/floppy/0 and /dev/printers/0

Thank you.
I have '/dev/printers' but nothing in it.
I do not have '/dev/floppy' at all.

These selected contents of my /dev directory:
agpgart@ cdrom@ cdroms/ console cpu/ discs/ fb/ fb0@ fd@
full gpmctl= hda@ hda1@ hda2@ ide/ initctl| initrd@ input/
kmem log= mem misc/ mouse@ null port printers/
ptmx pts/ pty/ ptya0@ ptya1@ ram2@ ram3@ raminitrd@
random rd/ root@ rtc@ scsi/ sg/ sg0@ shm/ sound/ sr/
sr0@ stderr@ stdin@ stdout@ tty tty0@ tty1@ unknown@
urandom usb/ usbmouse@ vc/ vcc/ vcs@ vcs1@ vcs2@
vcsa@ vcsa1@ zero

This folders and devices scheme is quite new to me.
I cannot associate those acronyms with a parallel port.

--
Albert Jacher, Religer, Speaker of God, Holy Prophet
albertanism.freezope.org | www.religer.da.ru
news:alt.religion.albertanism
www.albertanism.freezope.org/en/com/usenet.html ./contact.html

On 2003-10-21, alt.religion.albertanism <AlbertJacherHolyProphet.n05pa-m@op.pl> wrote:
> On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 18:39:43 +0000, in
><slrnbpavbi.4vb.jdpNOSPAM@eris.oppresses.us>, Jon Portnoy wrote:
>
>> Gentoo by default uses devfs.
>>
>> Check /dev/floppy/0 and /dev/printers/0
>
> Thank you.
> I have '/dev/printers' but nothing in it.
> I do not have '/dev/floppy' at all.
>
> These selected contents of my /dev directory:
> agpgart@ cdrom@ cdroms/ console cpu/ discs/ fb/ fb0@ fd@
> full gpmctl= hda@ hda1@ hda2@ ide/ initctl| initrd@ input/
> kmem log= mem misc/ mouse@ null port printers/
> ptmx pts/ pty/ ptya0@ ptya1@ ram2@ ram3@ raminitrd@
> random rd/ root@ rtc@ scsi/ sg/ sg0@ shm/ sound/ sr/
> sr0@ stderr@ stdin@ stdout@ tty tty0@ tty1@ unknown@
> urandom usb/ usbmouse@ vc/ vcc/ vcs@ vcs1@ vcs2@
> vcsa@ vcsa1@ zero
>
> This folders and devices scheme is quite new to me.
> I cannot associate those acronyms with a parallel port.
>

In that case, you don't have a floppy driver and parrell port + line
printer driver built into your kernel (or if you have them as modules
they're not loaded)

--
Jon Portnoy
avenj/irc.freenode.net #gentoo, irc.oftc.net #cola
Opinions expressed are my own, not those of Gentoo Linux or any
other entity I am associated with unless stated otherwise.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 19:31:42 +0200, in
<bn3qi9$o5din$1@ID-210336.news.uni-berlin.de>, Patrick Guels wrote:

> just a quick guess. did you check the parts of the
> `gentoo linux installation instructions' dealing
> with the `/dev' filesystem?

I read and used during installation the document:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-install.xml

But i cannot find the part about '/dev filesystem' there.
Do you mean that document?


>there is also kernel support needed for this...

I compiled kernel and i thought i had selected the appropriate options
during the configuration of the kernel. But i have not much experience
yet with kernel configuration and compilation. Perhaps i made some mistake
during that procedure?

I read some additional documentation in Gentoo web site and i guess those
devices in the '/dev' directory are created somehow automatically and not
manually (like the device /dev/printers/0 ).

I have downloaded a new gentoo-sources kernel and i will configure it
again and compile. I hope this time the appropriate devices will appear in
the system.

Thank you.
--
Albert Jacher, Religer, Speaker of God, Holy Prophet
www.albertanism.freezope.org | www.religer.da.ru
news:alt.religion.albertanism
www.albertanism.freezope.org/en/com/usenet.html ./contact.html

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 00:54:26 +0000, in
<slrnbpbla6.hl.jdpNOSPAM@eris.oppresses.us>, Jon Portnoy wrote:

>>> Check /dev/floppy/0 and /dev/printers/0
>>
>> I have '/dev/printers' but nothing in it.
>> I do not have '/dev/floppy' at all.
>>
>> This folders and devices scheme is quite new to me.
>> I cannot associate those acronyms with a parallel port.
>
> In that case, you don't have a floppy driver and parrell port + line
> printer driver built into your kernel (or if you have them as modules
> they're not loaded)

Thank you Jon and Patrick!
Your suggestion that this could be a matter of kernel and devfs was right.
I have read documentation in Gentoo site, kernel documentation and and
some manuals like mknod.
I concluded that those devices are made by kernel and devfs at boot time
and not manually by user.
So i configured again a new gentoo-sources kernel r7 and tried to compile
it. I did something wrong because i could not get display after boot.
I corrected kernel configuration and installed it again and... this time
i have found many new interesting devices in the /dev directory like:
printers/0 lp0 fd0 and other :-)

I have reinstalled my printer and done a successful printing test. I am
glad.

Thank you once again for your helpful suggestions. :-)

PS. Now my Linux Gentoo system is quite usefully set up and configured. I
am impressed by its performance and effectiveness (compared to other
linux distributions). I succeeded to install under Gentoo several
applications that i failed to install in other linux systems despite many
trials and days of frustrating struggle. I admit that it cost much time to
switch to Gentoo from Windows or other linux distribution, but i am very
glad, that i invested that much time and study. The investment was
rewarding. Gentoo is not easy, but worth using.
Thank you the Gentoo people - the team and supporters!
You do exellent job! I wish you more success!

--
Albert Jacher, Religer, Speaker of God, Holy Prophet
www.albertanism.freezope.org | www.religer.da.ru
news:alt.religion.albertanism
www.albertanism.freezope.org/en/com/usenet.html ./contact.html