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Does there exist software that would allow me to hook up my linux
computer to another computer (not necessarily linux; presume that it
is dos) and have the dos computer print to it's parallel port, and my
linux computer receive the file the DOS computer wants to print ?

The linux computer would essentially be emulating the printer to the
DOS computer.

I am sure that printer manufacturers must have software like this, but
is it possible for me to do it ?

--Rob

Rob Ristroph wrote:

>
> Does there exist software that would allow me to hook up my linux
> computer to another computer (not necessarily linux; presume that it
> is dos) and have the dos computer print to it's parallel port, and my
> linux computer receive the file the DOS computer wants to print ?

No, not to its parallel port, but across a network, yes.

--
Paul Lutus
http://www.arachnoid.com

rgr@sdf.lonestar.org (Rob Ristroph) wrote in message news:<87brt9ol3s.fsf@rgristroph-austin.ath.cx>...
> Does there exist software that would allow me to hook up my linux
> computer to another computer (not necessarily linux; presume that it
> is dos) and have the dos computer print to it's parallel port, and my
> linux computer receive the file the DOS computer wants to print ?
>
> The linux computer would essentially be emulating the printer to the
> DOS computer.
>
> I am sure that printer manufacturers must have software like this, but
> is it possible for me to do it ?
>
> --Rob

If it was coming out of a serial port, it would be easy. Just run
a terminal emulator on the Linux computer, and capture everything
sent over the serial line.

Over 15 years ago, one of the smaller computer magazines complained
that they couldn't print a complete assembler listing, because they had
no way of generating such a list except to a printer. It was obvious
that if they set up another computer in the way I suggested, it could
capture the output, and the main computer would never know if
there was a printer or a computer attached to the serial port.

I'm not sure what the solution would be if the output has to
be to the parallel output, because there isn't a general program
that takes things in from the parallel port. You'd have to poke
around and find something that is taking in data from the parallel
port for some reason, and hope that it's general enough that it
can be useful in your application. Maybe there's some logging program
that is used with test equipment or something.

Michael

>>>>> "Michael" == Michael Black <blackm00@cam.org> writes:
Michael>
Michael> rgr@sdf.lonestar.org (Rob Ristroph) wrote in message news:<87brt9ol3s.fsf@rgristroph-austin.ath.cx>...
>> Does there exist software that would allow me to hook up my linux
>> computer to another computer (not necessarily linux; presume that
>> it is dos) and have the dos computer print to it's parallel port,
>> and my linux computer receive the file the DOS computer wants to
>> print ?
>>
>> The linux computer would essentially be emulating the printer to
>> the DOS computer.
>>
>> I am sure that printer manufacturers must have software like this,
>> but is it possible for me to do it ?
>>
>> --Rob
Michael>
Michael> If it was coming out of a serial port, it would be easy.
Michael> Just run a terminal emulator on the Linux computer, and
Michael> capture everything sent over the serial line.
Michael>
Michael> Over 15 years ago, one of the smaller computer magazines
Michael> complained that they couldn't print a complete assembler
Michael> listing, because they had no way of generating such a list
Michael> except to a printer. It was obvious that if they set up
Michael> another computer in the way I suggested, it could capture the
Michael> output, and the main computer would never know if there was a
Michael> printer or a computer attached to the serial port.
Michael>
Michael> I'm not sure what the solution would be if the output has to
Michael> be to the parallel output, because there isn't a general
Michael> program that takes things in from the parallel port. You'd
Michael> have to poke around and find something that is taking in data
Michael> from the parallel port for some reason, and hope that it's
Michael> general enough that it can be useful in your application.
Michael> Maybe there's some logging program that is used with test
Michael> equipment or something.
Michael>
Michael> Michael

I will find some sort of parallel port monitoring program, or else
make one by modifying some simple code that accesses the parallel
port. I am worried that fancy printers might do too talking back and
forth and handshaking. I'll see if I can set up one computer to print
to a generic postscript printer on the parallel port, and see if I can
get a postscript file out of the log on the other end.

--Rob