Re: LINUX5250 Digest, Vol 8, Issue 56

Well, let me explain what we do... when we have a printer that is physically
connected to the local PC, but not otherwise networked, and we want to use
that as an AS/400 printer, first we set it up in Windows, then we create a
"printer" terminal session. Now, it'll probably just be easier to use a
print server to print to that printer, and I just happen to have a USB
network print server. :-)



-----Original Message-----
From: linux5250-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected] [mailto:linux5250-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Chuck Landress
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 1:46 PM
To: linux5250-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]
Subject: Re: [LINUX5250] LINUX5250 Digest, Vol 8, Issue 56

John,

Your question was a bit vague but I think you're asking about how to
establish a printer session on your PC in a way that System i Access does.
That's complicated and not neccessary.  Just use Host Printer Transform.
You'll need a print spooling system running on your Linux box most
distributions use cups (Common Unix Printing Solution).  Some use the older
Unix lpr (Line Printer) system.  Windows has it's own spooling subsystem.

Your current printer device was probably created automatically by the System
i for you when you established your System i Access session.  You'll have to
create your printer device manually.

You can specify host printer transform when you create the printer device
description (CRTDEVPRT).  The System i will translate the spool output into
your printer's language.  You can point the device description to your linux
machine's IP address and lpr or cups (depending on what you're running) will
handle it from there.  You may have to configure lpr or cups (depending on
what you're running) to accept external input.

If you're running Windows you may be able to use Wiindows Other Network
connectivity  (Windows Setup, Other Network File and Print Services)
to emulate lpr or you can get lpr software from several sources.

Here's the link to IBM's basic printing manual for V5R4:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/rzalu/rzalu.pdf

-Chuck Landress


On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 1:00 PM, <linux5250-request-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. Re: Host-based printing in linux (Scott Klement)
>   2. Re: Host-based printing in linux (John Aldrich)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> message: 1
> date: Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:09:17 -0500
> from: Scott Klement <[email protected]>
> subject: Re: [LINUX5250] Host-based printing in linux
>
> Hi John,
>
> > How does one set up a host-based AS/400 printer in Linux?
>
> I'm not 100% sure that I understand your question, but...  the phrase
> "host-based" usually means that all of the logic of interpreting the
> printout is done on the host (aka the PC) instead of on the printer
> itself.
>
> In other words, the printer manufacturer must provide a specialized
> piece of software ("driver") -- one specifically designed for the exact
> piece of hardware at-hand -- that interprets the printer language (PCL,
> PostScript, whatever) and sends precise low-level instructions to the
> printer's motors and logic boards.
>
> Assuming you mean the same thing...
>
> Do you have a driver like this for Linux?   Did your printer
> manufacturer include one?
>
> If not, I'm afraid you're pretty much out of luck.  In the future, I'd
> suggest spending a few extra bucks to get a printer that's not
> host-based.  After all, host-based is usually the hallmark of a very
> cheaply made printer.
>
>
> > We have several laser printers hooked up to Windows PCs that print
> > through Windows from the AS/400 and I'd like to replicate that in
> > Linux.
>
> If the printer manufacturer provides Linux drivers, this should be easy.
>  Follow their instructions on how to install the driver.  Make sure you
> can print to it.
>
>
> > I know I need to get the printer set up in Linux first, but then what?
> How
> > does one set up an AS/400 "Printer" on the local machine?
>
> I'm not really sure... it depends on how your host-based driver takes
> it's input.  I've never encountered a host-based driver on Linux.  I
> would suspect that it would take PostScript input (since most Linux
> software I've used outputs PostScript) and converts it to the printer's
> low-level language.   But I've never actually seen one, so this is
> purely a guess.
>
> But if I'm right, you could use a tool like scs2ps via lp5250d to print
> to it...
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> message: 2
> date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 13:40:09 -0400
> from: "John Aldrich" <[email protected]>
> subject: Re: [LINUX5250] Host-based printing in linux
>
> It's a Lexmark Laser printer, which is hooked up to the printer port on
the
> PC, and the AS/400 sends the print job to the PC, via a dedicated terminal
> session for the printer, and then prints out the job. I'll take a look at
> the documentation previously referenced and see if I can get it running.
If
> not, I may have to use a stand-alone print server (gee... that would be
> terrible! <GRIN>)
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux5250-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected] [mailto:
> linux5250-bounces-Zwy7GipZuJhWk0Htik3J/[email protected]]
> On Behalf Of Scott Klement
> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 1:09 PM
> To: Linux 5250 Development Project
> Subject: Re: [LINUX5250] Host-based printing in linux
>
> Hi John,
>
> > How does one set up a host-based AS/400 printer in Linux?
>
> I'm not 100% sure that I understand your question, but...  the phrase
> "host-based" usually means that all of the logic of interpreting the
> printout is done on the host (aka the PC) instead of on the printer
> itself.
>
> In other words, the printer manufacturer must provide a specialized
> piece of software ("driver") -- one specifically designed for the exact
> piece of hardware at-hand -- that interprets the printer language (PCL,
> PostScript, whatever) and sends precise low-level instructions to the
> printer's motors and logic boards.
>
> Assuming you mean the same thing...
>
> Do you have a driver like this for Linux?   Did your printer
> manufacturer include one?
>
> If not, I'm afraid you're pretty much out of luck.  In the future, I'd
> suggest spending a few extra bucks to get a printer that's not
> host-based.  After all, host-based is usually the hallmark of a very
> cheaply made printer.
>
>
> > We have several laser printers hooked up to Windows PCs that print
> > through Windows from the AS/400 and I'd like to replicate that in
> > Linux.
>
> If the printer manufacturer provides Linux drivers, this should be easy.
>  Follow their instructions on how to install the driver.  Make sure you
> can print to it.
>
>
> > I know I need to get the printer set up in Linux first, but then what?
> How
> > does one set up an AS/400 "Printer" on the local machine?
>
> I'm not really sure... it depends on how your host-based driver takes
> it's input.  I've never encountered a host-based driver on Linux.  I
> would suspect that it would take PostScript input (since most Linux
> software I've used outputs PostScript) and converts it to the printer's
> low-level language.   But I've never actually seen one, so this is
> purely a guess.
>
> But if I'm right, you could use a tool like scs2ps via lp5250d to print
> to it...
> --
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> End of LINUX5250 Digest, Vol 8, Issue 56
> ****************************************
>



-- 
Chuck Landress, PMP
678-469-2326
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