Re: Use network printer from NetBSD

[Rocky Hotas <rockyhotas%firemail.cc@localhost>]

On giu 25 14:18, Greg Troxel wrote:

> The first thing to understand is what format the printer wants.  Back in
> the old days, printers were postscript, and you basically had to send
> them postscript.  (Or HP's PCL.)

Yes, of couse, but how?
 
> I think 9100 is what HP called "jetdirect".  I somewhat fuzzily think
> that connecting to that is just like sending bytes over a serial port.

Yes, it is JetDirect, an HP technology, but also adopted by other
manufacturers.

> That doesn't really surprise me if the printer expects postscript.  You
> omitted the model from your email.

As in a previous answer to this thread, it is Brother MFC L2750DN.

> 0) read enough docs/etc. to find out what the printer wants

 <https://download.brother.com/welcome/doc100802/cv_mfcl2750dw_uke_oug_a.pdf>

The user manual seems not to mention anything useful about queues of
accepted input formats.
How to correctly guess the requirements of a printer?

> 1) Try a postscript file.

Done with netcat. You can check out my reply to JingYuan. I also tried
it directly: `lpr testfile.ps'. The printer display lights up, shows
`Receiving data', and then nothing happens.

> 2) what you are basically trying to do is have  a printer configured,
> just like it was attached, except you it isn't physically attached.

Basically yes.

>   - put it on an Ethernet by itself, hooked up to an extra interface on
>     a computer [...]
> 
>   - configure a print server that owns the printer [...]

In my case, security is not an issue and I would like not to install
something extra, even because I could move the NetBSD host to another
LAN, and I could need to use another printer.

Moreover, the way you suggest, each printer should be related to a
host with a CUPS server installed and configured. I imagine this is the
ideal scenario, but I'm afraid it could be too much, in my case.

>   - make all access go through the daemon.  Mutliple users accessing a
>     network printer at once is a bit of a mess anyway.

This could be another issue, but I am sure that during my tests I was
the only one to access the printer.
Thanks for your suggestions,

Rocky