On Sat, 21 Jan 1995, Max Bell wrote:

> }From: Alaric <reed@engr.orst.edu>
> }Subject: Problems
> [. . .]
re:printers...
simple question, can I suppress the banner pages, permanently?


> 
> I had the same problem on my system.  I also tried recompiling a few
> kernels before delving into the lpt.c device driver code.  I fixed the
hehehe, I'm not much of a coder 
In fact I don't know any more about C than how to recognize it from 
fortran/basic/assembly :)

> problem by changing the bitmask used by the control port test -- it
> included bits like "paper out" which my printer apparently didn't allow
I get a paper-out error message whenever it's off-line (that is after I got 
the port to be recognized by yanking the cable)
This is actually a useful feature, occasionally I have a mis-feed on the 
paper and I can't see that part of the printer from this perspective.

> to be driven from the computer's side of the line.  With my new mask value,
> it is recognized at boot and prints fine as lpa0 (lpt0 works mostly, but
> drops characters every so often [which is a real pain when printing
> GhostScript :-]).  I will check the code this evening and email the new
Interesting, I printed the "chess.ps" file several times (all-graphic) 
and it threw a "p" in there once

please do send the code.

> value and the involved source line.
> 
> [. . .]
> }Why does the keyboard driver take my backspace key as a ^?
> 
> I don't know about this one.  Have you tried 'stty erase ^h'?  One thing I'd
stty doesn't affect the keyboard driver, only how certain characters
are interpreted. The keyboard driver was taking key ... "backspace" and 
returning the /177 (delete) value when it should have been sending /010 
(backspace),
I re-compiled the kernel with this simple change and it should be fine now.
(maybe, I haven't tried it yet. :)

> like to see is the ability to format floppies under NetBSD (yes, I know you
> can buy them preformatted, that's not the point).
I don't deal with floppies too much really,
I assume you mean putting a dos fs onto a new floppy.
what about getting a floppy, and using one of those "rawwrite" type programs
to put a "blank" disk image onto it?

Beyond that I can't think of anything.


Alaric,           | Archery: A deeply seated hatred of paper with bright
Mka Brandon Reed  |  coloured circles printed on it.
reed@engr.orst.edu|
http://www.engr.orst.edu:80/~reed