more on FreeBSD and Brother HL-5250-DN

[Gary Kline]

On Thu, Mar 20, 2008 at 11:47:16AM -0700, Predrag Punosevac wrote:
> Gary Kline wrote:
> >	Not to bore anyone, but my finding may be of interest.
> >	Predrag pointed me at a Brother lpr/printcap setup for Linux--
> >	will wonders never cease?, :-).  The URL is
> >
> >	http://solutions.brother.com/linux/en_us/index.html
> >
> >	and had configurations (binaries, not plaintext) for Redhat 
> >	andDebian.  I managed to install, and thus unpack, the *deb
> >	(is that cpio?) on my Ubuntu desktop.  
> >
> >	Very late last night it occurred to me that the reason no
> >	/dev/lpt0 was that my parallel cable isn't plugged into my new
> >	printer.  The test pages work via the cat5 <-> switch; this
> >	HTML helped me configure the 5250.  When I another geek over 
> >	here to plug things together, I'll be able to test the
> >	/etc/printcap.   Here it is, as auto-installed by dpkg -i::
> >
> >HL5250DN:\
> >        :mx=0:\
> >        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/HL5250DN:\
> >        :sh:\
> >        :lp=/dev/usb/lp0:\
> >        :if=/usr/local/Brother/lpd/filterHL5250DN:
> >
> >	Most of this will port to FreeBSD easily. The Brother directory 
> >	is full of two subdirs each with a number of files.  The input
> >	filter, "filterHL5250DN" and other /bin/sh scripts in lpd/
> >	will take some porting.   Soooooooo: is printcap the best way to
> >	go?  What about IPP?   
> IPP is internet printing protocol spoken by CUPS spooling system. Your 
> printer speaks both IPP and LPR native
> printing protocol spoken by LPD. I honestly would not bother much with 
> all that nonsense from Brother web-site.


	The HTML was local.  Unless http://10.47.0.116/printing/main.html
	was a copy of their homepage, or part of.  May-be; I didn't watch
	my router.

> 
> Since you have Ubuntu and FreeBSD machine to make things as simple as 
> possible attach printer directly to the network (that is why you have DN 
> extension in the name of your printer) and make it printer server.



	That's just why I wanted this printer.  And when I buy a newer
	ThinkPad, that'll make three desktops.  
> 
> Ubuntu comes with CUPS which speaks IPP and adding printing should be 
> matter of selecting it in the Gnome printer
> manager.


	I tried to get CUPS working back in '05 when I first tried
	Ubuntu.   After several hours of breaking concrete with my head,
	I found an old lpr for Debian and it worked [ with my lpr/lpd 
	deskjet here].  Whoever have CUPS working must either (a) have
	sold their soul to the Devil or (b) been personslly blessed by
	Zeus.   I have it here somewhere under KDE (andor Gnome);
	over my head!


> You could edit printcap file for remote printer on your FreeBSD box. 
> Look the FreeBSD Handbook
> section 9.4.3.
> 
> If you want to have identical set up on FreeBSD machine as on the Ubuntu 
> machine add the CUPS.
> Do not forget to hide native LPD commands (example mv /usr/bin/lp 
> /usr/bin/lp.bak)


	Hmmmmmmm.  and hmmmmm. First time I ever heard that tip.


> 
> You need to edit file /usr/local/etc/cups/client.conf on FreeBSD to 
> enable client printing.
> Start CUPS daemon and
> then go to http://localhost:631 and add the printer. You can find PPD 
> file for the printer on
> http://openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi
> 
> Just follow the documentation for CUPS client setup
> http://www.cups.org/doc-1.1/sam.html
> 

	You know, I'm about to publish a how-to with many examples on "how
	to play|copy|mod" you CD's/DVD's/<whatever>"  for **FreeBSD**.
	Most things just-work on linux; that's perfectly fine IMHO.
	I've stuck with the BSD's for 13 years because of the stability.
	Am thinking that perhaps if we had more "toys"[*]  we would gain 
	users.  

	I'll try afsprint (as per suggestion by David Kelly, up-queue),
	then __shudder__ CUPS.  Maybe be able to cobble together a howto
	for things-printer.

	enjoy!

	gary


> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Predrag
> 
> 

[*] not meant in a pejorative sense.  but having spent most of my career
    in the supercomputer world, games, music, videos, graphics, &c were
    toys.  flames to /dev/null, guys.
-- 
  Gary Kline  kline at thought.org   www.thought.org  Public Service Unix
        http://jottings.thought.org   http://transfinite.thought.org