TODO item: Add info on USB printers

[Juris Kaminskis]

2013/11/5 Warren Block <wblock at wonkity.com>

> On Mon, 4 Nov 2013, Juris Kaminskis wrote:
>
>
>>             Thank you for working on this.  The entire printing chapter
>> really needs a rewrite, and I've been meaning to write an outline for what
>> a new printing chapter
>>             should cover.  In the meantime, please look at
>>             http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/docs/html/lpdprinting.htmland see if it is adequate in the meantime.
>>
>>
>> I am not sure I understand what should I do next from this. Can you let
>> me know how can I contribute further?
>>
>
> I've done some preliminary work on a rewrite of the printing chapter. Can
> you look at the article above and see if anything important is left out?
>
> Thanks!


Chapter Printing Directly requires some minor update I think:

Printing Directly

A spooler is not required. Sometimes it’s simpler to just print data
directly to a device or to troubleshoot printing setup:

% cat myfile.txt > /dev/lpt0

   */dev/lpt0*

the standard parallel port

*/dev/ulpt0*

the standard USB printer port

*/dev/unlpt0*

the non-reset USB printer port, use if */dev/ulpt0* does not work correctly

netcat (*nc(1) <http://man.freebsd.org/nc/1>*) can be used to print
directly to network printers:

% nc nethplaser 9100 < myfile.txt

   *nethplaser*

the DNS name of the network printer

*9100*

the network port used by HP and some other brands

*lpd* printing using the standard *lpr(1) <http://man.freebsd.org/lpr/1>* is
usually more convenient and more versatile than direct printing.


 Many printers use different file transfer protocols, therefore convert
myfile.txt in appropriate format. Several convertors exist to name few:
ghostscript and foo2zjs.

For example for certain types of HP Laserjet use XQX stream:
foo2xqx-wrapper myfile.ps > /dev/ulpt0


and chapter Adding filter first parapgraph would in my mind be better if
like this:
Adding A Filter

Many Unix applications produce *PostScript* output, but not all printers
are Postcript compliant. Verify what file protocol printer accepts and then
proceed adding a specific filter. For example many inexpensive printers
understand  *PCL*This filter uses *Ghostscript* to translate PostScript
code into PCL. Save it in*/usr/local/libexec/ps2pcl* and then make it
executable: