USB Dot Matrix and Network Printers
Glen Walker (2585) 469 posts |
Has anyone ever managed to get a modern USB dot matrix printer running from RISC OS? I’m thinking specifically of the OKI Microline 280 Elite (I haven’t bought it yet but have my beady eye on one). Also we have a Canon Pixma MP499 that is connected to our home network via WiFi – any ideas how I would connect this to the RISC OS machine? I’m guessing no recent printer drivers have been released for RISC OS…? Would a generic one work? It would just be for text. |
Chris Evans (457) 1614 posts |
Re@: OKI Microline 280 Elite this is probably Epson FX-80 compatible. try installing the FX-80 driver on your system with it set to print to file. If that produces a file I’d expect it should be o.k. Re Canon Pixma MP499 We are a registered software developer for Canon but found that after the iP4300 the iP4500 came out (about 5 years ago). The commands that the core Canon RISC OS driver uses were no longer working correctly IIRC black and one colour worked but not the others:-( Canon denied there was a problem. If you can work out how to send a file direct to the printer I can send you some test files to try. |
Glen Walker (2585) 469 posts |
When I get around to purchasing one of these printers I’ll give it a go…its encouraging that there is at least the potential for a solution!
Thanks – does RISC OS support network printing in general or would I have to connect via USB for this? |
Steve Fryatt (216) 2040 posts |
It depends on the protocol being used. Stefan Bellon’s RemotePrinterFS is probably your best bet: http://www.sbellon.de/sw-modules.html R-Comp do a commercial offering, too. |
Glen Walker (2585) 469 posts |
Finally getting back to this (the printer was buried under a pile of empty tile adhesive tubs until just now) and I must admit to being at a loss. I have the NutPi so have MW’s GutenPrint (which has a driver for a Canon Pixma MP500, I have used the MP500 driver from Linux to drive our MP499 and it works OK) and also have R-Comps NetworkPrinting installed as well as installing the RemotePrinterFS mentioned above. Now what? I can install many different types of printers either using GutenPrint or just the default set of drivers but all of them have their network (and even USB) options greyed out so I can’t configure addresses or anything. If I try to use the NetworkPrinting lpr settings I just get a cryptic error: Printing paused: cannot open "printer:" So what have I missed…? |
Doug Webb (190) 1127 posts |
If you have installed RComps Network Printing and have a printer driver icon on the icon bar then you should have been able to set it up. It does not print to the network but prints to a file which is then redirected to the newtork IP address of your printer. You should have installed !lprSetup and !lprPrint in your Printing directory. Make sure that !Printers is running with your installed printer defination Locate !lprSetup and then run it and locate the printer you have set up in the available printers screen and then select it and select edit. This brings up another screen with: The Printer name Click OK and then reboot and it should work. Page 2 and 3 of the manual provides the details. You can troubleshoot by checking you can ping the printer direct or check that the printer driver works by connecting direct to the RISCOS machine and printing via USB. You may need Ian Hamilton’s !PrtSet2USB to send to a usb printer. By the way Ian Hamilton’s PrintSpool also has a LPRServer in it so there are many ways to either use LPR or HP Jetdirect proving the actual RISCOS printer driver is correct and works with the printer. |
Glen Walker (2585) 469 posts |
Thanks for the extra info, I will try again later when I get a bit more time. Just to be clear though, the “Connections” dialog which is opened from the “Printer Control” dialog isn’t actually used at all? |
Doug Webb (190) 1127 posts |
It does but the tools lprPrint sort it if yoiu have installed the RComp software and Printer driver correctly. i.e on my set up it prints to file with the dialogue box entry of JetDirectFS:xx.xx.xx.xx where the xx.xx.xx.xx is the IP address of the network printer. |
Glen Walker (2585) 469 posts |
Thanks Doug—I have it half working now. The RISC OS side of things happily sends a file to the address of the printer but the printer does nothing! I’m guessing it doesn’t implement LPR as I thought it did. This shouldn’t be a problem because I will shortly be commissioning a new Linux server and can hopefully set up an LPR service on there… Just for reference this is what my dialog looks like (I had been testing both PoScript2 and the Gutenprint Canon PXMP500): I still don’t know why all the other options are greyed out—do I need to install some more software to enable them? |