Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

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my_pc_is_amiga
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Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by my_pc_is_amiga »

1) The "init" sequence is sent no matter if I have this box checked or not in prefs. On 3.9, I do see a difference--when unchecked, "init" is not sent:

More info here:
http://forum.hyperion-entertainment.biz ... 266#p23266

2) On another note, I've had issues with the DeskJet printer drivers in terms of the top margin shifting on the 2nd page being printed. I've been experciening that for quite some time even before OS4.X. Only workaround I know of is to print 1 page at a time and turn the printer on/off. If I use the pagestream drivers I am remembering this issue goes away. Problem is that I don't know how to use the usbprinter.device in pagestream.
xenic
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by xenic »

@my_pc_is_amiga

This seems more like a bug report that belongs in another forum than a feature request.

I could be wrong but I don't think it hurts to have the init sent all the time. Maybe it's needed when using a USB printer instead of an old parallel port printer.

I have always had a problem with the top margin being shifted after the first page. I set the top margin 1 line less than I want and add a linefeed at the top of the first page. You can also try making the first page a blank page. It's easier to put the blank page back into your paper tray than turning the printer on and off.

You don't normally print directly to the usbprinter.device. The name is a little deceptive because it's really an exec device like parallel.device or serial.device. Unless you are printing postscript you shouldn't need to set a device.
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broadblues
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by broadblues »

You don't normally print directly to the usbprinter.device. The name is a little deceptive because it's really an exec device like parallel.device or serial.device. Unless you are printing postscript you shouldn't need to set a device.
Yes, you need to set whatever setting is set to parallel.device or serial.device in the custom printing software (in my case turboprint, in this case pagestream) to usbprinter.device.
xenic
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by xenic »

broadblues wrote: Yes, you need to set whatever setting is set to parallel.device or serial.device in the custom printing software (in my case turboprint, in this case pagestream) to usbprinter.device.
That might be true for a program like turboprint that replaces the AmigaOS printer.device but I don't think it's true for Pagestream. When I had a classic Amiga 4000, I used a GVO IOExtender board and in the Pagestream printer setup "Device", I had "GP0:" and not 'gvppar.device'. Have you tried using "usbprinter.device" for the Pagestream Device setting?
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xenic
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by xenic »

my_pc_is_amiga wrote:Problem is that I don't know how to use the usbprinter.device in pagestream.
If you are not using an A1 or µA1 system you might try backing up your 'SYS:Devs/NSDPatch.cfg' and then editing it to change the 'parallel.device' remapping to 'usbprinter.device' and using PAR: for the printer port in PageStream. The parallel.device remapping is at the bottom of the NSDPatch.cfg file. I'm not sure why the OS4 devs have left the parallel.device remapping set to a1parallel.device on OS4 hardware that doesn't even have a parallel port.
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broadblues
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by broadblues »

xenic wrote:
broadblues wrote: Yes, you need to set whatever setting is set to parallel.device or serial.device in the custom printing software (in my case turboprint, in this case pagestream) to usbprinter.device.
That might be true for a program like turboprint that replaces the AmigaOS printer.device but I don't think it's true for Pagestream. When I had a classic Amiga 4000, I used a GVO IOExtender board and in the Pagestream printer setup "Device", I had "GP0:" and not 'gvppar.device'. Have you tried using "usbprinter.device" for the Pagestream Device setting?
Hmm if pagestream using the dos name for the device ie PAR: SER: or whetever, usbprinter.device doesm't have one by default, so you may not be able to use it. Unless it's possible to make a USBPAR: don't know never tried.
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ZeroG
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by ZeroG »

It is possible to create something like USBPAR:, but its unnecessary.
Use something like:

COPY ram:test_raw_data to PRT:TRANSPARENT

See port_handler.doc for more infos and options.
xenic
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by xenic »

broadblues wrote: Hmm if pagestream using the dos name for the device ie PAR: SER: or whetever, usbprinter.device doesm't have one by default, so you may not be able to use it. Unless it's possible to make a USBPAR: don't know never tried.
Yes, it's possible and I created one years ago. I just cloned The PAR: DOSdriver (SYS:Devs/DOSDrivers/PAR), bumped the StackSize setting to 16k and replaced 'parallel.device' with 'usbprinter.device'. I gave it the name 'USBPRT:' but your suggested 'USBPAR:' would more accurately convey the purpose (a parallel port device).

When I switched to a SAM and later an X1000, I found it was easier just to edit the NSDPatch.cfg file and change the parallel.device remapping to usbprinter.device. Then I have a PAR: that works for old programs.
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xenic
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by xenic »

ZeroG wrote:It is possible to create something like USBPAR:, but its unnecessary.
Use something like:

COPY ram:test_raw_data to PRT:TRANSPARENT

See port_handler.doc for more infos and options.
Assuming that PageStream will accept PRT:TRANSPARENT as an AmigaDOS device name, that could be another method for getting PageStream to print through usbprinter.device from a PageStream printer driver.
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my_pc_is_amiga
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Re: Printer Prefs -- "Always init printer" issue

Post by my_pc_is_amiga »

Realized that yes, this is probably not the correct forom and more like a bug/issuet. But thanks -- creating a DOS device worked! I can now print from pagestream's own drivers. Still would be nice to see these 2 issues fixed:

1) A printer prefs "init" selection box not behaving like OS3.9.
2) For those programs that don't have built in drivers, to fix the page margin issue with the Workbench drivers.
xenic wrote:
broadblues wrote: Hmm if pagestream using the dos name for the device ie PAR: SER: or whetever, usbprinter.device doesm't have one by default, so you may not be able to use it. Unless it's possible to make a USBPAR: don't know never tried.
Yes, it's possible and I created one years ago. I just cloned The PAR: DOSdriver (SYS:Devs/DOSDrivers/PAR), bumped the StackSize setting to 16k and replaced 'parallel.device' with 'usbprinter.device'. I gave it the name 'USBPRT:' but your suggested 'USBPAR:' would more accurately convey the purpose (a parallel port device).

When I switched to a SAM and later an X1000, I found it was easier just to edit the NSDPatch.cfg file and change the parallel.device remapping to usbprinter.device. Then I have a PAR: that works for old programs.
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