Virtual JetDirect Device

[Helge Blischke]

Dominic wrote:
> This has to have been done already.
> 
> We have several HP Laserjet printers spread all over our facility.  All of them are connected to our network with HP's built-in JetDirect cards.  We have an old HPE3000 that sends text and Postscript reports to the printers.  Most of these reports we really could use in data format but our sysadm refuses to help because our other locations don't have the same request.
> 
> Is there a way to setup one of my linux server to pretend to be an HP Laserjet, then to funnel the output to a text file that I can then access?  This would help bring out data manipulation up to the 90's at least.
> 
> Thank in advance folks.
> 
> Dom
> 

It is quite easy: hack a little script (e.g. in Perl), the main loop of which looks like this:

while (<STDIN>)
{
     # process the incoming stuff
}

and configure your inetd or xinetd (whatever you use) to fire up this script on port 9100 (or another port of your
choice). Then you may easily configure a "printer" with a device-url like socket://localhost:9100 .

Helge


-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung
SRZ Berlin | Firmengruppe besscom
http://www.srz.de
tel: +49 30 75301-360


H.Blischke at srz-berlin.de
H.Blischke at srz-berlin.com
H.Blischke at acm.org