usb-> parallel adapter how to set up
David Johnson
david.johnson at lehigh.edu
Mon Jun 15 22:21:08 PDT 2009
System: debian linux (squeeze), kernel 2.6.26, x86 machine
CUPS version: 1.3.10
Printer: HP 5000
I just got this printer -- free. But my computer does not have a parallel port, so I got a usb>parallel (female) connector to connect to an ordinary parallel cable thence to the printer. It's an old printer, with no JetDirect connection, no usb, only parallel and serial. I had guessed the usb -> parallel would be the better route.
But, despite searching the net, I have yet to see how to set up cups to handle this. The printer is not recognized by cups, and I don't quite have a correct manual configuration. One guy said to modify the /etc/cups/printers.conf file to set Device ID = parallel:/dev/usb/lp1 --- but this version of cups does not have a "Device ID" line, and when I mess with "DeviceURI" it doesn't work. To be specific, DeviceURI parallel:/dev/usb/lp1 does not work.
Currently when I set (within the web interface) DeviceURI usb://dev/usb/lp1, CUPS thinks things are fine, and it claims to process and get things to 23% complete when printing a test page. Never further.
The lp1 is correct since I have another (working) printer attached, but it is possibly the slowest printer on God's green earth. The other printer takes up lp0.
What does work is
cat filename.ps > /dev/usb/lp1 which gives great, high-quality output.
Any hints? I mean, I could print everything to files and cat them to the device, but there has to be a better way.
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