Subject: Re:[netatalk-admins] Personal LaserWriter II at Linux Box
From: Sak Wathanasin (sw@nan.co.uk)
Date: Thu Jul 31 1997 - 06:33:08 EDT
In reply to Matthias Koerner's message of the 31/07/97 at 10:58 +0000,
> Is it possible to make the LaserWriter talking with the Linux Box via serial
>interface?
> What have I to do therefor?
It is rumoured that there is a Linux driver for the old Apple/Farallon
LocalTalk ISA-card if you can find one...
However, the simplest thing to do is to buy a LocalTalk-EtherTalk bridge.
Various people make these (Dayna and Sonic Systems come to mind, but there are
others). The cheapest one supports 2 LT devices and costs under UKP 150, and
much less second-hand (from sites that have converted from LT to all ethernet).
You can often find one of these sitting around in the sys admin's desk-drawer
on, say, Univ's that have lots of Macs. That's how I got my Dayna EtherPrint -
a local site that had converted their Mac LAN to etherTalk had one in a store
room covered in dust, so I did a swap for 2 X 10-BT "friendlyNet" adaptors (:-).
If money is an issue, and you are prepared to leave one of the Macs running all
the time, you can run LaserWriter Bridge (free from ftp.apple.com) on one of
the Macs and use that Mac as the bridge.
In both cases, your LocalTalk and EtherTalk nets are combined into a single net
and all devices can be accessed from either the ET or LT side*. Thus, you will
be able to print to the LW II from Linux using "pap" (NB not papd) or through
lp/lpr with appr printcap entries. We have an LW 4/600 that we use this way.
* NB. Apple's LW Bridge has been deliberately crippled so that the only LT
device that you can have is a single LW printer. You can, however, buy Apple's
LocalTalk Bridge which is a general purpose bridge for US$50 if you have other
LT devices that you want to connect (PowerBooks, Newtons etc).
Sak Wathanasin
Network Analysis Limited
178 Wainbody Ave South, Coventry CV3 6BX, UK
Internet: sw@nan.co.uk
Phone: (+44) 1203 419996 Fax: (+44) 1203 690690
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