Subject: Re: [netatalk-admins] Personal LaserWriter II at Linux Box
From: dkelly@hiwaay.net
Date: Thu Jul 31 1997 - 20:55:57 EDT
matthias.koerner@giessen.netsurf.de said:
> I have got an Linux Box running netatalk 1.3. The box is connected to
> an NecP7 24 needle printer, the printer is served to all connected
> Macs with netatlk and to the windows machines with samba, this works
> fine. But I have got an old Personal LaserWriter II, and I want to
> serve this printer also to the Macs and to the Win Machines. Actually
> the LaserWriter is connected via LocalTalk to the Macs, so the Mac
> Users have to switch in the ControlField "Network" from EtherTalk to
> LocalTalk. Second the Windows Users can't use the LasewrWriter.
> Unfortunally the documentation for the LaserWriter is lost. I only see
> a MiniDB 8 (like the serial ports at the mac) and an SubD 25 (like the
> scsi interface at the macs) at the back of the LaserWriter. Questions:
> Is it possible to make the LaserWriter talking with the Linux Box via
> serial interface? What have I to do therefor?
As others have already suggested, LaserWriter Bridge from Apple's ftp site.
You won't find it by that name there, you want this awful URL:
http://swupdates.info.apple.com/cgi-bin/pointer.pl?Apple.Support.Area/Apple.
Software.Updates/Worldwide/Macintosh/Networking-Communications/Network.Softw
are.Installer/ZM-NSI_1.5.1.sea.hqx
The above is probably preferable as you've mentioned at least some of the
Macs have LocalTalk and ethernet.
Another solution is to connect the LaserWriter via serial port. The 8 pin
mini-din is capable of running plain serial but its rarely advertised. One
thing I recal from elsewhere, the LaserWriter II requires the sender to
stop RIGHT NOW when the hardware handshake says to. Crumby PC serial ports
such as 16550's can't stop that which is already in the FIFO. You have to
either drop the data rate or disable the 16550 FIFO.
Rather than purchase an ethernet to localtalk adapter, upgrade the
LaserWriter II (its not really a Personal LaserWriter II is it?) to a IIf
or IIg with a faster digital engine plus ethernet.
http://www.shrevesystems.com/ is a good place to start. Just checked and
didn't see any printer MB's but they list them in their printed
advertisments.
-- David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@hiwaay.net ===================================================================== The human mind ordinarily operates at only ten percent of its capacity -- the rest is overhead for the operating system.
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