Conference nlfdc::linux-users

    In your filter, you'll need a line that includes something like:
    
    	gs -q -sDEVICE=la75 [... and other stuff...]
    
    If you have a filter in /usr/spool/lpd/lp/ (or wherever) that uses
    ghostscript (gs) to process things, use the "-sDEVICE=la75"
    specification instead of whatever is there.
    
    -- Russ

Er um, but #gs -help doesnt have an "la75" entry.
gs appears to include or be built with la75 stuff
then I see references to makefiles.....
From what I can read it appears that if
gs -help doesnt have what you need you need to add
it [with a rebuild??].
Where does gs get its device list from?, just looking
at files in a directory or is it hardcoded.???

    This is interesting indeed!
    
    I'm running Red Hat 3.0.3 which uses ghostscript 2.6.2 which has
    support for an la75 (and LOTS of other things).
    
    I did some hacking on ghostscript for VMS many years back for la75
    support (before someone added one for real).  Adding a protocol might
    be simple if the code is there but not included in the build.  It
    would be decidedly non-trivial if the code is not there at all.
    
    Maybe the first thing to try is to grab a 2.6.2 version of gs and put
    it on your box as 'gs_la75' or somesuch and have the filter use that
    instead.  Otherwise, you might need to poke around the gs makefile and
    see if you can rebuild with the la75 code included in the current
    version.
    
    -- Russ

    From a version of the Printing HOWTO:
    ------------------
    
    To print ps, first determine your driver name with `gs -help' which
    lists installed drivers. If the device you need is not listed, you must
    compile gs yourself from the source distribution (do not panic. Do
    follow the instructions in make.doc. You will need 5 or 6 megs of space to
    build it in.) Then type `gs -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=??????
    -sOutputFile=/dev/???? file.ps' and your output should (hopefully)
    appear at your printer.
    
    ------------------
    
    -- Russ

    I just looked at some net docs of the latest Ghostscript and I
    see what you mean -- it appears that at least one common variant
    doesn't have the la75 support built-in (by default, at least).
    
    But, you can try one of the kits from: 
    
    	ftp://ftp.cs.wisc.edu/ghost/gnu/
    
    if needed.
    
    -- Russ

In fact the la75 worked under 303 :-)
[I seem to remember the printtool listed it explicitly]

Could I just copy the la75 filter from 3.0.3?
[I have no idea what the filter is [part of gs, a script,
 some overlay to gs]...

I saw a reference on the debian site to "la75-filter" but
couldnt find any such file.

Perhaps is should just remake gs?

    The "filter" is (often) a desperately simple script.  Here's one on my
    box (RH 3.0.3) called /usr/spool/lpd/lp/filter.ljetplus :
    
    --------------------------
    #!/bin/sh
    
    DEVICE=ljetplus
    RESOLUTION=300x300
    PAPERSIZE=letter
    SENDEOF=
    
    nenscript -TUS -ZB -p- |
    if [ "$DEVICE" = "PostScript" ]; then
            cat -
    else
            gs -q -sDEVICE=$DEVICE \
                    -r$RESOLUTION \
                    -sPAPERSIZE=$PAPERSIZE \
                    -dNOPAUSE \
                    -dSAFER \
                    -sOutputFile=- -
    fi
    
    if [ "$SENDEOF" != "" ]; then
            printf "\004"
    fi
    
    exit 0
    ---------------------------
    
    The key to an la75 filter is la75 support from gs.
    
    What I'd do:
    
    	1. get a gs executable that supports the la75
    	2. change the line above to DEVICE=la75 (and don't forget to change
    	   the 'gs' to 'gs_la75' or whatever if you use another version of
    	   Ghostscript).
    	3. name the modified file /usr/spool/lpd/lp/filter
    	4. make sure the 'lp' entry in /etc/printcap is correct (3.0.3 has
    	   something called printtool that can aid in this; I don't know
    	   what 4.x has to help you).
    
    -- Russ

    I just found my old la75 entry in /etc/printcap:
    
    ----------------
    la75|serial|lp: \
            :lp=/dev/ttyS2: \
            :br#4800: \
            :sb=true: \
            :sh=true: \
            :lf=/dev/console:
    ----------------
    
    Make sure the tty and baud rate are set properly.