Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Printing out EMC documentation with BDI install

jensor1 wrote:

> I installed EMC via BDI and also down loaded and installed the
> necessary files to enable printer interface. I was able to get the
> printer working fine as far as printing a test page from the "Red Hat
> Print System Manager" using the Print Postscript test page option.
>
> However when I went to the KDE Text Editor, and tried to print out
> the /usr/local/emc/Readme file, the printer just spit out blank
> pieces of paper. My printer is an HP Laserjet 4P.

4P as in PostScript?
I use a utility called a2ps that converts ascii text to nicely formatted
pages for a PostScript printer. If the correct drivers have been loaded,
the command would be lpr filename, or possibly lpr -P printername filename.
The second case would be if that printer was not set as default.
This requires that the system was already configured with one of the
print spooler systems and knows that the printer is a PostScript
printer.

> Does anyone know what I must do in order to get my printer working
> from this text editor? I need to print out the doc files, I can't
> read all this from the screen.

It sounds like the printer is already properly configured if the test page
worked.

If the files are in troff form, then you use troff to print them. If in
TeX form, you use TeX and then maybe dvips.

But, the README file you mention is plain ASCII text, so lpr should
make the right conversions. If nothing happens, you might need to
start lpd, but that doesn't sound like what is happening. Try the lpr
commands mentioned above. Depending on the vintage of your
distribution, you might have a2ps as an RPM that you can install.
Generally, then you could just type a2ps filename and it would be
printed on the default printer.

Jon