🚀 go-pugleaf

If a program uses the exitserver then it most certainly can gobble up
printer ram and cause other applications to fail.

In fact, the one application that you mention (Microsoft Word) DOES
use exitserver to permanently leave its preamble code in there. The
preamble stays around from job to job. 

Micrcomputer applications code writers are very selfish people that 
assume that when they are printing to the printer THEY ARE THE ONE AND
ONLY USER of that printer.

Now I am about to slam Microsoft a bit, but don't get me wrong. Their stuff
does some things very well.

Their PostScript code preamble is only sent the first time you print
to the device. Fine as long as it stays around. If you power off the
printer (then on again!!!) and print WITHOUT exiting Word (direct attached
PostScript device) then Word thinks the device KNOWS the preamble so
it doesn't send it. The output fails. The printer sees junk cause the
preamble is missing.

Their preamble doesn't follow even the minimum of the comment conventions.

WordPerfect is the worst. They send extended ASCII codes. Bitch to send across
a network. Also the printer has to be changed from factory settings of parity
ignored to parity none. This recently cause 35MM express to fail cause they
(stupidly) send stuff out at even parity. Would have worked at factory
settings (parity bit ignored) but because we set the printer to work with
WordPerfect the parity bit is assumed as a real character and is
seen as an unimplimented command and causes a PostScript Error.

Well, you get the drift and if anyone wants more horror stories then
call me.

P.S. A long letter to WordPerfect about their crummy code got me nothing!!!

Their reply was in the form (verbal) of fixed in the next release for a
couple of simple things and future consideration for most and will not
do for others.

Until we complain they will do nothing. Write the vendor.
tj
.

>Until we complain they will do nothing. Write the vendor.

We have similar problems here with people switching printers from Appletalk
back to the serial port without power cycling.  The Apple prologue is still
in memory, and subsequent TeX/troff jobs mysteriously run out of memory...

If only there was a way to
a) given the exitserver passwd, clear the internal memory
or at least
b) reset the printer softly, without the damage repeated power cycling
   inflicts.

Jean-Francois Lamy	               			lamy@ai.toronto.edu
AI Group, Department of Computer Science     		(416) 978-8700
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4

>We have similar problems here with people switching printers from Appletalk
>back to the serial port without power cycling.  The Apple prologue is still
>in memory, and subsequent TeX/troff jobs mysteriously run out of memory...
>If only there was a way to
>a) given the exitserver passwd, clear the internal memory
>or at least
>b) reset the printer softly, without the damage repeated power cycling
>   inflicts.

Just thought I would follow up on this. We are in a position where we power
cycle the printer between EACH user here. Even if we don't switch from
one communication to another. A couple of reasons for this. We charge
for output (amazing!) and we use the page count the comes up on the
startup page as hardcopy record. Also as mentioned it clears the printer
memory. EVEN when two users in a row are on the Mac the printer should
be cycled because there are so many different versions of Laser-Prep that
are neither upward or downward compatible that either the software
chokes and says power cycle the printer, or else the thing bombs with
an obscure PostScript error. If we were in a position where people coming
in could be prevented from using their system and finder and LaserPrep then
maybe the second reason wouldn't be valid, but likely it would turn out that
they either NEEDED a more recent version or else a VERY old version.
This still comes back to the fact that LaserPrep permanently stores
things in printer ram. So it takes a couple of seconds to download
LaserPrep each time... big deal. DON'T use exitserver. DO read the
PostScript developers guide. Save yourselves headaches.

Oh well. Maybe ONE developer is listening out there somewhere.
tj

In article <1987Dec16.164551.9109@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> lamy@ai.toronto.edu (Jean-Francois Lamy) writes:
>
>If only there was a way to
>a) given the exitserver passwd, clear the internal memory
>or at least
>b) reset the printer softly, without the damage repeated power cycling
>   inflicts.>

Try "systemdict /quit get exec" to clear PostScripts VM. Use of exitserver is
not required. You will even get a new fresh startup page. Works just fine
for Apple, QMS, Varityper, Linotype devices (QMS JetScript included).

Fodder
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Erik Smith