🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi,

A little over a week ago I posted a request for information about using a
Terminal server to attach a printer to and allow PC's attached to the
Terminal server to print to the printer.

I have had only one reply, which pointed out that there was some
ambiguities in what I was trying to say.  I'll try to iron these out now
in the hope that someone out there does have an answer for me.

They want to share the printer via the terminal server.  It is possible 
(I am assured) to get the terminal server to connect one of its ports to
another one.  So the software would look to see if the printers port was
free, and if so grab it to print the job it has been given.  It would
then let it go so that other machines would be able to print.

>Now it looks like you mean that the same COM port (say, COM1) is used at
>one time for Kermit, and at another time as a serial printer port.  If that
>is true, then there must have been some kind of manual switching going on --
>Moving a cable?  Turning a T-switch?  Also, you have to get DOS involved,
>right?  By using a MODE command to assign your printer to the serial port.
>Otherwise how could you print from inside DOS applications like WordPerfect?
>
Yes, I want both operations to happen via com1.  But it is a little more
complicated than that.  Each PC can only have control of the Printers port
on the terminal server while it is actually printing.  Otherwise noone
else can connect to the port, so noone else can print.  One thought was
that you could place the terminal server commands needed in the pre-print
and post-print feilds of the application so that the application sends the
commands to connect the ports before the job and to disconnect after.
But, this would have no control for cases where you print while someone
else prints.

So, I think that a small TSR would be required.  What I could do would be
to have the TSR unloaded when kermit is run (ie a batch file for kermit
that unloads the TSR, runs kermit and then reloads the TSR).  Any ideas ?

It seems that I may have to do this myself - If this is the case, then
suggestions on a good comms library for BC++ would be appreciated.

Thanx in Advance
ant