🚀 go-pugleaf

   > There are rumors that apple laser-writers have been  used with success on
   > apollo systems.  Has anybody heard about this, and whether it's worth looking
   > into?
    
The Apollo PRSVR does support the APPLE LASER-WRITER printer at release SR9.0.
This information did not make the SR9.0 manuals but was contained in a Sales
Note.  To use the Apple Laser-Writer you should first set a switch on the rear
of the printer to 9600 baud.  You will also need a null-modem cable RS232 with
male connectors on both ends.

Use the following configuration file to configure the PRSVR for an APPLE Laser-Writer.
                                                                                      
PRINT_LENGTH            10.8
PRINT_WIDTH              8.0
DISPLAY_TIME             ON
PAGE_HEADERS             OFF
PAGENO_COLUMN            72
FILE_BANNERS             OFF
DEVICE                   APPLE
PRINTER_NAME             LW
PLOT_MODE                ON
INTERFACE                SERIAL
SPEED                    9600
SIO_LINE                 2  (or whatever line your using)
RESOLUTION               300
FORM_FEEDS               0

Then you start the PRSVR just like for any other printer:  This goes in your
"`node_data/startup.x" file.
                            
  CPS /com/prsvr /sys/print/"apple_config_filename" -n process_name

Now you can print UASC text files to the Laserwriter using

$ prf file.txt -pr "printer_name"

And if you have any POSTSCRIPT format files around they can be printed directly
to the APPLE using:

$ prf file.postscript -pr "printer_name" -transparent

(-transparent tells the PRSVR that it should pass the file exactly as is to
the printer and not add any directives to the file)

APOLLO has officially announced support for POSTSCRIPT as our future standard 
output language.  This means that things like graphics metafiles produced by
GMR (2D + 3D) will eventually provide system level calls to convert them to
postscript format for printing on POSTSCRIPT devices. 

I don't know if the PRSVR supports printing bitmap files on the Apple Laser-Writer
yet.  These are files generated by the commands "CPSCR filename -INV" or the DM
XI command.  If it does you would print these by saying,

$ prf file.bitmap -pr "printer_name" -plot

You need a fair amount of memory on the laser printer to print full screen bitmaps,
so I would first try a small "XI" generated bitmap file.

(Be prepared to wait as much as 10 minutes for full screen bitmaps since the PRSVR
seems to do the bitmap expansion from ~80 bpi to 300 bpi itself.)

Rolf Nelson
UUCP: nelson_r@apollo.UUCP

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