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From: bobs (Bob Stayton, Yoyodoc)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: Help zapping a printer
Message-ID: <9518@scorn.sco.COM>
Date: 27 Aug 90 20:58:11 GMT
References: <4241@optilink.UUCP> <9448@scorn.sco.COM> <1505@chinacat.Unicom.COM> <1854@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov>
Sender: news@sco.COM
Reply-To: bobs@sco.COM (Bob Stayton)
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Lines: 79


In article <1854@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> toms@fcs260c2.ncifcrf.gov (Tom Schneider) writes:
>In article <1505@chinacat.Unicom.COM> woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM
>(Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) writes:
>>In article <9448@scorn.sco.COM>, bobs (Bob Stayton, Yoyodoc) writes:
>>> 
>>> This bit of Postscript code was posted some time ago.  It
>>> reboots a LaserWriter, sending it thru its startup sequence,
>>> including generating the test page.  Just send this to
>>> the printer as a regular print job.
>>> =========cut here===================
>>> %!
>>> %reboots LaserWriters
>>> serverdict begin
>>> 0 % or whatever your password is
>>> exitserver
>>> systemdict begin
>>> quit
>
>I tried this, and found that it did reboot my printer.  Then I sent a
>junk file to the printer and tried to reboot again.  Nothing happened.
>...stuff deleted...
>Thanks for your suggestions so far, but now what?
>
I also work with LaserWriters from Unix machines, and have
on occasion sent a text file by accident.  It takes awhile,
but eventually the LaserWriter times out on bad jobs and 
clears itself.

I would try three things, in this order:

1.  Download erhandlr.ps to your printers.
This contains the Adobe error handler procedures.
Then a bad Postscript file just generates an
error page and the printer is ok.  If you don't have it I
can send it to you.

2.  You might try is changing the Unix lp spooler script to check the
first line of the file.  If it doesn't start with %!, then
convert the text file to Postscript or send out a Postscript
message like "You are trying to print a file that is not valid
Postscript".  Our lp script does the former and includes this:

while  [ "$copies" -gt 0 ]
do
  for file
  do
    if [ `head -1 $file | cut -c1-2` = '%!' ]; then
      /bin/cat $file
      echo "\004"
    else 
      /usr/bin/psprint $file 
      echo "\004"
    fi
  done
  copies=`expr $copies - 1`
done

Our lp script is in the /usr/spool/lp/interface directory
on SCO Unix.  Here "psprint" is a filter that converts text
files to simple Postscript in Courier font.

3.  I would check for communication problems between
the printer and the spooler. I imagine the spooler is
still trying to send the job, even though the printer may
be telling it that it's junk.  The line might be getting
hung at the spooler end instead of the printer.  Try disabling
and enabling the printer to see if that clears a jam.
Or even try physically disconnecting the printer momentarily
to see if the printer will reset.

Hope some of this helps.

bobs
Bob Stayton                                 425 Encinal Street
Technical Publications                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.              (408) 425-7222
                                            ...!uunet!sco!bobs
/* I don't speak for my company and they don't speak for me. */