Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwvax!astroatc!vidiot!brown
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: Preventing PS error msgs from being sent to the host
Message-ID: <1289@vidiot.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jan 91 08:02:57 GMT
References: <91018.130805U12570@uicvm.uic.edu>
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout
Lines: 31

In article <91018.130805U12570@uicvm.uic.edu> U12570@uicvm.uic.edu (Edward A. Garay Computer Center) writes:
<How can I tell a PostScript printer, connected serially, to not send
<PostScript error messages up the communications line and back to the host?

Cut the transmit pin on the serial cable leaving the printer.

<We have a bunch of Xerox 4045 Model 160 PostScript printers, distributed
<throughout campus, through very intricate 19.2Kb serial connections.
<It appears that error messages sent by the printers are getting our
<the communications controllers' ports stuck. We have to turn off
<the given printer, and put the offending PostScript document on hold
<to correct the communications deadlock.
<
<Are PS error messages sent to the host by the error handler?
<The X4045/160 has a resident PostScript error handler which when
<enabled, attempts to print the error message(s) on paper.
<But messages are still sent back to the host regardless of whether
<the error handler is enabled or not.

Getting the error messages back to the host, for the user to see can be
very important.  They come in real handy when trying to figure out programming
problems.

Why doesn't the network support sending back communications to the host?
Does your network use CTS/RTS, or DTR or XON/XOFF data-flow handshaking?
If it uses XON/XOFF handshaking, then the port to host is working.  It should
be "easy" to get the error back to the spooler.  I know, "easy" is subjective.
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