Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!mcvax!ukc!pyrltd!datcon!sar
From: sar@datcon.UUCP (Simon A Reap)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Determining if a printer is available
Message-ID: <42@datcon.UUCP>
Date: 28 Mar 89 20:04:12 GMT
References: <2165@pembina.UUCP> <7730@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Reply-To: sar@datcon.co.uk (Simon A Reap)
Organization: Data Connection Limited, Enfield, Middlesex, UK
Lines: 19

In article <7730@pyr.gatech.EDU> curci@stat.fsu.edu (Ray Curci (scri)) writes:
>In article <2165@pembina.UUCP> lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake) writes:
>>I am trying to determine if a line printer is attached to my PC.  I am
> :
>                               Additionally, I believe there are also some
>BIOS services that will give you the same information including information
>about some of the control signals (whether your printer is on-line, out-of-paper, etc,.)

But beware: as far as I can see, even hacking as assembler, there's no
way to differentiate between an on-line paper-full printer all ready to
roll out your pearls, and a printer that's just powered OFF :-) (sure
saves paper that way!)  BTW, we're talking standard PC here (and a
million and one clones) and yer actual Epson FX80.  The BIOS calls give
identical results for the two printer states, the printer status
registers are the same - what else can I try?
-- 
Enjoy,
yerluvinunclesimon             Opinions are mine - my cat has her own ideas
Reach me at sar@datcon.co.uk, or ...!mcvax!ukc!pyrltd!datcon!sar