Print queue creation on HP-UX host for M602 and P3015 LaserJet printers

[Tom Wolf_3]

Hello HP-UX experts.

I'm using HP Printer Installer (hppi) to create print queues on our HPUX servers. We have some new printers coming in that I can't find printer model scripts for. I'm looking for a model script for the LaserJet M602 printer and the LaserJet P3015. If there aren't new model scripts for these printers, then what model script should I use. Are there any settings with the older model scripts that need to be changed when using them with the new printers? Troubleshooting steps taken: I looked at the website to get the new model scripts from (www.hp.com/go/newmodelscripts). There are lots of printers there, but not any of the new ones or the ones I'm looking for.

Any help on finding model scripts for the LaserJet M602 printer and LaserJet P3015 print queues on an HPUX host would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Tom Wolf

[ManojK_1]

Hi,

you can select option 55 ("dumbplot model script for printer")from the printer model.. Which will work for most of the printers.

55) To Select dumbplot model script for printer

Thanks and Regards,
Manoj K

[Bill Hassell]

P3015 and M602 only support PCL5e, PCL6 and Postscript 3. PCL-5e means that there is a 50:50 chance that it will actually print something for you. PCL (Printer Control Language) was plain ASCII with enhancements from PCL1 to PCL5, but starting with PCL5e, the specifications became quite muddy, mixed with plain ASCII and bit mapping. The ability to print the simple text "ABC" becomes problematic and PCL6 and beyond simply left text far behind. The new (typically inexpensive) printers require that the host transfer a series of dots, not text or images. This is why you see the "Compatible operating systems" is conspicuously missing HP-UX, Solaris and AIX. There is no bit map engine available for these operating systems.

You can test the printers quite easily by printing a simple ASCII file using hpnpf. Once you have assigned an IP address to the printer, just run this command:

hpnpf -x 12.34.56.78 -N /etc/hosts

This will send a simple ASCII file to the printer (the hosts file). If the printer reports an error code, then it cannot be used on HP-UX. This is not a surprise in that the vast majority of newer printers (not just HP) are NOT designed to work with plain ASCII (found on all Unix-type systems) but are designed for Windows, Macs and Linux (with special software).

[Robert Herron]

I have a HP LaserJet M601n and it prints perfectly fine from my HP-UX 11.31 server.  I used the "net_ljx000" model script by selecting "46) Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4050 Series" in hppi.  I then verified the model script under "5) Additional printer configuration..." screen. 

I don't have a M602 or a P3015 but I suspect this should work for them as well. 

[Bill Hassell]

Excellent report. To bypass the clumsy hppi menu script, you can add the printers like this:

/opt/hpnpl/bin/addqueue  -q <queuename>  -h 12.34.56.78  -i 257 -b off  -r off  -t off

The printer's name in HP-UX will be <queuename>, -h is the IP address (usually preferred over hostname due to DNS administration issues), and -i 257 specifies the net_ljx000 script.