installing a non-HP matrix printer on a HP-UX 11 server

[laurentfaun]

hello,
HP has stopped production of dot matrix printers, so i would like to install a non-HP matrix printer on (an OKI ML5590/91) a HP-UX 11 server..

the supported language (Epson LQ,IBM ProPrinter III/AGM) is important?
if i use a JetDirect 170, it works?

thanks for response...

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Yes that will work. You will choose a 'generic' or 'dumb' model script. The supported printer language is not important to the OS because UNIX has no concept of a printer driver; all printer output is the sole responsibility of the applicationm itself. You can embed Epson escape sequences in the interface file after you have installed the printer.

[laurentfaun]

ok, thanks for your response...

for the generic or dumb script that i will choose:

it's when i am in HP JetDirect Printer Istaller for Unix, i go to the spooler administrattion menu (1), and "add printer to local spooler" (1). I enter the IP Adress of the JetDirect 170, and then i choose the dumbplot script for printer in the list...

am i OK ??

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Yes. After actually adding this queue using hppi, you can then go in and directly edit the file
/var/spool/lp/interface/model.orig/myprintqueuename and add any escape sequences you like.

[Deoncia Grayson_1 · Accepted solution]

Those are pretty much the steps you will have to take, just make sure the printer is pingable from your hp server before you start.

after you select HP Jet Direct:

Please enter selection: 3 (Add Printer to local spooler)
Enter the network printer name or IP address
It will ask do you want to continue? Y
Select a number to continue: 2 (Ignore errors)

it will ask the printer type, then u will select dumb printer..

[Bill Hassell]

I've added several Epson (and Oki) dot matrix printers using the JD 170 as well as other JetDirect external boes with no problems. As Clay mentioned, you manually pick the generic or 'dumb' printer script to run the printer. Since the script is fairly simple, you can add -o options to control printer fonts like 10 or 15 cpi. If you have a lot of printers to add, you can add a printer in about 1 second using the HPPI command line. Start by getting a list of the known printers:

cd /opt/hpnpl/bin
./addqueue -l

Then use the command line to add the printer:

cd /opt/hpnpl/bin
./addqueue -h 12.34.56.78 -q HP-UX_queuename -b off -i printer_ID