LaserJet 3005n and OpenVMS 7.3

[Jose EZCARAY]

I have some questions:

1.- Where can I find the drivers to support the LaserJet 3005n (P3005), connected to network via RJ45, under TCP/IP and OpenVMS 7.3?.

2.- What is the correct procedure to run this printer connected to an Alpha DECsystem 20 with OpenVMS 3.7 (perhaps, define the terminal first?, then, define the VMS queue?...). I remember some details from VMS 4.5

3.- What is DCPS$Startup?.

Many thanks in advance.

Jose

[Hoff]

0: Read the documentation for DECprint Supervisor (DCPS), and then install and configure it. DCPS manuals are here:

http://h30266.www3.hp.com/odl/axpos/sysman/dcpsv26/dcpsv26.htm

At its simplest, you would use standard IP printing tools including the lpr/lpd, telnet or raw to get to this or most any other network-based printer, and the basic drivers are provided within the IP package.

You'll need to have TCP/IP Services or one of the other IP stacks available for OpenVMS installed and configured. Doc URIs:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/doc/
http://www.process.com/

For typical Postscript-based printing, of which the LaserJet P3005n is one, most folks choose to use DCPS to operate various features of the printer.

DCPS is licensed with OpenVMS, though for some reason is separately installed.

1: No add-on printer drivers are typically used with OpenVMS. The pieces you need for minimal support of a network printer are part of most (all?) IP packages. Some of the more advanced features are part of DCPS.

2: Sorry, but there is no such system as an "Alpha DECsystem 20" -- that particular combination of product names is about three architectures apart in historical terms.

I might guess you meant AlphaServer DS20, but that's a guess.

Neither VMS V3.7 nor V4.5 had much in the way of IP networking, nor did these versions work with Alpha.

Terminal-based printing isn't all that common any more, and it's not involved here.

You might want to start with the quick skim of the manuals to refresh your memories. Much of OpenVMS is the same as you remember, but much has changed, too. Printing has changed. The main OpenVMS documentation web site is at:

http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/doc/

3: It's the DCPS startup command procedure.

There is a DCPS-provided printer configuration sequence described in the manuals that will be needed, too.

Please also consider let HP know you want OpenVMS documentation provided with your HP printer purchase. (The printer page does not list HP OpenVMS support, though the HP DCPS documentation does list the printer.)

And the old OpenVMS Ask The Wizard area http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/wizard has a write-up on various IP printing issues, starting at topic (1020). The article is old, but largely still current.

And welcome back to OpenVMS.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC