Author Topic: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?  (Read 6978 times)

tcoulon

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ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« on: July 29, 2020, 11:21:25 am »
Hello all,

That's a bit of a useless quest, but as I am allready back to OS/2 I found out I still had copies of some WIndows 3.0 software. One of of them is a wordprocessor and the other a music composing software that won't run without a printer. I also do have an old book about OS/2 that states that the printers installed on OS/2 (it says during install...) are copied in \OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM, which does not seem to be the case with ArcaOS.

Are there some drivers soewhere? I'll try installing a Deskjet driver to see the result (it's the only windows 3.0 driver I could find) id I manage to create a floppy from the image...

Thierry

Matt Walsh

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2020, 10:22:41 pm »
With the newer Arca 5.0.5 CUPS printer install it's possible to install lots of specific printers, but they are then ARCA printers.  If you need to specifically boot Windows and use the printer that's a different issue.  So to help we need to know which program, which file format, which OS you want to boot, and exactly which printer you want to print to.  That data would help us give you some assistance.
Matt W.

Dave Yeo

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2020, 01:25:16 am »
There's https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/windows/l4wn30.zip which might not need floppies.

David McKenna

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2020, 01:58:16 am »
 This brings up an interesting issue: is there a WinOS/2 printer driver that can be re-directed to CUPS for printing? It seems WinOS/2 printers are directed to either COM or LPT ports. Can they be intercepted and sent to CUPS? Or over TCPIP? There are PScript drivers in WinOS/2 that would probably be compatible (Apple Laserwriter?)...

Regards,

Pete

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2020, 03:24:08 am »
Hi David

Possibly redirect the OS/2 LPT port to the cups port.


Regards

Pete

David McKenna

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2020, 03:46:18 pm »
Pete,

  I tried adding a line 'CUPS1.OS2=' to the [ports] section of win.ini (CUPS1 is the name of the printer port I use with my CUPS printer), and attached an Apple Laserwriter to it, then tried to print the ATM Readme file. All it did was create a file called 'CUPS1.OS2' in the root of my C: directory (which looked like legit postscript code). Is there something else that needs to be done to redirect to the CUPS port?

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Pete

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2020, 06:33:15 pm »
Hi David

I have not used winos2 for a very long time but seem to recall I did once have a Canon printer working from winos2 by printing to the OS2 LPT1 port which was redirected to the SLPR port which was the printer port in use.

Presuming I recall correctly: winos2 should be setup to print to the OS/2 LPT1 port which should then be redirected to the CUPS1 port.


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Pete

David McKenna

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2020, 08:41:32 pm »
 Pete,

  OK... so how do you redirect LPT1 to a different port (in my case, CUPS)?

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Pete

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2020, 12:07:33 am »
Hi David

Open the OS/2 printer Properties, select Output Port tab, RMB on LPT1, select Redirection, a dialog opens with ports to select from, select CUPS1.


Regards

Pete



David McKenna

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2020, 11:37:51 pm »
 Thanks Pete! Didn't know about that... tried it and indeed, I can print to my Epson XP-830 from WinOS/2 using the Apple Laserwriter driver and redirecting the OS/2 LPT1 port to the CUPS port the Epson is attached to. Takes about 2 minutes to print 1 page - just like in 1991!

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Pete

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Re: ArcaOS WinOS/2 printers?
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2020, 01:15:28 am »
Hi David

... Takes about 2 minutes to print 1 page - just like in 1991!

Regards,


You youngsters are always in such a rush  ;-)


Regards

Pete