*BSD News Article 91042


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From: rshwake@atww.org (Raymond N Shwake)
Subject: Re: HP JetDirect (2552A): Serious LPD bug
Message-ID: <E6yMHv.4EL@atww.org>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 02:20:19 GMT
References: <5f0ou4$luc@chronicle.concentric.net> <5fa721$2j8@uriah.heep.sax.de> <5fjapa$t8g$1@easystreet03>
Organization: RSX Technical Services
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.periphs.printers:61457 comp.sys.sun.admin:83448 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:37039

tedm@agora.rdrop.com (Ted Mittelstaedt) writes:

>A lot of this stems from the old "pride" thing.  HP Printers decided
>a long time ago that they were going to compete with Adobe, and even
>today Postscript is still an option on all of their printers, while PCL6
>or whatever is what they push.  In fact, Hp doesen't even write
>Postscript drivers for their printers, these come from Adobe and
>Microsoft.  Of course, Postscript is de-facto in Unix, including HP/UX.

	Like most, we started with HP LaserJet printers, but recently
started moving toward Lexmark. We started with the 4039 10R series, then
added Optra R's. Both come with real Postscript standard (Level 2 on the
Optra) for about the same price as the HP, and their Marknet XL cards
will respond to LPR output (I use it everyday from my SCO UnixWare box.)

>In fact, the only HP printer that HP recommends for use with HP/UX is
>their most expensive one, the 5SiMX, because even their own add-on
>printer control software for UX can only take full advantage of that
>model of printer.

>Believe it or not, HP's LPR support is actually intended for support
>of Windows NT first, Unix second.  This is because the HP printer cards
>don't support NetBIOS-over-TCP/IP and until recently the only way to
>actually get print jobs over TCP/IP networks to NT servers was through
>LPR.  (now they have an additional proprietary TCP/IP solution for NT)

	I don't know how true this is. We link to our JetDirects from
NCR boxes using Printastic, and not just from our NT boxes. Indeed, one
might get the impression they expect you to use the DLC protocol for NT
print jobs. We haven't done much testing from UnixWare yet.

	While Lexmark's MarkVision software favors the Win95/NT platforms,
their UNIX counterparts are respectable and getting better, and supports
more platforms (like NCR UNIX and UnixWare) than HP's JetAdmin.