Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[rob pike, esq.]

> I've sort of always wondered why lp wasn't implemented as a filesystem;
> I'm guessing it's historical.

Right.  It predates Plan 9.

-rob

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Dan Cross]

> lp is a shell script.  It's really not too hard to put echo statements
> into various places to figure out what's wrong, but the chain of
> scripts calling scripts is pretty daunting the first time you dig in.
> Half the time it's a new ghostscript that's broken something
> mysteriously.

I've sort of always wondered why lp wasn't implemented as a filesystem;
I'm guessing it's historical.  The lp command could then just be a
wrapper around cat.  Someone mentioned this once.  It might've even
been Bushnell, but it was a good idea.  Something else to do in my
copious spare time....

	- Dan C.

[9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Thomas West]

After upgrade from a recent cd image lp fails; printing is normal on win95
My system is a standalone pc.

after
cat foo| lp
the print light blinks , as if to start printing ,but quits after about a
second and goes back to standby.
I can print this way:
cat foo| lp -dstdout > /dev/lpt1data

but the result is the intended file along with a spurious page.

Nothing was written to log , prob, tmp, or queue in /sys/lib/lp

lp -d'?' lists the printer.

Guidance valued-

-Tom

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Scott Schwartz]

Russ writes:
| Would people find it helpful to have a ``bleeding edge''
| CD image of the whole sources archive regenerated
| every night that you could use to update if you can't
| get to sources from inside Plan 9?

Sure, that would be rather like how Debian has "stable" and "testing"
releases.

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Russ Cox]

Specifically the bug is in /sys/src/ape/lib/ap/stdio/freopen.c
(and /sys/src/libstdio/freopen.c, but that's not relevant here),
and affects the /386/bin/aux/download binary.

The corrected files are on sources.  If you need them
and can't access sources, feel free to mail me.

Russ

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[rob pike, esq.]

lp is a shell script.  It's really not too hard to put echo statements into various
places to figure out what's wrong, but the chain of scripts calling scripts is pretty
daunting the first time you dig in.  Half the time it's a new ghostscript that's
broken something mysteriously.

-rob

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Russ Cox]

There's a bug in the lp on the CD image, due to
a bug in the APE freopen.  The version on sources
is corrected.  If I remember correctly, that doesn't
help you.

Would people find it helpful to have a ``bleeding edge''
CD image of the whole sources archive regenerated
every night that you could use to update if you can't
get to sources from inside Plan 9?

Russ

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Skip Tavakkolian]

> I think a weekly or monthly image would be sufficient; I have found
> replica to be very efficient in getting updates, even large upgrades
> (like the last one).

I will read messages completely and carefully before replying.
I will read messages completely and carefully before replying.
I will read messages completely and carefully before replying.
I will read messages completely and carefully before replying.
...

Re: [9fans] lp doesn't work after upgrade from downloaded cd image

[Skip Tavakkolian]

I think a weekly or monthly image would be sufficient; I have found
replica to be very efficient in getting updates, even large upgrades
(like the last one).

With a growing user base and big enough volunteer QA effort, it would
be possible to coordinate a collective test of the weekly releases,
for example, and then pick the best in a three-six month period as the
official release, especially for people that want it for operational use.

BTW, a question for the people that use the system for operational
use: how often do you update/upgrade?  (by operational I also would
include stable teaching/research environments)

> Would people find it helpful to have a ``bleeding edge''
> CD image of the whole sources archive regenerated
> every night that you could use to update if you can't
> get to sources from inside Plan 9?