[9fans] An Important Node

[Akshat Kumar <akumar@mail.nanosouffle.net>]

With one network- and PS- incapable printer* in
the household, and several computers with at least
a few users, there was a need to have some sort of
network capable printing device.

The printer is hooked up via (just for added complexity)
USB to the Plan 9 CPU server. Printing amongst Plan 9
computers is easy enough - run usb/print, export /dev,
etc. (maybe a cleaner way? the problem is with /dev/lp7,
which only shows up once usb/print is run), ending with
an lp(1) command. However, other computers are running
Windows or Linux.

So, in order to have Windows see the CPU server as a
network printer, I simply "[Added] a New Printer" on TCP,
port PORT, and IP that of the CPU server, with the device
being Adobe's Generic PostScript Printer, which produces
basic PS pages (something lp(1) on Plan 9 can deal with).

On the Plan 9 side, then, the CPU server listens:

aux/listen1 -tv tcp!*!PORT $home/bin/rc/print &

where the script `print' contains:

#!/bin/rc

lp -H -d officejet5610 >>[2] /sys/lib/lp/log/officejet5610

... and that's all she wrote.


Best,
ak

* OfficeJet 5610 - I highly discourage this product.
  (welcome, HP)