UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Since serial ports are so messy, would it be easier to just purchase a new cheap printer and start from scratch. There is an available parallel port and a couple of USB ports. (Are the USB ports even active on the SCO?)

If so, which printers have drivers available for SCO?

USB is not available on 5 SFAIK. And cheap printers are going to be USB now.

Serial are messy in that you have to think. And sometimes work at understanding what is happening.

Used to be a parallel to serial converter available at reasonable cost but they seem to have gone away. That would have made things simpler.

So put on the thinking cap and tell us what lpstat tells you about the printer you are trying to activate.

The patch kit I mentioned is known in the trade as a serial "break out box" or "BOB".

Do you have a VOM, volt-ohm-ammeter, available? Can use it for checking voltage levels on the lines needed to transfer data.

I found a great website that gave me step by step instructions on installing a serial printer on SCO OpenServer 5:

Installing a serial printer on SCO OpenServer 5.x

Basically, the old printer was setup on tty6a (which was probably the multiport card) while the printer was now on tty2a (Com 2). Once into printer management I was able to get it configured correctly.

Thanks for all of the help.