UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I only know enough about Unix to get me in trouble:

I have an old UNIX SCO OpenServer 5 that I am phasing out. It had been connected to an HP laserjet via a serial port connection. As part of the phase out I disconnected and removed the workstations leaving only the server. I didn't think I was going to need to print from this machine so I disconnected the printer as well.

Now I found that I will indeed need the printer. I reconnected the printer with a new serial cable, but the machine does not recognize it. Since I never removed any of the drivers I assumed that it would pick up right where I left off.

What do I need to do to reinstall the printer?

Might help to power cycle the system. Sometimes the systems lose communications when things are disconnected.
It also might help if you had a serial indicator box to show what signals you have when attempting to print.
Is this off a serial port or multiport card?

I have rebooted the system to no avail. Right now the printer is plugged directly into the serial port. It may have been previously connected through the multiport card. All of the wiring was in the floors. When I disconnected the workstations I pulled out all of the wires except the keyboard and modem.

Of course if you want it to work, you need to reconnect it where it was. If not you will have to modify the printer queue already defined or create a new printer queue.

As I said: "I only know enough about Unix to get me in trouble" (and I wasn't kidding)

Thinking I would never need them again, I cut the cables as they went into the floor....so there is no way of recreating the original hook-up. There was an available serial port on the machine so that is where I now have the printer connected.

Can you walk me through the steps of modifying the printer queue already defined or creating a new printer queue.

I worked on sco 5 ten years ago, i can just give you guideline since i dont recall that much. You need to go to your print manager via scoadmin. then check your queue configuration. You can probably find out where the printer was connected by checking on what port it is configure. Habitually serial port are define as /dev/tty1a (com1) or /dev/tty2a (com2). If it is something else its probably from your multiport card. There is some logic in the naming of these port. Lets say the port of your printer is /dev/ttyH2 you ca assume is on port #2 of your multiport (unless you have more than one of those). Another hint, go to your /dev directory and ls tty*.

logged in as root run lpstat -t. that will give you a listing of printers and their hardware location plus status. You may have to pipe the output through more if there is a bunch of stuff waiting for the printer.

If you have a bunch of stuff waiting to print you can cancel it by job number.

You may want to tail -40 /usr/adm/messages | more to see the last boot up report to see if the serial ports you are using are active.

If you are on a different serial port now the port speed may be an issue.

Serial printer wiring sometimes gets messy. Helps to have the telltale and forcing the signal levels is easier if you have a 232 patch kit. This is a small board, 25p on one side, 25s on the other with all lines from both sides brought out to pluggable jacks so you can jumper what you need.

Starting point on a 25 patch kit is 2, 3, and 7 going across, 4&5 shorted on both sides, and 6&20 shorted on both sides. The 4,5,6, &20 are normally connected across as flow controls but forcing them is no problem if the printer is faster than the serial port.