Topic: bidirectional printing

[Steve]

Can you have bidirectional printing with a WinXPpro client connecting to sme 5.5?  I have a Epson Stylus 1280 that I need to connect to the e-smith server, but it requires bidirectional priting (multi-color sublimation printer).

Thanks

[Nathan Fowler]

This is a setting that is configured in the BIOS.  Bi-Directional or Standard as some BIOSes call it.

There are probably three modes available to your system BIOS, Standard (Bi-Directional), ECP, and EPP.  It's been a very long time since I've seen a BIOS with the "Output Only" setting enabled on the LPT port.

Again, this is something that is hardware, not software, and doesn't depend on the OS.

Note Network Printing via LPR would have very little to do with what you're thinking.  The "Bidirectional" requirement for Epson is strickly for the LPT port of the local machine that the printer is connected to, in this case I assume it's your SME machine.

[Steve]

I'm aware of the bios setting.  My printing software on the windows client uses the bidirectional feature.  The printer reports back status to the client.  I was just wondering if SME/samba/lpr sent the bidirectional data back to the original client who used the printer.

My other printer just sent the job to sme and sme queued it and printed when the printer was available (if I understand right).  It never had a need to pass back information to the client.

Printing with the epson would require sme to send info. back to the client who is printing.  (The printing software needs to think that the printer is connected to the windows machine, when it is actually just emulated on the windows machine)  I know its confusing the way I have worded this!

steve

[Nathan Fowler]

LPR supports bi-directional printing I believe, have you tried it out yet to see if it works?

This link looks promising:
http://support2.epson.net/manuals/english/page/epl_n2750/ADM_G/STM3_1.HTM

[Steve]

Actually, I think I'll be connecting to the printer via samba since I don't think lpr is setup in e-smith to for remote printing (I guess I could modify it to allow it, which I might check into later) so it will appear to the client as the epson is being shared by another windows (sme-samba) machine.

That link looks great!  That should be very helpful.  I got it to print, but I haven't tried my other graphics software which I believes requires the bi-dir support.  I'll see what I can find out this week and post back.

thanks for the link