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Host print transform issue on Linux

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  • #1

    Host print transform issue on Linux

    Hello, everyone..
    I'm new in AS/400 - iSeries maintaining, so I will ask maybe stupid question..
    I want to print spooled files to host based (Ubuntu Linux) printer which doesn't support HPT. On windows this is quite easy, just create printer session and define my unsupported printer as default. HPT is left off. But on Linux....
    For supported printers, I have 2 ways to print spooled files.

    First is creating printer session with TN5250D like this:
    lp5250d map=870 env.DEVNAME=PRTLNX outputcommand="scs2ascii | lp -d Deskjet_6940" env.IBMMFRTYPMDL='*HP5' 192.168.120.120

    Second is sharing printer on my linux PC so that I can directly print from IBM using *IBMIPPDRV (Device class *LAN set).

    For unsupported printers, I have tried to put *WSCST, WSCSTA4..... in HPT and put QWPDEFAULT Workstation customizing object session... Nothing helps. It won't print.

    Is there possibility to set HPT to *NO with *LAN class? I have tried that also, but won't let me to save config.

    Please help...
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  • #2
    If you exclude the "env.IBMMFRTYPMDL" from your lp5250d, it will simply print it as plain text, just as any text file on the Linux box would. This is pretty basic (it won't support any fonts, graphics, barcodes, etc that the server specifies) but may be sufficient for your needs.

    With regards to *LAN class... not sure that setting HPT=*NO makes sense, since this means sending the data in SCS or AFPDS format, and it is extremely unlikely that your printer supports that. These are IBM printing data streams that you don't usually find unless you specifically buy a printer designed for them.

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    • #3
      Thanks, Scott. Sorry for late answer...
      Excluding the "env.IBMMFRTYPMDL" from lp5250d was the first thing I did. But then I get unreadable report which cannot fit on page. Is there some other option?
      Maybe redirecting PDF output to printer. At the moment, I'm creating PDF from spooled files like this:
      lp5250d map=870 env.DEVNAME=ZURICH outputcommand="scs2pdf -i /tmp/pdfprintinit >> /home/fujitsu/PDF/AS400-izvjesce.pdf" 192.168.120.120
      But problem is that I can't get Croatian characters in it, no matter of "map=870" and every spooled file I have to print twice, because first time text in PDF begins from middle of the page. Second time I get correct report..

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      • #4
        scs2ascii should produce plain text. So this should only be a problem if plain text does not work with your printer. It will be missing all of the formatting (since there is no way to communicate that if you're not using HPT) but the plain text characters should be readable. I would always recommend using Host Print Transform (HPT) instead because it supports all of the formatting.

        scs2ps and scs2pdf never worked well enough for me to use them. I think the developers who wrote them wrote enough for the exact features that they used, but that was all. You could, of course, improve the code to make it work for you. That would be the typical open source approach to things, prevalent in the Linux environment.

        You could also look into other options, such as IBM's Access Client Solutions.

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        • #5
          Yeah.. scs2ascii producing plain text for me and it's readable, but as you said, there is formating issue. Text is all around the page, so without HPT, it's useless for me...

          But, the thing that worries me most is...
          Recently, I've bought HP OfficeJet 7612 which is next generation of OfficeJet 7610 (HPT should be supported with *LEXOPTRAT or *HP520). No luck. On CA for Windows prints only when HPT is off.
          Same thing with HP Deskjet 2000 Series - J210. According to IBM support pages, it should work with HPT set to *LEXMARKC or *HP520. I have also tried with *HP5, *LEXOPTRAT, and all the most common options.. Nothing. Only works when HPT is off.

          What kind of printer (inexpensive) you could recommend me to buy?

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          • #6
            I don't have a specific model in mind. The models available now are different than they were when I last bought one, and doubtless will have changed again by the next time I need one.

            Instead of looking at a specific model, I look to find out which printer languages a printer supports, and whether it's considered "host based". Host based printers do a lot of their processing in the printer driver on the PC (rather than in the printer itself) which means that they are usually not compatible with OSes other than Windows (or sometimes Mac, occasionally Linux). Instead, I find one that is not host based, and make sure it supports PCL 5e (color) or PCL 6 (B&W) or some other printer language I know IBM supports -- depending on the application, I might also look for PostScript, since a lot of Unix/Linux software works best with PostScript.

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            • #7
              I think, we have a winner.. https://www.lexmark.com/en_XC/produc.../35SC700.shtml
              PCL 5e, PCL 6, PostScript 3 emulation supported. This one should satisfy all my needs. And price is very acceptable

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