[plug] ethernet lpt server

[Brad Campbell]

Mike Holland wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 17 May 2001, Brad Campbell wrote:
> 
> > I'm booting completely from a floppy into a small ram disk
> > (4M) so I can't use a full lpd spool system.
> 
> Brad,
> why not use lpd? Its really quite small. Should easily fit on a
> single-floppy 4MB system. The main lpd binary is only 50k on my system -
> spooling space will be the issue. Does lpdsrv avoid that somehow?
>   You can always use NFS for more 'disk' space, given that you are on a
> network.

Yeah, it's not the binary size, it's the spooling space.
lpdsrv act's like one of those ethernet printserver boxes and
prints as it spools. Not quite sure of the specifics, but I have it
working here replacing a 1 printer lpd setup that was bounce spooled.

A quick network background.
I have a samba box that shares 6 printers.
3 on local lpt ports.
1 on an ethernet connected printer
2 on a remote box with lpd and 2 lpt ports.

so i have 2 printers that get spooled twice.
I print a 50mb file to the samba box, samba lpr's the file to the spooler
and the spooler then spools that file again to the remote lpd box, which
then starts to print.
With lpdsrv, the samba box spooler prints on the fly straight to the printer
through the lpdsrv.
I want to avoid the double spooling, and not install samba on the second box.
I also want to move the printers around, where the second box is tied to it's
location. So I am putting together an old HD less 386 with a couple of lpt ports
to act as a remote ethernet lpt.

I also have a problem with the double spooling, that I can control the spools
using the windows clients on all but the two printers on the second lpd box.
As soon as the first box spools them to the second box, I lose control over them.

Clear as mud?
-- 
Brad....
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