Printing - Fancy DOS knowledge?

[Kooldino]

I installed VMWare Player...but I don't think that's what I'm looking for...

[Kooldino]

Marshmallow, that's what the NET USE command does.

I know that some DOS programs have built in printer drivers ... anyway, is there a DOS GUI to DBASE 4? Is there any place to look at the printer setup for the program from with the program?

Yes

[VJ]

I installed VMWare Player...but I don't think that's what I'm looking for...

If you want to use VMWare, you need the server beta:

http://www.vmware.com/products/gsx/

(but I don't think it can solve your problem)



Jörg

[Jammrock]

Yes

Does it have a list of printers? Is there a PRN: device listed as an alternative to LTP1: listed in the printer section? What model of printer are you printing to?

[Kooldino]

If you want to use VMWare, you need the server beta:

http://www.vmware.com/products/gsx/

(but I don't think it can solve your problem)



Jörg

So I can run different OSs within XP with that?

And it's free?

[Kooldino]

Does it have a list of printers?

Yes.

Is there a PRN: device listed as an alternative to LTP1: listed in the printer section?

No, BUT, I can manually type in whatever printer port I want, up to 4 characters or so.

What model of printer are you printing to?

I honestly forget. Some old dot matrix printer. Uses the driver x86E.pr2 or something.

[Jammrock]

I honestly forget. Some old dot matrix printer. Uses the driver x86E.pr2 or something.

You're printing to a dot matrix printer across the network? Or is that the printer listed in the DOS program?

[Kooldino]

You're printing to a dot matrix printer across the network? Or is that the printer listed in the DOS program?

Across the network, but we tried listing it in the DOS program.

Here's the scoop.

Let's say there are three machines:

SERVER
WIN98BOX
WINXPBOX

Printer DOTMATRIX is connected to the Paralell Port on SERVER (which runs 98).
SERVER share DOTMATRIX with the network.

WIN98BOX has DOTMATRIX mapped via SERVER, and it is captured to LPT1.

When we load DBASE in DOS on WIN98BOX, we use drivers for DOTMATRIX as if DOTMATRIX is directly connected to LPT1 on WIN98BOX.

When we go to print, it works fine.

If we do the exact same thing on WINXPBOX (with the net use lpt1 command), when we go to print, nothing happens.

[Jammrock]

NET USE LPT1: /DELETE

Add a new Printer.

Uncheck detect plug and pray printers.

Select LTP1: for the port.

Install appropriate drivers.

Do not share.

No to test page.

Finish.

NET USE ... you know the drill.

Give that a shot.

Jammrock

[Kooldino]

NET USE LPT1: /DELETE

Add a new Printer.

Uncheck detect plug and pray printers.

Select LTP1: for the port.

Install appropriate drivers.

Ok..but you do understand that no printer is actually attached to WINXPBOX, right? So Should I still install drivers for the same thing that the DOS program thought I was printing to?

Do not share.

No to test page.

Finish.

NET USE ... you know the drill.

Give that a shot.

Jammrock

[Tjalfe]

is it not starting to be a cheaper option to get an old LPT printer and attach it to the client computer, instead of letting you spend days figuring out a network share?

[Jammrock]

Ok..but you do understand that no printer is actually attached to WINXPBOX, right? So Should I still install drivers for the same thing that the DOS program thought I was printing to?

Yes. The theory is that the DOS program will send the job to the LTP1 printer you setup in windows which will put the job in PS/PCL format, which, when sent to the port, will then get shipped off to the network printer becuase the actual port is mapped to the server.

...it's all theoretical mind you, I've never done it before, but it's worth a shot. All other sane options have been exhausted, so time to try the crazy.

And no printer has to be physically connected to the computer to setup a printer. That's why you uncheck the "search for printers" option when setting it up.

Jammrock

[Whirl-Secret]

I don't have Jammster's knowledge, but do you even know that the dot matrix would work, even if it was plugged into the XP box? Drivers etc.

[cjolley]

We use this batch file to print fram a dos cookbook written in 1989 to a shared laser printer at home.
We just told the program it was some generic printer and lpt1.
It does not use the xp drivers at all.

---Cookbook.bat--------
c:
cd\cookbook
net use lpt1 \\common\BrotherH /persistent:yes
pause
cookbook



It works for us

[Jammrock]

We use this batch file to print fram a dos cookbook written in 1989 to a shared laser printer at home.
We just told the program it was some generic printer and lpt1.
It does not use the xp drivers at all.

---Cookbook.bat--------
c:
cd\cookbook
net use lpt1 \\common\BrotherH /persistent:yes
pause
cookbook



It works for us

NET USE has been over used trying to get this fixed. Alas, he can print from DOS using using NET USE, but not from the DB application he's trying to get working.