I wish to use an Epson Stylus Color 800 for printing from my Linux System.
I am unable to figure out how to set up my Linux system to print from available
documentation.
I am running Debian v2.0 with Linux Kernel 2.0.34 (i.e. <=2.1.32 so I have lp
device)
I believe I have successfully set up LPRng and have found my parallel port on
/dev/lp1
My first problem is I don't understand the syntax of the printcap file.
Most examples don't show a trailing '/' at the end of every line, but the
default file
installed by debian doesn't have them.
The book "Running Linux" tells me I can begin an entry with any arbitrary name
such as
MyAribitraryName|lp|localPrinter|OtherNameForPrinter
But I've noticed that invoking "lpc kill" generates an error except when the
entry begins with
lp, anything else I've tried generates
no printcap for printer 'MyAribitraryName'
It seems to me there would be a database of printcap file entries for common
printers,
but I was unable to find any.
The HOWTO recommends that I consult the printcap man pages, but I found it
indecipherable.
I think I am suppose to set up a filter program, the HOWTO recommends
APSfilter, so
I installed the latest debian package. I attempt to configure APSfilter, where
I print
a test page, I was unable to do so until I upgraded my version of ghostscript,
I am now
running gs-aladdin version 5.5.
No linux resources mention the Epson Stylus Color 800 by name.
They mention the Epson Color Stylus (by which they mean Stylus II or Stylus Pro)
They mention the Espons Stylus 800 (but not Color)
However the Epson Stylus Color 800 is none of the above.
I attempted to print a test page from the APSfilter configuration screen using
both the
ghostscript device st800 and stcolor, this created errors in the original
version of
GNU ghostscript and just printed very bad test pages in the newer aladdin
version.
Ghostscript documentation mentions something about using their unified printer
driver
with a unified printer parameter file for the Epson Stylus Color 800 but I'm
not sure how
I would configure ASPfilter or if I should still use it. Does anybody use this?
But first I would like to be able to simply print an ASCII file, which I have
yet been able
to do.
Any hints or leads would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Chip Grandits
