Follow these steps to install a serial printer on an SCO Unix 3.2.4.2 system:
1. If the printer is not already connected to the Unix system, shut down your computer system and connect your printer to the desired serial port of the Unix computer system.
Connect the RS-232 cable from a serial port on your computer to the port on your printer. Serial printers must be capable of supporting XON/XOFF or hardware flow control; they must also be configured to use the correct handshaking protocol.
After the printer is connected to the system, turn on the printer and then boot-up your computer.
2. Log in as the root user.
3. Next, enter the following command, substituting the correct port number for nn (for example, la for /dev/tty1a):
disable /dev/ttynn
This disables logins on the port you have connected to your printer and allows the port to be used for serial communication.
4. Verify that your connection to the printer is working properly by sending data directly to the device.
For serial printers, enter the following command:
date > /dev/ttynn
If the system is working properly, the date information should appear on the printer.
If the device /dev/ttynn does not exist, it may be necessary to run
mkdev serial
or install other serial port communications software before proceeding.
5. If the test at the beginning of Step 4 works, you are ready to configure the printer. Start the System Administration shell by typing sysadmsh at the command line.
6. In the sysadmsh, select Printers Þ Configure Þ Add.
7. Fill in the form by supplying the necessary printer properties.
8. After you've configured the printer, you must configure the printer to accept and print requests. To tell the printer to accept new print requests, return to the main menu of the sysadmsh, then select Printers Þ Schedule Þ Accept. Enter the name of the printer.
9. To enable the printer, return to the main menu of the sysadmsh, then select Printers Þ Schedule Þ Enable. Again enter the name of the printer.
10. You may also want to make this printer the default printer, especially if it's the only printer on the system. You can do this through the sysadmsh utility. From the main menu of the utility, select Printers Þ Configure Þ Default. Enter the name of the printer and hit [Enter].
11. As a final step, you should change the ownership and permissions of the device you will be printing to. Change the ownership and permissions as follows:
chmod 644 /dev/tty1a
chown lp /dev/tty1a
chgrp lp /dev/tty1a
12. At this point the printer queue has been fully configured. Next, test the configuration by printing a sample file to the printer with the lp command:
lp -dAccounting /etc/passwd
You should also look at the printer with the lpstat command to make sure that it is configured properly. The following two lpstat commands will provide the information you need:
$ lpstat -t scheduler is running system default destination: Accounting device for Accounting: /dev/tty1a Accounting accepting requests since Wed Apr 15 21:01:36 1998 printer Accounting is idle. enabled since Sat Apr 18 15:40:06 1998. available.
$ lpstat -pAccounting -l
printer Accounting is idle. enabled since Sun Apr 19 13:07:38 1998. available.
Form mounted:
Content types: simple
Printer type: unknown
Description:
Connection: direct
Interface: /usr/spool/lp/model/dumb
On fault: mail to root once
After fault: continue
Users allowed:
(all)
Forms allowed:
(none)
Banner not required
Number of banners printed: 0
Character sets:
(none)
Default pitch:
Default page size:
Default port settings: 9600 cs8 -parenb