Need help setting up HP Printer for LPD printing in Mac OS 9

[InsectorX]

Hi, I'm a Tattoo Artist and I want to use Mac OS 9 at work for fonts and art.  My printer at work is the HP LaserJet Pro MFP m127fw.   I'm looking for a way to print with LPD over Tcp/ip.  Don't let my lingo fool you, I don't know the first thing about getting this started.  I found a tutorial that said I needed a PPD file, and I don't believe that this printer supports postscript.  So, I guess, there is no PPD file?

I've been scouring the internet looking for an answer, and many answers are confusing, and for linux.  I haven't found a Mac OS 9 manual for this yet.  So, I'm just asking.

Here is a section from my work printers manual:

Supported network protocols Via built-in networking solution: TCP/IP, IPv4, IPv6; Print: LPD (raw queue support only); Discovery: SLP, Bonjour, Web
Services Discovery; IP Config: IPv4 (BootP, DHCP, AutoIP, Manual), IPv6 (Stateless Link-Local and via Router, Statefull via
DHCPv6); Management: SNMPv1, HTTP; HP ePrint

I don't even know where to start on this one.   Any help would be appreciated.

[Mat]

If your printer has Network LPD Functionality included it should work directly - means from the Mac OS 9 ethernet to the printer - like described here:.
http://www.rit.edu/its/services/desktop_support/mac/clprprintersetup.html

You can always use the "general" PPD (with reduced functionality).

It may be that you need (or can improve print options) to setup an LPD-Server at the other computer. I can´t help you here as I don´t use this system at all. But I will dig into the LPD server I got for Mac OS 9 next week, and will see if it is of help.

All that doesn´t mean, that you idea about the Applescript is useless. I just wanted to know the advantage over other possibilities.

[Mat]

Ok, here is another maybe helpful article:
http://harvey.nu/lpr_on_mac_osx.html

And for the records: I´d like to hint to the only free LPD Print Serer I knoe for Mac OS 9. It´s called "print66". It is for the other way round, if you like to pront to a printer connected to your Mac OS 9 machine. I used it for example to print to modern Minolta copiers from Atari machines via Mac OS 9. Or you can use your locale USB printer over the network from other computers. Another very interresting part is thhat you can use it to print to your locale serial printer attached to your 9 machine, from other computers in the LAN.

http://blog.barijaona.com/print66/presentation.html

Source code is available as well for Codewarrior 11. Perhaps some brave coder could implement a Print Client as well?

[Mat]

BTW the really professional application to print from Mac OS 9 to virtually any network printer is "HELIOS EtherShare". It is a file and print server for huge (mixed) networks and had Mac especially in mind. Even the recent version  works with AFP as well.

Not affordable for the most of us (unlike we drive some prepress company) but it is out there.

[InsectorX]

If your printer has Network LPD Functionality included it should work directly - means from the Mac OS 9 ethernet to the printer - like described here:.
http://www.rit.edu/its/services/desktop_support/mac/clprprintersetup.html

You can always use the "general" PPD (with reduced functionality).

It may be that you need (or can improve print options) to setup an LPD-Server at the other computer. I can´t help you here as I don´t use this system at all. But I will dig into the LPD server I got for Mac OS 9 next week, and will see if it is of help.

I will try this and report the results.  Thank You

All that doesn´t mean, that you idea about the Applescript is useless. I just wanted to know the advantage over other possibilities.

Cool.  Once it's finished I'll post it to my other post in the development section. 

[Mat]

Now that I suggested NetaTalk to torvan for filesharing between X and Mac OS 9, I remembered that it can serve as a print server as well. I never tried it. But you could see if it is of help?

[Metrophage]

I don't know about the model you have, but some HP LaserJets have their own built-in print server which makes them quite easy to print to. With my LJ4100 for instance, all I need to do from OS 9 is open the Chooser, and the 4100 appears. The only configuration I did was assign the LJ an IP address, because one of my Windoze boxes wasn't finding it, so that wasn't even strictly necessary. The print server handles AppleTalk over TCP/IP or RS422 serial for older Macs.

[InsectorX]

Everyone prints to my work's HP Laserjet Pro through wifi.  But it does have an ethernet jack on the back.  So I'm waiting on a long ethernet cable to get shipped so I can hook up to it directly.  Once I do, I can connect it to the router that's also connected to my Power Macintsoh.  And I will post the results.

I can't change the ip address of the printer, because it's all set up for work.  But, I can change the IP address my Macintosh no prob.   I'm hoping this  all works as easily as you said.     That would be pretty sweet.

[InsectorX]

I finally received my long ethernet cable in the mail.  So, I've hooked up my power macintosh 8600 to the printer directly ( and I've also tried through the routher too).  So far nothing is happening, it still can't detect the printer through the lpr settings.  I don't get it.

I looked up the printers ip address on the printer's menu system.  Then typed that ip attress into the desktop printer utility, after choosing laserwriter 8, and Printer (LPR).  Then it bring up the screen where i can "change" the LPR printer selection.  Under printer address, I type in the ip address of the printer.  Then make the que L1.  When I click the verify button it always says "the printer cannot be verified".  After that I can make it into a desktop printer, but it won't print.

How can the printer not be verified if it's hooked directly to it?

Also, after more research, I've found 100% that this printer does not use postscript at all.  I even posted in the HP LaserJet forums to find out for sure.  What does this mean for me printing from Mac OS 9 LPR?
 

[Mat]

How can the printer not be verified if it's hooked directly to it?

If you connect the printer directly, you need a crossover cable. With your standard RJ45 cable you have to go via the router or a switch.

Did you consult the manual of your printer? Perhaps you have to activete LPD server somewhere?

[InsectorX]

How can the printer not be verified if it's hooked directly to it?

If you connect the printer directly, you need a crossover cable. With your standard RJ45 cable you have to go via the router or a switch.

Did you consult the manual of your printer? Perhaps you have to activete LPD server somewhere?

I'm not sure if we have the manual here at work.  But the pdf manual that I found online doesn't say much, but it lists the functionality but doesn't have many directions. 

EDIT: found the full manual on the CD...  will read into it.

Also, I've tried to hook this up a lot of different ways.  I even tried to set up an LPD print server on windows, then when I tried to connect to it's ip address I still got nothing.  I feel like I'm running out of options.  But I'll look into possibly finding a more "in depth" manual.  And possibly enabling the LPD server on  the printer.

Also, I found that when I connect ANY ethernet cable to the HP Laserjet, then it automatically disables the wifi.  I can't do that, as it would mess up the rest of the shops printing.  So, is there a way to do this without the ethernet cable attached to the printer?  Like having a second computer run a print server that connects to the printers wifi?

[InsectorX]

I've been digging through the manual for the printer, and there isn't much information about lpd services.  Mostly just stuff about IP addresses. 
(I definately have the right ip address, because I can open Classilla in Mac OS 9 and type in the ip address and access the printer's settings through that.)

I've been messing around with the idea of setting up a LPD Print server, but that is taking some time.  I don't think that my mac will print directly to this printer, at least not anything I've tried.

[InsectorX]

I just bought an HP LaserJet 5M & an HP LaserJet 5MP.