how to install ppd file for a printer (a rip actually)

[neversilly]

Hello dear community,
In order to be able to print on my Risograph duplicator via a rip (SC7950) I just bought an old ibook with os9 (lives) on it.

The laptop already is connected to my network and can it found the rip. I have a bunch of different .ppd files which I put in the "Printer descriotions" folder on the ibook.

But somehow when they don't show up when I try to add a .ppd for the printer.  Only all the "Laser writer pro xxx" show up.

Any idea how to install the Rip on in os9?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help,
Christian

[macarone]

>they don't show up when I try to add a .ppd for the printer.  Only all the "Laser writer pro xxx" show up.
>Any idea how to install the Rip on in os9?

OS X uses Print Preference Pane and .ppd files.

OS 9 uses Printer Utility 2.2 or Desktop Printer Utility 1.3.1 and Chooser

They do NOT mix.

[FBz]

What Macarone said above.

Only printer drivers / descriptions that I can find on the RISO site are Mac OS 10+.
You may need find someone with an old RISO installer for OS 9…OR go the OS X+ route.

Maybe IF you plug in your exact RISO duplicator model on their site?
https://www.riso.com/download/

[neversilly]

Thanks for your answer, but are you sure this is entirely true?

Because OS9 askes me for a .ppd file when I want to setup a printer via the chooser/printer utility. And it automatically shows the folder "printer descriptions" where all the Apple Laser writer descriptions are stored.

Sorry, but I used OS8 in 2004 nd completely forgot how everything worked since OSX...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xAvktpgECYwYPo5LA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sixfc2VXADXhNvpPA

>they don't show up when I try to add a .ppd for the printer.  Only all the "Laser writer pro xxx" show up.
>Any idea how to install the Rip on in os9?

OS X uses Print Preference Pane and .ppd files.

OS 9 uses Printer Utility 2.2 or Desktop Printer Utility 1.3.1 and Chooser

They do NOT mix.

[neversilly]

Thanks for your answer as well... Well the Riso Site doesn't have any installers for its old models anymore. Luckily there are several facebook-groups and the stencil-wiki-site which do have quite a lot of stuff. That's where I got the ppd files as well.


Christian

What Macarone said above.

Only printer drivers / descriptions that I can find on the RISO site are Mac OS 10+.
You may need find someone with an old RISO installer for OS 9…OR go the OS X+ route.

Maybe IF you plug in your exact RISO duplicator model on their site?
https://www.riso.com/download/

[FBz]

Without an original installer disc for the printer that would enable you to “Choose” it (instead of the Laserwriter 8 ) you likely won’t have the option of using it. On that installer disc should be a printer “driver” specifically for the Risograph. Without that, well… best of luck.

Now some printers can use the Laserwriter 8 driver instead of originally intended drivers… but that’s usually in a more limited function capacity and requires workarounds.

But if your (unstated model) iBook is capable of running OS X, that might be another option for you as RISO does still offer some OS X support files. But I would still seek the original RISO installer disc.

And perhaps a better line of questioning here might have been: "does anyone here have an original installation disc for (your model of RISO) OR is anyone familiar with this printer?". Anybody?

Here are some related links that may be of interest to you and your quest:

https://ameliagreenhall.com/riso-printer-driver-for-mac-setup-and-usage-notes/

https://www.copytechnet.com/forums/digital-duplicators/118851-request-rp3100-mac-os-9-drivers.html

https://www.stencil.wiki/how-print-riso-rp-directly-mac-os-x

And yes, the SC7950 RIP specs do look interesting.

Best of luck and happy hunting.

*And if push comes to shove, there’s always MORE DIRECT contact with RISO,
either via email or direct telephone call - pleading & begging for a copy of the original installer.

[Mat]

Usually a .ppd-file for Mac OS 9, Laserwriter 8 and enabled AppleTalk should be enough. The times of Mac OS 7 and "chooser" are long gone. To me it sounds like it is a wrong or damaged .ppd file. As neversilly suspected, choosing a ppd when setting up a Laserwriter8 printer should work. You could check a well working ppd and copy its type and creator to the Riso ppd. Or you find a original ppd somewhere (as suggested at the original installers). Also see if the RIP is offering a server, even at AppleTalk network, often they provide the correct ppds theirselves also at network volumes.

BTW, the never ending and useless Mac OS X hints are dishonourable for a Mac OS 9 forum.

[GaryN]

BTW, the never ending and useless Mac OS X hints are dishonourable for a Mac OS 9 forum.

I should just ignore this and let it go by…… but hey:

I find neither "never ending" OR "useless" Mac OS X hints in this thread. I see only some pointing out of the differences between OS X and previous OS's and one suggestion that - as a last resort - a dual-boot machine might be able to easily print the desired files with OS X more easily.

I point that out in particular because heck, I do that. My MMD sends files from OS9 over Wi-FI to my sparkly-new Epson inkjet using Leopard. As much of a PITA is is to print with OS≤9 today, it's a perfectly valid concept. It's certainly less blasphemous that using a QEMU or something as an internet crutch… 

[Bolkonskij]

Why do you feel printing on Mac OS is a "pain in the ass" (PITA)?

If you have a postscript compatible printer, it's about the easiest thing in the world? I just install the Laserwriter 8 drivers Mat mentioned and I am basically good to print anything?

I have my postscript compatible modern Kyocera printer hooked up to the network switch and I print stuff from both my 8600 and my G4 in no time. All I did was the cabling, installing the drivers and creating a generic printer to have my networked printer show up.

In Mac OS 7.6 / OS 9 that is. I have not yet even figured out how to use network printing on 10.4 because neither the supposedly super-easy Bonjour works for me nor manually setting it up by IP. By comparison, it feels obfuscated compared to the Chooser. So I tend to do exactly the opposite - I send stuff to OS9 to print. Of course, might be I'm just too stupid to see the glory of OSX (networking) printing. ;-)

That said, i sense a certain trend in recent years. Whenever something doesn't work right away on OS9, instead of finding a native OS9 solution, the solution consists of sending folks to use OSX. Even if Mac OS should be capable of handling it and a solution is a distinct possibility.

But if our forum named OS9lives doesn't try to be an exception, we're really no more special than any generic Facebook retro Mac group, are we!?

Sorry for diverting from the topic, but that has been bugging me for a long time now.

[Mat]

Whenever something doesn't work right away on OS9, instead of finding a native OS9 solution, the solution consists of sending folks to use OSX. Even if Mac OS should be capable of handling it and a solution is a distinct possibility.

But if our forum named OS9lives doesn't try to be an exception, we're really no more special than any generic Facebook retro Mac group, are we!?

Sorry for diverting from the topic, but that has been bugging me for a long time now.

That is exactly what I am talking about! Thanks for speaking up.
X is such a different OS to 9, that it makes as much sense as pointing people to Linux possibilities when they ask for Mac OS 9 solutions.

[DieHard]

That is exactly what I am talking about! Thanks for speaking up.
X is such a different OS to 9, that it makes as much sense as pointing people to Linux possibilities when they ask for Mac OS 9 solutions.

It's funny you say that, we used to try to police the site about 5 years ago or more and purge a lot of OS X stuff; however, these days we are also a good reference for those who are utilizing Mac OS 7/8/9 and also PPC versions of OS X.  I have learned to be tolerant since all solutions presented (no matter the OS or workaround) may still be beneficial to someone out there on the web who does a search and finds themselves here.  Many resources are drying up out there, so I am glad our community is still going strong.  You guys are the best, keep up the good work, and remember, attacking these issues with many minds, and many different solutions is NOT a negative, the user (reader) can extract what they need even though it's a little more text to go thru; in addition, they may get another perspective and want to try something out of the box...
Ce qui sera sera

[GaryN]

Ohforchrissake! What are we… hens clucking at each other through the fence?

Why do you feel printing on Mac OS is a "pain in the ass" (PITA)?

If you have a postscript compatible printer, it's about the easiest thing in the world? I just install the Laserwriter 8 drivers Mat mentioned and I am basically good to print anything?

I have my postscript compatible modern Kyocera printer hooked up to the network switch and I print stuff from both my 8600 and my G4 in no time. All I did was the cabling, installing the drivers and creating a generic printer to have my networked printer show up.

Please take note of the bolded words above.
Your solution works for you. That's great. I'm happy for you.
My new Epson printer/scanner/ink cartridge gobbler… with its Ethernet port, built-in WiFi, scanner and soda dispenser will NOT respond to the old Laserwriter ppd or for that matter, to OS9 in general. I was able to find an Epson OSX 10.5 driver for it. That was as far back as they went and I was probably lucky to find even that.

I know that some of us around here have a instinctive adversity to anything Apple built after 1999.
That does not include all of us, however.

Yup. I'm one of those blasphemous anarchists. I chose to buy my Epson because it prints and scans and even faxes (that's right, I said faxes) for my:
OSX / OS9-running MDD
my Catalina-running Macbook Pro
my wife's Monterey-running Macbook Pro
my (gasp) iPhone and even
my iPad !!!

ALL over WiFi with ZERO setup needed AT ALL… EXCEPT FOR (what else,) the MDD. I have it hard-wired to the router for speed (and because the router is only 6 feet away anyway) but I had to find an old Airport card (packrat - had one) because the Epson required WiFi for OSX 10.5. It's not so much that they locked old Macs out, they were just so determined to make it effortless over WiFi that they left out the ability to manually configure stuff and the Mac driver wouldn't access Ethernet. Go figure… or go configure… nyuk nyuk

Yes, as I have noted before, I run my studio in OS9.
I have contact, song catalog and other databases in Filemaker Pro in OS9.

RANT: * I also have a great big bunch of graphic design files (CD cases and labels, posters, advertising etc etc) created with Adobe Illustrator in OS9 AND CS3 in OSX that I can no longer access because Adobe has timed-out ALL CS suites and shut off the authorization server! No matter you paid for it, no matter you have ALL of the original discs and serials, too bad… it's NO SOUP FOR YOU.
…I really hope I never have to go back and try to untangle those because I think it's probably 50-50 that a current subscription to the Adobe stuff will even open them… because that's just the kind of assholes they are.

I do 90% of my music production in OS9. There are however, some apps and plugins that ONLY exist in OSX. That's why I dual-boot the MDD. Every now and then, I toss a file over from OS9, process it somehow and toss it back. I also use OSX to upload and download huge audio files regularly. Try to do that in OS9 and see which servers are willing to talk to you. Hell, if it wasn't for Knezzen, this entire Forum might be at risk!

So, I make no apologies for that. Again, I make NO apologies for that.

OS9 is now old enough to drink in every state in the USA. All PPC versions of OSX will also be that old in just a few years.
It's a fun exercise (I guess) to find ever more complex ways to keep "obsolete" hardware and software more-or-less functioning year after year in a society that has long ago left it all in the rear-view. I am especially intrigued by those who use QEMU (sorry DH), entire auxiliary servers and everything else Alpha to Zeta just to sneak around TLS to get Classilla to render half-ass pages out of the Javascript-laden layouts it can only perceive as hieroglyphics.

To anyone who bothers to read all of this, I trust you see my point. If so, great! If not, well at least I feel better…

[Mat]

I know that some of us around here have a instinctive adversity to anything Apple built after 1999.
That does not include all of us, however.

GaryN, that's not the point. We are facing a serious problematic behaviour. It is a bad communication structure always following the same pattern. Somebody is interrested in – let's say – tea, and asks for suggestions. The answers are "nono, don´t take tea, take coffee, thats much better/easier/more modern/bla".
Thats respectless and useless.
It wouldn´t be a problem if Apple wouldn´t have tried to force us with a bunch of lies for years to abandon Mac OS 9, and if this answers wouldn´t be a extrapolation of that marketing crap. Nor would it be a problem if this forum would be a PPC forum (like macrumors PPC subforum for example). But it is macos9lives not ppclives!

As said, just imagine, others are always pointing – without being asked – to solutions via Windows/VirtualPC, NetBSD/macppc, older Yellowdog Linux, FreeBSD, Ubuntu 16.04, MorphOS, BeOS 5 ppc, or Linux Mint-ppc, just because they can run at our G3s or G4s, …
Do you remember the times in the late 90ies, when asking for Mac solutions, the answers were often "take Windows instead"? It was seen as rude, especially in Mac forums. And now the same is happening here. People asking for Mac OS 9 solutions, and get often – and think about it again; without being asked – hints to X.

So back to topic in this cace, the Riso RIP, nothing else than a working ppd is needed. Every X hint is just complicating the situation a lot. Not thinking about the fact that X is even at later G4s a pain, and at a early G3s in best case a bad joke, up to unusable.

[zefrenchtoon]

Hello everyone!

I have just found this document from Apple that explains how PPDs are used by OS 9 and OS X, what are the differences etc
I was thinking about something of encoding differences that would make the ppd not usable by OS 9 so I have search for infos on how they are made (I thought it was simply a text file describing the printer and its options hence the thought about enconding problem ...).

I think this would help to understand your problem.

https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Printing/Conceptual/UsingPPDFiles/ppd_intro/ppd_intro.html

And here is the archived Apple TechNote 1068 mentioned in the previous link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20081012011059/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1068.html