>Number:         4967
>Category:       port-i386
>Synopsis:       Reset of parallel port on open cleans print buffer in printer
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    gnats-admin (GNATS administrator)
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Mon Feb  9 23:35:02 1998
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Martin J. Laubach
>Organization:
	
>Release:        1.3
>Environment:
	
System: NetBSD asparagus 1.3 NetBSD 1.3 (ASPARAGUS) #1: Fri Jan 16 14:58:22 CET 1998 root@asparagus:/usr/local/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/ASPARAGUS i386


>Description:
  The parallel port routines perform a reset of the parallel port
on open. 

  This means that any job that is being printed (already in
the printer's internal buffer) when another document is sent
to the printer will be aborted and lost.

  The more memory the printer has to buffer data, the worse the
problem gets.

>How-To-Repeat:
  With a parallel printer (I have a HP DeskJet Plus) attached, do:

	cat rather_long_document >/dev/lpt0

  and as soon as that returns

	cat another_document >/dev/lpt0

  The printer will reset again, and the first document lost.

>Fix:
  Remove the reset from the parallel port code. Of course this
means that the printer could be in an unknown state when printing
starts... 

>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: