> 
> I'm trying to set up a NEC Silentwriter 95f (postscript laser) as a serial
> printer for my SE/30, in the eventual hope that I'll be able to use it with
> CAP's lwsrv as a print server.  I installed lprps, a text to PostScript
> filter, and created an entry in /etc/printcap:
> 
> lp|Silentwriter 95f:\
> 	:lp=/dev/tty01:\
> 	:sd=/var/spool/lpd:\
> 	:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:\
> 	:af=/var/log/lpd.acct:\
> 	:if=/usr/local/lib/psif:\
> 	:br#19200:ms#0:sf:sh:rw:sb:\
> 	:fc#0177777:fs#003:
> 
> When I try...
> 
> {sabi#ttyp3@roadrunner:4} 2:04pm ~>lpr cs-cshrc
> {sabi#ttyp3@roadrunner:5} 2:04pm ~>lpq
> lp is ready and printing
> Rank   Owner        Job  Files                 Total Size
> active sabi         18   cs-cshrc 	           842 bytes
> {sabi#ttyp3@roadrunner:6} 2:04pm ~>lpq
> no entries
> 
> my printer displays "PROCESSING", then "WAITING", then times out, and no
> error messages show up.  When I call lpr with -m I even get the daemon to
> mail me with "Your printer job completed successfully."

Sounds like it's not really turning text into PostScript. Try printing a
ps file and see what happens.

> How could I monitor what is going on to see what's wrong?  I am using a 8
> pin serial cable (has worked in the past for Mac-to-Mac communication), and
> have configured the printer's serial port via the front panel to be 19200,
> N81.  The 'fc' and 'fs' info from above I got from the INSTALL  document
> included with lprps.  I tried with lower bps rates, down to 2400, but all
> that did was succeed in extending the amount of time that the printer
> displayed "PROCESSING".

Try hooking the cable up to another mac! The output should be cryptic-yet-
readable text. There shuld also be a "showpage" command in there
at the end (it actually spits the page out). Also, you should be able
to run e printer port as fast as the printer will take data. Like 38400
or 57600. Note: you have to be at 1.2 for 57600 to work with lpd (it
worked with the serial port, but lpd didn't permit it as a rate).

I'd suggest re-working the fs & fc. They are pretty archaic. Try
adding ms=opost,onlcr,-oxtabs,cs8,-parenb (assuming 8-bit parity off).
The fc & fs _seem_ to be setting "send stopc on out q full" and
"half-cooked mode" whatever they are. ms just uses the flags from stty,
so it should be easier to work with. sf suppresses form feeds, sh
suppresses header pages, rw opens for read & write, sb says short
banner (needed?). I don't know what ms#0 is trying to do as ms is (for us)
a string. ??

> I've never set up a PS printer serially before (or any printer on this
> system) so if I'm missing something obvious, or not so obvious, I'd
> appreciate any ideas.

I'm not great at it either. Good luck!

Bill