LaserWriter: UNIX Printing through a Network

This article explains how to print to a PostScript LaserWriter that is on an AppleTalk network.
You can print from a Unix workstation to any PostScript AppleTalk printer as long as the printer can be accessed on the AppleTalk network, using the AppleTalk protocol.

In order to use an Apple Postscript printer, not a StyleWriter or any other QuickDraw printer, you need additional software on the UNIX workstation to access the AppleTalk network. On the Unix workstation, you can either buy a commercial product that allows your Unix workstation to print to the AppleTalk network printer, or you can get a free software application called CAP (Columbia Appletalk Protocol) which can be obtained from various internet and online services. You will need to compile this code to use it under your UNIX environment. If you decide to use this application, make sure you get all the patches for it.

One commercial UNIX-based solution that you might look into, is K-Spool by Mt. Xinu. It allows Macintosh computers to spool documents to any serial printers connected to the UNIX host and lets the UNIX host access the LaserWriters attached to the AppleTalk network.

Information Presentation Technologies, Inc. also has products similar to K-Spool and CAP available for VMS and or UNIX operating systems called uShare and Partner. With uShare, printers are available simultaneously to Sun and Macintosh Partner users. Partner also lets the Sun function as an AFP-to-NFS gateway. Partner and uShare also can act as full Phase 1 and 2 routers, allowing the Sun to serve as a router.

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Published Date: Feb 19, 2012