LaserWriter IINTX: System Printer with VAX Host



How do I use a LaserWriter IINTX printer as system printer for a VAX host?

I'm looking for general pointers, including PATHWORKS, and some comparison
shopping tips, such as equipment, labor and training requirements to
install and support this kind of printer.

PATHWORKS for Macintosh has a VAXshare Print service that does what you
want.

VAXshare print servers work very much like AppleShare print servers. When
you send a document to a VAXshare print server, VAXshare receives the
file's contents. The server then prints instructions from your Macintosh
application and saves a print file on the disk. VAXshare returns the
printer codes to your application to signal that printing is done.

VAXshare print servers access both Apple and Digital PostScript network
printers. Since the LaserWriter IINTX has to be on a LocalTalk network,
you'll need a router between EtherTalk and LocalTalk. Examples of routers
include the Apple Internet Router, Shiva FastPath, Farallon Liaison, Cayman
GatorBox, or devices that connect the LaserWriter II printer to Ethernet,
such as EtherPrint.

After installing PATHWORKS on a VAX, the system manager goes into the
MSA$MANAGER program, adds a printer queue, and starts it. These printer
queues are standard VMS queues, so they work the same way as other
existing VMS queues (using SET QUEUES, START, and STOP QUEUES commands).
VMS users also can print to these queues with the PRINT/QUEUE= command.

On the Macintosh side, selecting a VAXshare print spooler is similar to
selecting an AppleShare Print Spooler. From the Chooser, select the zone
(if necessary) then select the LaserWriter icon from the group of icons on
the left side of the Chooser window.

There shouldn't be much training needed for doing this. On the VAX side,
VMS System Managers are familiar with VMS queues, and installation on the VAX
is done with standard VMSINSTAL. Macintosh users need only choose the
standard printer/spooler name.

The only issue is the amount of printing you'll be doing. If there will be
much printing that doesn't require laser quality, then a standard line
printer might be all you need.


Published Date: Feb 18, 2012