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Use a StyleWriter II printer on 10.2.X System
After going through the trials of getting an old StyleWriter II printer working on OSX 10.2, I felt I should publish how I did it for the benefit of others.

[robg adds: Read the rest of the article for the detailed how-to. Note that these steps assume you already have the Developer Tools installed. I have not tested these at all, given that I don't have a StyleWriter!]

Assumptions: Printer serial port = /dev/cu.printer Modem serial port = /dev/cu.modem
  1. Install enscript, gs etc. Get "ESP Ghostscript" (espgs) and install from Gimp-Print

  2. Install lpstyl StyleWriter driver:
    1. Grab the StyleWriter Driver
    2. Type this in the Terminal:
      tar -zxvf stylewriter.tar.gz  
      cd stylewriter
      cc -Dunix -o lpstyl lpstyl.c
      sudo cp lpstyl /usr/local/bin/lpstyl
  3. Add serial support for CUPS (Standard doesn't support it):
    1. Download current (1.1.19) CUPS source from CUPS
    2. Type this in the Terminal (don't type the "##" line):
      tar -zxvf cups-1.1.19.tar.gz 
      cd cups-1.1.19
      ./configure
      make
      ## Next two lines should be one row, shown as two for spacing
      sudo cp /usr/libexec/cups/backend/serial
         /usr/libexec/cups/backend/serial.bak
      sudo cp ./backend/serial /usr/libexec/cups/backend/serial
  4. Test printer. Type the following in the Terminal, and note that it's all one very long line:
    enscript --output=- /etc/hosts | gs -q -dBATCH -dPARANOIDSAFER 
      -dQUIET -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pbmraw -r360x360 -sOutputFile=- - |
      lpstyl -f /dev/cu.printer
  5. Install printer PPD file:
    1. Visit the StyleWriter II page at linuxprinting.
    2. Download the stylewriter.ppd file.
    3. Edit the file with a pure text editor (vi/pico), and add -f /dev/cu.printer to the two *FoomaticRIPOptionSetting lines
    4. I also set full paths to lpstyl and gs but this is most probably unnecessary.
    5. Type sudo cp stylewriter.ppd /private/etc/cups/ppd/stylewriter.ppd.

  6. Install printer script (foomatic-rip)
    1. Go to Cups-Doc
    2. Download and save foomatic-rip
    3. Type sudo cp foomatic-rip /usr/libexec/cups/filter/foomatic-rip
    4. Type sudo chmod 755 /usr/libexec/cups/filter/foomatic-rip

  7. Bounce CUPS by typing:
    sudo /System/Library/StartupItems/PrintingServices/PrintingServices stop
    sudo /System/Library/StartupItems/PrintingServices/PrintingServices start
  8. Add printer by typing (this is all on one line):

    sudo lpadmin -p stylewriter -m /private/etc/cups/ppd/stylewriter.ppd
      -v serial:/dev/cu.printer -E

    Then visit http://localhost:631/ in your browser and do a test print (can be very slow, be patient, check top for gs and 'perl' activity).
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Use a StyleWriter II printer on 10.2.X | 17 comments | Create New Account
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The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Personnal LaserWriter 300 ?
Authored by: Maxwell on Jun 03, '03 02:53:44PM

If anyone knows a way to use a Personnal LaserWriter 300 under OS X, that would be great !! :D



[ Reply to This | # ]
Serial port?
Authored by: jecwobble on Jun 03, '03 03:28:15PM

I have an old StyleWriter (I don't think it's a II). I might like to use it with my iMac FP. Are you running OS X on a computer with a serial port? Using some USB-to-Serial adapter?



[ Reply to This | # ]
Serial port?
Authored by: beeandy on Jul 05, '03 01:12:34PM

Yes, works fine with a serial port!

Andy



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use any StyleWriter printer on 10.2.X
Authored by: Jayce on Jun 03, '03 03:56:43PM
I have done an installer for use any StyleWriter on Mac OS X 10.2, using or not a USB2Serial adapter... The french article talking about the installer is on http://www.mosx.net/dossiers/sw4osx.shtml and the installer is downloadable from http://www.mosx.net/dossiers/images/SW4OSX_1.0.dmg.

---
--
Jayce Piel - MosX.net redactor


[ Reply to This | # ]

Use any StyleWriter printer on 10.2.X
Authored by: chueewowee on Dec 16, '03 08:59:02PM

Jayce, Does this installer work on OS 1.5?


Let me know.

cheers, John Plum



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use any StyleWriter printer on 10.2.X
Authored by: chueewowee on Jan 21, '04 11:08:43AM

Sounds great, but pity, I spent a good deal of time trying. HAs anyone had any success.?I beleive it may work.

I've used this installer on OSX, having installed the gimp print in advance.
I cant' get through the web-browser CUPS configuration though. The required (local?) URL address, and the PAP configuraiton (in modify) badffle me. More help needed.

(Sw4OSX Author's email in readme file, not responded to).

chueewowee



[ Reply to This | # ]
How Can I Set the Printer Serial Port?
Authored by: megumi on Jun 05, '03 04:48:34PM

One of the assumption made in this hint is "Printer serial port = /dev/cu.printer", but the file "cu.printer" does not exist in /dev/ directory on my machine. As a result, printing does not happen. How can I set the printer serial port to /dev/cu.printer?



[ Reply to This | # ]
How Can I Set the Printer Serial Port?
Authored by: asknathan.com on Jun 14, '03 03:08:00PM

Serial ports will only show up if they exist and are recognized. For instance I have a G4 Powerbook where the only serial device is the built in modem so I only have cu.modem but not cu.printer. I assume that with a USB to serial adapter a device would be added when the adapter is connected. I will test this when I am have access to one. I assume the author is using a Beige G3 or other OSX compatible Mac with serial ports.



[ Reply to This | # ]
How Can I Set the Printer Serial Port?
Authored by: beeandy on Jul 05, '03 01:10:24PM

In your terminal go to the /dev/ directory, and look for the correct name of your serial port.

In my case (PB G3 250 MHz), the computer has only one serial port called: "cu.modem-printer"

After setting this name, everything worked fine. I can print with my good old Stylewriter II using the serial port without any adapter. It´s great!

Andy



[ Reply to This | # ]
StyleWriter with EtherTalk adapter on Jagar
Authored by: merkava on Jun 17, '03 09:54:14PM

Hello,
The latest version of lpstyl supports the StyleWriter EtherTalk adapter. I have not been able to compile lpstyl on Jaguar *with* AppleTalk support to enable use of the adapter. Any help would be appreciated.
BTW, I believe the SW4OSX driver does not have AppleTalk support, correct me if I'm wrong.

Kol Hakavod LeZahal !!



[ Reply to This | # ]
Serial Laserwriter with and without Postscript
Authored by: asknathan.com on Jun 26, '03 01:26:46PM

How can this be adapted to another Quickdraw serial printer such as the Personal Laserwriter LS which has a non localtalk serial port? Also what about serial connections for Postscript Laserwriters such as the Personal Laserwriter NT. I would assume that if the serial port problem is overcome the rest would be easy due to Postscript being the most supported print architexture on Mac OS X.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use a StyleWriter II printer on 10.2.X
Authored by: asknathan.com on Jun 26, '03 01:57:53PM

I checked out my theory and sure enough cu.USA28X111P1.1 and cu.USA28X111P2.2 showed up in /dev when I hooked up the keyspan USA28X usb to serial adapter. when I unplugged it they disappeared and were back again when I plugged them back in. Now if I can only figure out how to make it useful information...



[ Reply to This | # ]
StyleWriter on Panther 10.3?
Authored by: idep on Dec 17, '03 10:21:07AM

I successfully used Stylewriter 1200 on a Wallstreet running 10.2.8 following the above instructions. Great with the backwards compatibility! (use cu.modem-printer for the powerbook serial port)

After Upgrade to 10.3 (Wallstreet runs wonderful with Panther, use XPostFacto!) i tried to duplicate the process but ran into problem at step #3; Adding serial support for CUPS.

It appears as if the /usr/libexec/cups/backend/serial file isn´t installed properly, it simply isn´t there. Used cups-1.1.19 that worked under 10.2.8, and also tried with cups-1.1.20. Tried to copy the /backend/serial file directly from the downloaded cups-1.1.20 folder to /usr/libexec/cups/backend. Opening the file from this location indicates that the serial-port is recognized but hey, here I´m out of really knowing what I`m doing.

Step #4 Testing printer gets "command not found" message (but I´m not sure i got this step to work before in 10.2.8 even though everything else worked fine) Trying to add the printer, step #8, results in "server-error-internal-error".

I guess a lot of things have changed in 10.3, anyone knoledgeble in how to adjust this procedure?



[ Reply to This | # ]
StyleWriter on Panther 10.3 - WORKS!
Authored by: idep on Dec 20, '03 12:45:03AM
Short story: Stylewriter DOES work with Panther. Im currently running 10.3.2 on a Wallstreet printing to a Stylewriter 1200. I think the trick is to save the .ppd file in /usr/share/cups/model

So in the above instructions try changing step # 5.5 to:

sudo cp stylewriter.ppd /usr/share/cups/model/stylewriter.ppd
And step # 8 to
sudo lpadmin -p stylewriter -m /usr/share/cups/model/stylewriter.ppd -v serial:/dev/cu.modem-printer -E
(the /dev/cu.xxxx according to your type of built-in serial or serial adapter)

Longer story: I wasn´t very systematic in trying out sollutions. I´m really a OS9-guy, and a unix newbie. Surfing around to read what other have done with their old serial printers I tried some other manipulations and reinstalls before I found this out. So it would be good if someone confirmed that this is the change required for 10.3.

The ESP Ghostscrip is said not to be needed with 10.3, I have it installed. I also installed Gimp-print4.2.5, even though I originally had installed the Gimp-drivers from the 10.3 install disks. Reinstalled CUPS 1.1.20 (believe it´s same version Apple ships with 10.3). Came across and ran SerialPrinterEnabler http://my.vbe.com/~mbrought/serial_printing.html. This might be required to? It seemed to add the /usr/libexec/cups/backend/serial-files I was missing in my first post, but again I can´t tell since I had been trying to extract those directly myself, not really knowing what I was doing. Anyway, I´m happy with my very compatible Wallstreet. With USB- and Firewire-cards its the perfect portable digital hub between OldWorld OS9/SCSI and NewWorld Macs.

[ Reply to This | # ]

StyleWriter on Panther 10.3 - WORKS!
Authored by: chueewowee on Jan 21, '04 11:15:05AM

Great news.

I am a bit like you . OS9 and non-systematic. Did yo get it to work on OSX10.28?

I find the commands don't all work. And I couldn't get the through the web browser CUPs configuration with SW4OSX installer.

I think you could help me easily. Anyway meanwhile I'll ttinker a bit more, looking at what I've got.


chueewowee



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use a StyleWriter II printer on 10.2.X
Authored by: chueewowee on Jan 21, '04 12:55:37PM

In the instructions, 2.b. given here,

cc -Dunix -o lpstyl lpstyl.c

the line is not understood by my terminal in OS10.28

CC is not mentioned in the manuel.at does this line mean, or how can I make it work?



[ Reply to This | # ]
Use a StyleWriter 2500 printer on 10.3
Authored by: ambrozozo on Jan 29, '04 02:11:28PM

I can't make the step 4. Terminal answer:
-bash: gs: command not found
-bash: lpstyl: command not found

And in the step 5.3, I can see a lot of *FoomaticRIPOptionSetting lines in my Apple-Color_StyleWriter_2500-lpstyl.ppd
so I don't knox where to put -f /dev/cu.printer

could somebody help me?



[ Reply to This | # ]