I've come across an issue that I'd like to solve, but I need a little advice
before I start to go nuts with it. I've got an Oki OL600e LED page printer,
which as far as I can tell, is not supported in Linux.

The 600e is supposed to have an HPIIp emulation mode, but whenever I try to
print a document, the text is spread out over multiple pages. Searching the
net, I have found several other users with the same issue, none of whom have
solved it yet.

Here is what I believe to be the problem: The Ol600e does not have a physical
control panel, but instead uses an (annoying) desktop control panel that runs
under Windows. If you try to close the 600e control panel, the software
complains and warns that "printing might not work correctly" with the panel
closed. My guess is that on power-up, the 600e is not using the HPII emulation
mode, but rather the proprietary Okidata 600e mode. or, there is some other
magic that the panel performs to initialize the printer. Note that the OL400e
(and others perhaps) use this same control scheme. I guess it was to save the
cost of real control hardware.

Does anyone know A) What sort of data is being sent by the panel to configure
the printer, or how I might discover this myself? and B) what would it take to
create a Linux (X or console) version of the Control Panel applet. It would
seem that once the protocol was learned, that the actual control applet would
be a piece of cake; all it does is allow you to change parameters, and then it
forwards them to the printer when you hit OK.

Anyone feel like getting involved?


-- 
Bill Layer
Sales Technician
<b.layer at vikingelectronics.com>

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