Parallel Port printer with unRAID

[prostuff1]

I have been messing with this for a while and can not seem to get it up and running.  Any guidance from the master linux people here would be much appreciated!!

 

Now a little info:

I am running under BubbaRAID (built on 4.4.2)

The board is a Gigabyte GA-EP43-UD3L and has a header for a parallel port on it

I am not using that port as I had a spare PCI card laying around that has a parallel port on it (it is a syba card this one)

If I get a list of the devices (via unmenu)  I can see that parport0 is recognized but I am pretty sure that one is the onboard port

I have looked through and even tried some of the stuff in this thread

If I do an ls /dev/ I can see lp0 which I believe relates to the parallel port being recognized (but again I think that is the onboard on)

And last but not least the printer is an HP LaserJet 5p which I got for free with one full toner cartridge and one spare.  I am trying to get this working so that only use my other printer for color printing and scanning.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!! When/if I get it working I will write up some direction for everyone else's benefit.

 

If I need to move to 4.5.4 then that can probably be done (though it will take a little work to do) and If I need to use the onboard parallel port that can be done also.

[prostuff1]

So, a little more searching seems to indicate that the chipset built into the syba card is not a straight parallel port, it is a parallel to USB chipset.  The PL2305 if I remember correctly.  With that said I am not sure if it really gets me any closer to getting this worked out but at least it does give me some place else to start looking.  There is a driver pl2305 that can be modprobe'd in but I can't find it...

[prostuff1]

OK, so another update for anyone listening/reading

 

I ended up buying a cheap adapter to go from the pinout on my motherboard to a bracket.  Once I had this hooked up and checked to make sure parport0 and lp0 were showing up I was able to use the instruction from the link in my first post to get printing to work.  The only thing I changed was I was connecting to lp0 and not usblp0 for the binding.

 

I have the old HP LaserJet 5p printing and working a treat.  Seeing as it was free and I got a free unused toner cartridge I will call this one a win.

 

 

When I get a chance I will post some detailed instructions for everyone and will probably create an unmenu package to share with everyone.

[Joe L.]

So, a little more searching seems to indicate that the chipset built into the syba card is not a straight parallel port, it is a parallel to USB chipset.  The PL2305 if I remember correctly.  With that said I am not sure if it really gets me any closer to getting this worked out but at least it does give me some place else to start looking.  There is a driver pl2305 that can be modprobe'd in but I can't find it...

I seem to remember in one of the recent releases (4.5.1)

         o Added USB printer support per user request.

that USB printing was enabled in the kernel.  That might enable the chipset in the syba card.

 

Please do post what additional packages you needed to add, I'd love to move my printer to the unRAID server.

 

Joe L.

[prostuff1]

I am not running 4.5 series on my main server.  I am still holding onto 4.4.2 for now, though I have thought about upgrading to the 4.5 series.  I am running BubbaRAID on 4.4.2 right now and don't have the time right now to recreate that setup through packages and addon's.  I don't think it would be hard but I would probably spend a day on it to get it were I want it.

 

The usb printer support may just have helped with that syba card and I was going to upgrade but decided not to.  Then I start looking for an adapter to plug directly into my motherboard parallel port.