Re: [PARPORT] Syquest and printer [and Zip disk, to]


David Campbell (campbell@gear.torque.net)
Sat, 22 May 1999 09:11:01 +0800


> Not so stupid, really. I've an almost identical problem with the Iomega
> Zip drive (ppa version). The thing with my problem, is that I can boot
> up, have the drivers loaded as modules *or* compiled into the kernel,
> and the printer won't print if it's hooked up to the Zip drive.

Something is obviously broken, the only common elements are parport
and the lp driver.
 
> However, if I then power off the Zip drive and power it on, the printer
> will start printing, until I make another access to the Zip drive.

Hmm... I need to check the driver code but the symptom would match
the ZIP drive grabbing hold of the parallel port and not letting go.
You may want to check the /proc/parport entries and see which device
the parport believes owns the parallel port.

When you say "if I then power off the Zip drive and power it on", is
this while the ZIP disk is mounted (but no access). I am trying to
figure out if this is a hardware or software issue (hardware would
definitely be my responsibility, software would probably be something
has slipped in the parallel port sharing code).

> I've only tried kernels 2.2.6 - 2.2.9. I've also tried Dave Campbell's
> updated ppa.c/ppa.h/imm.*, etc, (which came out, what, yesterday?
> Wednesday?) with exactly the same results.

Friday morning (Australian time), there will some people who think it
is still Friday night...

> The problem is the same in both EPP and EPP+ECP mode.

The problem will be mode independent, it is more a problem of either:
    a) ZIP drive has not gone back into pass through mode
    b) parport and dependent drivers has slipped a cog in the
       sharing code

> I'm quite mystified by this, as the parport code worked well in the
> 2.1.x kernels. That was on a 486/133, however, and this is a K6-2/350
> on an ASUS P5A mobo. I don't see where that should make a difference,
> though.
>
> Tim Waugh advised me to try the above steps, over in linux-kernel list.
> I sent him a copy of dmesg and module loading results, per his request,
> also. Hopefully we can find some sort of solution soon. I *really*
> don't want to put my printer back on the NT box, because I rarely leave
> my NT box on for the length of time my Linux boxes are on.
>
> --
> Matthew Vanecek
> Course of Study: http://www.unt.edu/bcis
> Visit my Website at http://people.unt.edu/~mev0003
> For answers type: perl -e 'print
> $i=pack(c5,(41*2),sqrt(7056),(unpack(c,H)-2),oct(115),10);'
> *****************************************************************
> For 93 million miles, there is nothing between the sun and my shadow
> except me. I'm always getting in the way of something...
>
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=======================================================
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