[PARPORT] Printer doesn't work with Parallel port Zip drive, still


Matthew Vanecek (mev0003@unt.edu)
Sat, 04 Sep 1999 15:52:30 -0500


I've written about this before, but no resolution was ever reached.
It's a continuing problem.

Using the ppa driver and (of course) lp. Compiling them as modules or
in the kernel makes not a whit of difference, nor does the order in
which they load, if as modules.

When I access my Zip drive, all works normally: read the Zip disk, eject
works on it fine, etc. However, once I access the Zip drive, printing
stops--even if it's in the middle of a print job. The only way to get
it printing again is to physically unplug the Zip drive's power cable
and plug it back in. As long as I don't access the Zip again, printing
works fine.

Note that even loading the ppa module counts as accessing the Zip
drive; I have to load it, then unplug/replug the Zip. It's far easier
to just compile it into the kernel; then all I have is the
plugging/unplugging. Well, ok, only marginally easier...

Also, my mobo only has EPP or EPP/ECP modes available. I've tried the
"echo mode=1 > /proc/whatever" to no avail. I've tried changing the
mode in the BIOS, as well, with no perceivable difference. Whenever I
*do* load ppa, if it's a module, it detects the Zip with EPP at 32bits.
The following is from dmesg:
#######################################################################
ppa: Version 2.03 (for Linux 2.2.x)
ppa: Found device at ID 6, Attempting to use EPP 32 bit
ppa: Communication established with ID 6 using EPP 32 bit
scsi2 : Iomega VPI0 (ppa) interface
scsi : 3 hosts.
  Vendor: IOMEGA Model: ZIP 100 Rev: D.08
  Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Detected scsi removable disk sdb at scsi2, channel 0, id 6, lun 0
SCSI device sdb: hdwr sector= 512 bytes. Sectors= 196608 [96 MB] [0.1
GB]
sdb: Write Protect is off
 sdb: sdb4
lp0 off-line
Releasing ppa0
#######################################################################
The above is with lp compiled in, but I've tried every conceievable
combination of parport, parport_pc, lp, and ppa that works, and nothing
changes.

This has been an irritating and ongoing problem that I've experienced
with all of the 2.2.x series, as well as with a couple of different zip
drives.

My configuration is as follows:
Kernel: 2.2.12
Iomega Parallel Port Zip: old ppa version
Asus P5A Motherboard
K6-2/350
64M RAM
BT-932 Buslogic SCSI card
Not an IDE device in sight...

It seems like the Zip gets a hold on the parallel port and either
doesn't receive a "let go" signal, or whatever. I don't know how all
that works. It seems however, that regardless of whether or not I'm
printing, I should be able to access the Zip disk, and vice versa.
That's the way it works in Windows <me ducking to avoid flaming
arrows>. And on my old 486, with the upper 2.1.x kernels, it worked, as
well.

Any ideas?

-- 
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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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Sat 04 Sep 1999 - 16:57:54 EDT