Conference vaxaxp::vmsnotes

157.0. "Problems with SYS$LRDRIVER, VMS 6.2-1H3" by MLNCSC::BORGINI () Fri Feb 07 1997 05:04

Hi folks,
        I need help about problems on the parallel device of an Alpha.

A customer of mine works on an Alpha 1000A 5/300 with OpenVMS 6.2-1H3; 
he uses a parallel printer Centronix LW855 connected to a parallel port.

He claims many random errors in his printouts, like undesired characters
between printed rows (@CD\?\?UrUrUgD}X...), or incomplete printed rows,
or characters/numbers mixed not correctly.
He has the same problem on another Alpha 1000A 5/300, and also with a
parallel printer Honeywell LQ34 connected instead of the Centronix
printer.
I've suggested to use, like a test, our printers LA424/LA324; he will do
it the next week.
A few days ago (trying to solve this problem) I've supplied to my customer
the new image SYS$LRDRIVER (27-OCT-95) obtained from the patch
ALPDRIV03_062, but after installing it the problem is the same.
Are there news about a new image SYS$LRDRIVER, after reading the patch
comment:
         "A new kit to supersede ALPDRIV03_062 and install on
          OpenVMS Alpha V6.2 - V6.2-1H3 is planned to be
          released in the near future."?

Below the settings:
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printer queue STAMPE, idle, on GEAXD1::LRA0, mounted form TESTO
  /BASE_PRIORITY=4 /DEFAULT=(FEED,FLAG,FORM=TESTO) Lowercase 
  /OWNER=[SYSTEM] /NORECORD_BLOCKING /PROTECTION=(S:M,O:D,G:R,W:S)

Printer LRA0:, device type LP11, is online, record-oriented device,
  carriage control, device is spooled through an intermediate device.


  Error count              0    Operation completed             2

  Owner process           ""    Owner UIC                [SYSTEM]

  Owner process ID  00000000    Dev Prot       S:RWPL, O:RWPL,G,W

  Reference count          0    Default buffer size           132

  Page width             132    Page Length                    66

  Carriage_return   Formfeed    Lowercase

  Passall           No Wrap     No Printall

  No Fallback       Tab         No Truncate

  Intermediate device: DSA0:

  Associated queue:    SYS$PRINT

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next three days I'll be in holidays, I'll return Thursday 13/2.
Thanks in advance for any possible hints.
Regards,
       Roberto. 
  
 

    
    	The sympton you describe are consistant with a bug in the original
    MACRO version of driver relating to tab expansion.  The rewritten
    driver which is in C should fix this problem.  That image should be
    available in a patch kit.  The last time I check this kit would not
    install on 1H3 due to a version check in the kit.  
    
    	Extract the image from the kit and copy it to
    sys$common:[sys$ldr]sys$lrdriver.exe  and rebooting should fix the
    problem.  If not I would like a copy of the file that is causing the
    problem.  I need the file attributes and the data.  Along with a show
    printer while it is priting the file.
    
    
    
    Forrest

Hi Forrest,
          I've just contacted you by mail a few days ago for this problem.

I've followed your instructions, extracting the image from the kit and then
copied it in [SYS$LDR] and rebooted, now the image is that of the patch
(SYS$LRDRIVER, image file id = "X-2", link date =27-OCT-95, link id ="A11-12"),
but there is again the same problem.
This problem is random and always on different files.
At this point, I would wait the test with our printers connected to these
parallel ports, then I'll update this note. 
Thanks for your quick reply.
Best regards,
            Roberto.

Hi Forrest,
          finally my customer has tested his parallel ports with our LA324's,
          and they function correctly.

So the customer will call the technicians from CENTRONIX to check his
printers.
Thanks and regards,
                  Roberto.