Hello! I AM NOT a programmer but have tried to get this to work with no luck so far. I want to avoid doing this within Parallels/Vista although I've gotten that to work. Situation is that I have an old DOS estimating program still used here and someone wants to use it on a new 13-inch MacBookPro. This person is very technically challenged so jumping between Parallels and OS X would be an invitation to lots and lots of frustration. The program works except printing. I've tried editing the config file changing the "serial1=" (many variations), putting a redirect line in the config file, all to no avail. I'm thinking that "serialx" is "COMx" in the DOS program and that perhaps an Applescript that would change "cu.modem" or "Internal Modem" to a USB printer would work. As you can see, one of the problems I've had is that I really don't know the verbage that either the DOS program uses or the Mac uses to specify a device. Any takers?
More detail
Following is a snippet of the config file for Boxer (DOSBOX) where the serial port is used. From my understanding so far, DOS doesn't use Parallel (LPT) but rather Serial (COM) for printing.
________
FROM CONFIG FILE:
[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled
# Set the type of device connected to serial port:
# disabled, dummy, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
# Additional parameters are supplied on the same line as
# parameter:value pairs. All types use the irq parameter.
# For directserial: realport (required), rxdelay (optional)
# For modem: listenport (optional)
# For nullmodem: server, rxdelay, txdelay, telnet, usedtr,
# transparent, port, inhsocket (all optional)
# Example: serial1=modem listenport:5000
_______
ALSO FROM CONFIG FILE, AREA FOR SETTING UP AN AUTOEXEC.BAT PORTION TO LOAD:
[autoexec]
# Any DOS commands you put under this heading will be executed
# when DOSBox emulation starts.
________
I've tried substituting the serial entries like this:
serial1=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial2=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial3=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial4=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
... where the "pap://..." is taken from the name of a printer as it is listed on the Mac in System Preferences, Print & Fax, Options & Supplies..., General tab, URL: (this printer is a networked printer, but I've tried the same method with a USB printer without success)
I've tried substuting the serial entries like this:
serial1=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial2=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial3=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial4=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
where the USB printer was showing up as tty.Patti-1 through a terminal device search (/dev/tty) - I read that "cu." is incoming and "tty" is the corresponding outgoing - when I typed a unique and simple name for the printer and the location in the Print & Fax menu, the default tty of "tty.modem" was replaced by "tty.Patti-1". I had already tried the default "tty.modem" and also cu.modem.
I realize all of this is not Mac programming and I think if I could use LPT1 or even COM1 in this config file anywhere and if I knew the device name the Mac had for LPT1's destination out of this, then an Applescript could redirect it to any printer. Problem is, this config file lists only "serial..." not "COM..." and no LPT whatsoever. Thanks for any input.
More detail
Following is a snippet of the config file for Boxer (DOSBOX) where the serial port is used. From my understanding so far, DOS doesn't use Parallel (LPT) but rather Serial (COM) for printing.
________
FROM CONFIG FILE:
[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled
# Set the type of device connected to serial port:
# disabled, dummy, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
# Additional parameters are supplied on the same line as
# parameter:value pairs. All types use the irq parameter.
# For directserial: realport (required), rxdelay (optional)
# For modem: listenport (optional)
# For nullmodem: server, rxdelay, txdelay, telnet, usedtr,
# transparent, port, inhsocket (all optional)
# Example: serial1=modem listenport:5000
_______
ALSO FROM CONFIG FILE, AREA FOR SETTING UP AN AUTOEXEC.BAT PORTION TO LOAD:
[autoexec]
# Any DOS commands you put under this heading will be executed
# when DOSBox emulation starts.
________
I've tried substituting the serial entries like this:
serial1=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial2=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial3=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
serial4=directserial realportap://*/Accel-a-Writer%204N/LaserWriter
... where the "pap://..." is taken from the name of a printer as it is listed on the Mac in System Preferences, Print & Fax, Options & Supplies..., General tab, URL: (this printer is a networked printer, but I've tried the same method with a USB printer without success)
I've tried substuting the serial entries like this:
serial1=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial2=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial3=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
serial4=directserial realport:tty.Patti-1
where the USB printer was showing up as tty.Patti-1 through a terminal device search (/dev/tty) - I read that "cu." is incoming and "tty" is the corresponding outgoing - when I typed a unique and simple name for the printer and the location in the Print & Fax menu, the default tty of "tty.modem" was replaced by "tty.Patti-1". I had already tried the default "tty.modem" and also cu.modem.
I realize all of this is not Mac programming and I think if I could use LPT1 or even COM1 in this config file anywhere and if I knew the device name the Mac had for LPT1's destination out of this, then an Applescript could redirect it to any printer. Problem is, this config file lists only "serial..." not "COM..." and no LPT whatsoever. Thanks for any input.