print text file with font size 8

[TingChong]

What is the best way to print a text file to a particular printer
a.
with font size 8.

b.
with font size 8 and
add line numbers, file name and date to the output.

c.
with font size 8 and
a diff of its previous version side by side.

Thanks.

[Richard L. Hamilton]

In article <451a2a55.0307281154.134fd42f@posting.google.com >,
[email]ma7777772@hotmail.com[/email] (TingChong) writes:

> What is the best way to print a text file to a particular printer
> a.
> with font size 8.

If it's a PostScript printer, and the text is just ASCII (no UTF-8),
then

/usr/lib/lp/postscript/postprint -l 0 -s 8 <file | lp -d printer

would do it (assuming by font size 8 you mean 8 point; if you mean
8 pitch, then you need to look up the conversion, perform the
calculation, and use the resulting number with the -s option)

> b.
> with font size 8 and
> add line numbers, file name and date to the output.

Now it gets difficult. The "nl" command will add line numbers, but
not simply to every line (unless the -ba and -p options are used, and even
then there might be some surprises).
Worse, the "pr" command will add page headers (that will contain
what you want, although in a pipeline you'd need to add the -h option).
However, "pr" has an idea of how many lines will fit on a page (default
66); for anything else, you need the -l num option, which has to match
what postprint will actually use (-l 0 in postprint tells it to guess what
should fit, but there's no way to get whatever number it picks and also
have "pr" use it; thus, you'll probably end up redirecting postprint
output to a file and viewing it with pageview or sdtimage, varying the
-l number until you get something reasonable, and then using that same
number with "pr"'s -l option).

Using mp -o -s filename
instead of "pr" and postprint might solve that problem, and will open
up to the possibility of using more than just ASCII.

> c.
> with font size 8 and
> a diff of its previous version side by side.

Use "diff" to compare the two versions, and then pipe it into postprint
or "mp" (as above).

In other words, there's no "print text with all sorts of tricky options"
GUI (although with less and simpler options (no diffs, no line numbers),
you could print through the file manager). You have to know about a number
of different commands and how to use them together (which leaves me
wondering if this isn't some sort of homework exercise, where the long
term value is _not_ the grade you get, but learning to RTFM).

--
mailto:rlhamil@mindwarp.smart.net [url]http://www.smart.net/~rlhamil[/url]

[TingChong]

The printer is HP LaserJet 8000DN.

[Greg Andrews]

[email]ma7777772@hotmail.com[/email] (TingChong) writes:

>
>The printer is HP LaserJet 8000DN.
>

If the printer is connected to the network rather than connected
to your Solaris machine's parallel port, then using HP's Jetdirect
software will help you set the character size of the printout.

As I look through the man page for the Jetdirect software's interface
for that printer, I find options for telling the printer to print
in "2up" mode with a header and line numbers. (the "2+" option)
That looks like it can handle your first two requirements.

A previous post to the Solaris newsgroups gave the details on
getting the Jetdirect software:

[url]http://groups.google.com/groups?as_umsgid=b5t61l%2490q%241%40reader2.panix. com[/url]


-Greg
--
Do NOT reply via e-mail.
Reply in the newsgroup.

[scriptOmatic]

Greg Andrews wrote:

>
> [email]ma7777772@hotmail.com[/email] (TingChong) writes:

> >
> >The printer is HP LaserJet 8000DN.
> >

>
> If the printer is connected to the network rather than connected
> to your Solaris machine's parallel port, then using HP's Jetdirect
> software will help you set the character size of the printout.
>
> As I look through the man page for the Jetdirect software's interface
> for that printer, I find options for telling the printer to print
> in "2up" mode with a header and line numbers. (the "2+" option)
> That looks like it can handle your first two requirements.
>
> A previous post to the Solaris newsgroups gave the details on
> getting the Jetdirect software:
>
> [url]http://groups.google.com/groups?as_umsgid=b5t61l%2490q%241%40reader2.panix. com[/url]
>
> -Greg
> --
> Do NOT reply via e-mail.
> Reply in the newsgroup.

Greg, I tried the link you provided, I got there.
Then the link that the article points to, that got me to HP.
But the page does not have an obvious download button.
When I clicked on the drivers link it to me to a "page not found" page.

Any direct links to the software would be appreciated! I use freebee
jet direct but my version is very old so i'd like to upgrade.

TIA

--
[url]http://ftp.opensysmon.com[/url] is a shell script archive site with an
open source system monitoring and network monitoring software package.
Many platforms are supplied already compiled.

[TingChong]

I am only a user, not an solaris administrator.
I don't have the root permission to install software.
Is there some unix commands that fit the printing purpose?
Thanks.