Finally I have managed to print a text file to the printer next door. Now I want to access it from Open Office, how do I do that from Mandrake Control Center?

In the Control Center I can enter the Printer Connection Type as URI using:
file:/
http://
ipp://
lpd://
smb://
ncp://
socket://
or
postpipe:""

My first successful printout from the Konsole was by using:
nprint -S LLT_LULE -q TRAFIK-PQ -U lennart -n Testutskrift.txt

My question is how do I add this very printer to be able to print from Open Office?

You don't :}

You run OpenOffice' print admin and add the machine
manually, using the print command line that you were using
from the shell... you might have to play around with the
-n parameter and the temporary filename that OO chooses.

But how about trying to bypass the Novell server? I would
assume that the printer is network attached anyway, and
most admins won't turn off TCP/IP on them... (ours didn't ;})

Cheers,
Tink

So how do I run OpenOffice's print admin?

Well ....

Either from KDE's KMenu (assuming you use KDE since
you're on Mandrake) ... it's "installed" into the menu along
with the other Office Components ...

Or from a command-line... in your OpenOffice directory
tree find and execute spadmin ... if the path is being set
on Mandrake you could just issue spadmin ... alternatively,
`locate spadmin | grep /bin`

Cheers,
Tink

Tink...

... I couldn't find spadmin in the K-menu. I looked under Office, Program and Configuration so I tried the other way but that didn't help me either, not even after updating the database with updatedb as root. So I searched for spadmin in /usr and found it under /usr/lib/openoffice.

Anyway I tried to install it by adding new printer and give all the details of the thing, but I never succeed in printing a testpage. So I tried to print the document dircetly from OpenOffice Word Processor but nothing.

I tried to print the document into a PostScript file "test.ps" and then use the command "nprint...-n test.ps" (I worked out that -n means "no pwd") from the shell and now the printer reacted HOORAAYY... But hang on... there is something fishy going on here... This document is not 20 pages long... Aha, the first page contains the first text lines from the test.ps file, but after the fourth line the indentation is too big so it doesn't fit on the paper so the rest of the papers can be recycled.

Does this mean that nprint only can handle textfiles or does it mean that I am using the wrong driver (I couldn't find HP LaserJet 2100 so I am using HP LaserJet 2100M instead).

Waddaya reck'n?

BTW I asked the administator about the bypass thing. He didn't know but was going to check with another newly installed machine (Windows, but hey you can't win them all) which also had some problems using this particular printer.

Ah, I forgot to tell you that I had a look in Tools-Options-OpenOffice.org-Paths for the Temporary files folder but when I peek into that one it is emtpy there are only some empty folders there.

Hmmm ... I'm not familiar enough with HP Hardware to be able
to tell you whether the 2100 would understand PostScript, and if
so, which version ...

as for the Admin ... just walk up to the printer, find test and/or
configuration in it's menu and print the setup information :)

That's going to tell you whether it has a TCP/IP port for you ;)

Also, what printing system have you got installed?
Are you using Cups?

Good luck :}

Cheers,
Tink

Yes I am using CUPS. The network manager was here briefly today and put an IP number for this printer.

I tried to install the printer the same way I installed the other one with an IP address but unfortunately Mandrake Control Center's-Hardware-Printer-Add new printer-Network printer(TCP/Socket) function does not detect this new IP-address.

So I tried to enter it manually but the installation program asks me for a Port number which I haven't got.

HP 2100 supports PostScript Level 2. The printout does not tell me anything about actual settings, just what the printer can do.

Any ideas?

IT WORKS!!!

I set the printer up using http://localhost:645, entered the IP-address like lpd://THE.IPA.DDR.ESS/ using driver HP LaserJet Series CUPS v1.1, all others similar to PostScript 2, raw... gave me the textsyndrome output (first four lines visibly indented and the rest blanks).

Now the printer is visible from OpenOffice and I can print directly from there.

Thanks for the solution tip with the IP-thing, that did the trick.

It looks like I do not even have to be logged in via the Novell Client.

Thanks Tink, be good out there!!!

Glad I could help mate, take care :}

Cheers, best regards from windy Wellington
Tink