LPT1 | Parallel port verification

[cghera]

Printing from the command line is a working condition for me (that is there is no defect on the device and/or the connection). Sharing the printer was suggested so that's why I referred to the driver issue. No mean to offend or anything else. Thank you for the reply.

[mpack]

Well what exactly works from the command line? Do you simply mean that if you redirect text to LPT, something appears on the printer?

[cghera]

Yes. For example dir > lpt1 will print the directory listing on the host. This is a proof for me that there are no connectivity issues , the printer is working normally. In order to share the printer on the other side I need to install it with a driver (which is not available for the specific printer on Windows 7 nor from the manufacturer). I actually tried installing a generic printer driver and then tried to share it but I failed to see it on the VM. If I could see it then I would use the net use command to redirect the vm LPT1 to the network printer of the host and get rid of any need for a virtual LPT1 device that would send data to the physical one (which was the reason I looked on this forum)
However I will give it again a try maybe something was not set up correct on the network between the VM and the host, strangely I could see shared folders. Unfortunately it is difficult for me to be present in front of the host also meaning I need to do all this stuff using remote session.
Thanx again.

[Huck]

Hi Folks,

My first post... for The Mad Prof and anyone else out there with this LPT problem. Something in these posts reminded me that the LPT1 port in my Win7 host did not have an IRQ by default. Yesterday I noticed this in the properties of the port and changed it to have an IRQ 7 (Win7 automatically gave it this IRQ when I selected the option.)

I also noted these commands that The Mad Prof used to set up the VB:

VBoxManage modifyvm WinXP --lpt1 0x378 3
VBoxManage modifyvm WinXP --lptmode1 "LPT1:"

My question is where the heck did he enter these commands in the VB client? (I am running WinXP with an old printer/plotter/cutter from Roland to make vinyl signs/clothing patterns/arch drawings etc.)

Cheers.

[scottgus1]

Vboxmanage commands get entered on the host OS's command window, not the guest.

[mpack]

The FAQ tells you how to enter the commands (first paragraph of step 2).