Submission for comp-unix-microport

[UNIX-UNIX Cp]

Path: tolerant!voder!apple!rutgers!mailrus!ames!killer!texbell!ssbn!bill
From: bill at ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,comp.unix.microport
Subject: DWB to HP Laser Jet V/386
Keywords: troff Laser printer JetRoff
Message-ID: <366 at ssbn.WLK.COM>
Date: 2 Jan 89 19:43:49 GMT
Organization: W.L. Kennedy Jr. & Associates, Pipe Creek, TX
Lines: 53

I've seen several inquiries about the AT&T Documentor's Workbench with
HP Laser Jet support under AT&T/Microport/ISC 386 SysVr3.x.  There are
several alternatives.  Personally I use Elan's eroff package and I am
satisfied with it.  If you don't have an application that can justify
the expense it might be out of reach.

ISC sells DWB 2.0 separately, I don't know what they charge for it, I
bought it in a chunk of other stuff.  Microport also sells it.  Do not
make the mistake of getting their '286 version.  The troff is brain dead
and the STL object format will not run on a '386.  I've not tried the
'386 version but I'll ASSume it works (not always a safe assumption with
Microport).  The latest Programmer Shop catalog shows Microport DWB 2.0
for $185.  Team that up with the shareware JetRoff and you have a complete
typesetting system with as much capability as you can expect from a 300dpi
laser printer.  The total cost clocks out at $235 + S&H.  You can reach
The Programmer's Shop at 800-421-8006 or 800-442-8070 in Massachusetts.
I have dealt with them several times over five years and have never had a
problem that they didn't solve promptly and courteously.  I'm not sure
how to get JetRoff but it was posted to comp.sources.misc or you could ask
Rick Richardson (jetroff at pcrat.UUCP, uunet!pcrat!jetroff).

Unless you have Microport V/386 you might not have their package installer
that groks the diskette format they use.  They have a control file that gets
read in from /dev/rdsk/f0q15dt.  The rest of the diskette is in standard
cpio format but you read it in from /dev/rdsk/f0q15d.

You will probably want to ditch all of the AT&T typesetter postprocessors
and fonts and stick with what comes with JetRoff.  After you register with
PC Research you can get diskettes with the other fonts and sizes that weren't
posted to the net.  You also get a special uucp login so that you can collect
the latest goodies and fixes that weren't in the original distribution
(like making a Series-I Laser Jet work correctly).  There are some real live
advantages to JetRoff, not the least of which is full source code.  Elan does
support soft fonts but unless the font has a landscape orientation you can
only use portrait.  If you specify landscape orientation to JetRoff and feed
it a portrait soft font, he will torque it around 90 degrees for you and you
have it landscape.  JetRoff has a much richer collection of bit mapped
graphics formats supported and with the source you can fairly easily implement
one that it doesn't support (MacPaint comes to mind, Elan supports that).
There's an invaluable tool included with JetRoff, Elan says that they have it
now.  When you run the jetroff script it will check your document to see what
preprocessors you have invoked and run them for you in the correct sequence.

As I said, I'm happy with the Elan product.  It's robust and predictable.  The
'386 version lists for $895 and I have not seen it discounted anywhere.  The
JetRoff shareware requests a $50 registration fee for individuals and $100 for
companies.  I use both, they are worthwhile companions, but if you don't have
$900 to blow on your Laser Jet you will get by just fine with JetRoff.  I have
no affiliation with PC Research or Elan other than having sent them some money
for their product.
-- 
Bill Kennedy  usenet      {killer,att,cs.utexas.edu,sun!daver}!ssbn!bill
              internet    bill at ssbn.WLK.COM