Re: [seul-edu] Sleeping Printer

[Jan Hlavacek <jhlavacek@sf.edu>]

On Tue, Oct 10, 2000 at 09:34:33PM -0500, Dave Prentice wrote:
> 
>    Robert,
>    
>        Are you using a SCSI drive by any chance? I had one with an
>    undocumented jumper that, if memory serves, made the drive sleep if it
>    was missing. (Or maybe present.) . You might want to do a web search
>    for your drive model to see about those extra jumpers and switches
>    mysteriously scattered on the controller.

Hmm, I have never experienced anything like this before, but if it is a
sleeping harddrive, maybe you can try hdparm(8).  But it shouldn't be
necessary, the kernel driver should wake the drive up when it is needed.

Also, could it be that you are using xscreensaver with some OpenGL saver
hack? Some of these tend to consume quite a bit of resources, and if
your printing process is nicer than the screensaver, it may not get
enought CPU time. Clicking on mouse or pressing a key would stop the
screensaver, and free the resources for the printer daemon.  Just a
speculation, not very likely, I guess.

>    -----Original Message-----
>    From: maynord <[4]maynord@terracom.net>

>      Hi SEUL FOLKS:
>      I continue to work on our school Linux system -- big job, but
>      much fun!  I have a troubleshooting question:  All our machines
>      connect to a networked computer-printer (just one at this point).
>      Printing works fine throughout the day.  However, if no one
>      prints for a couple of hours, the hard drive goes to sleep.
>      Thereafter, no luck with printing until you wake the machine up
>      with the space bar or mouse.  I have checked the BIOS and
>      disabled all power saving -- the operating system as well.  But
>      still it goes to sleep.  The print machine is an old P90.

-- 
Jan Hlavacek                                            (219) 434-7566
Department of Mathematics                             Jhlavacek@sf.edu
University of Saint Francis               http://www.sf.edu/jhlavacek/