sQLux v1.0 (The Xmas Turkey)

[tofro]

When I try to print to PRT from sQLux, a window briefly pops up and quickly vanishes before I can read what's in it. Nothing shown as "waiting" in the Windows printer queues.

I haven't set anything to the "ini" for printing. DLIST gives par as the default device but when I make "OPEN#3,par" I get ERR.NF. When I DLIST to prt I get ERR.BP.

Must look more deeply in the manual .

I'm not on Windows 11 anywhere, so might only be of limited help, but:

sqlux is using the Unix line printer daemon on Linux. There is an equivalent on Windows, called the "LPD Service", which is an optional component to install. Go to the system settings/optional features/, search for "Print and Document Services" and install that component (all 3 parts). You might need to go to the "Services" (start "services.msc" from a CMD window), find the service "LPD Service" and verify its start behaviour is set to "automatic".

Once that is done, you should be able to print a file using the command (from a cmd window) "lpr <file>" - check this with a short file, it must work for sqlux printing to work. (That's more or less exactly what sqlux does when printing, the window that pops up and immediately vanishes is probably doing exactly that and closes again because it can't find the lpr service) - This will print to the default printer, if that is not what you like, add an " -P<myprinter>" with the proper printer name.

Your sqlux.ini file should contain the line

PRINT = lpr

(with the optional " -P<printer>") for printing to work. Not sure if you need to add the ".exe" or not. This is how printing on uqlx used to work. If that has not changed, I guess it still does. uqlx opened a pipe to lpr and sent the characters along.

[XorA]

When I try to print to PRT from sQLux, a window briefly pops up and quickly vanishes before I can read what's in it. Nothing shown as "waiting" in the Windows printer queues.

I haven't set anything to the "ini" for printing. DLIST gives par as the default device but when I make "OPEN#3,par" I get ERR.NF. When I DLIST to prt I get ERR.BP.

Must look more deeply in the manual .

I'm not on Windows 11 anywhere, so might only be of limited help, but:

sqlux is using the Unix line printer daemon on Linux. There is an equivalent on Windows, called the "LPD Service", which is an optional component to install. Go to the system settings/optional features/, search for "Print and Document Services" and install that component (all 3 parts). You might need to go to the "Services" (start "services.msc" from a CMD window), find the service "LPD Service" and verify its start behaviour is set to "automatic".

Once that is done, you should be able to print a file using the command (from a cmd window) "lpr <file>" - check this with a short file, it must work for sqlux printing to work. (That's more or less exactly what sqlux does when printing, the window that pops up and immediately vanishes is probably doing exactly that and closes again because it can't find the lpr service) - This will print to the default printer, if that is not what you like, add an " -P<myprinter>" with the proper printer name.

Your sqlux.ini file should contain the line

PRINT = lpr

(with the optional " -P<printer>") for printing to work. Not sure if you need to add the ".exe" or not. This is how printing on uqlx used to work. If that has not changed, I guess it still does. uqlx opened a pipe to lpr and sent the characters along.

tofro beat me to it, but yes the above may work. Printing support has not changed!

[tofro]

tofro beat me to it, but yes the above may work. Printing support has not changed!

As an added note: I'm not at all sure if the "Home Edition" of Windows 11 contains the LPD service. It might very well be that's on "Professional" (which we all of course are) only, I asked the Internet for it and got inconsistent answers, so your mileage may vary.

[RalfR]

Thanks, the service isn't there.

[dilwyn]

Still can't get it to work. I've tried both:

PRINT = lpr
and
PRINT = lpr -PEpson Stylus COLOR 880 (M)

The LPD Service says it's set up and active in Windows 11 Home after following instructions. services.msc now says it's running.

Trying to list a BASIC program:

Save prt
briefly opens a console window outside the emulator but it vanishes before I can read it, and I get a "bad parameter" error in sQLux.

Or, trying:
OPEN #3,prt:LIST #3:CLOSE #3
opens the window briefly, and no error messages from the emulator. But no printing appears.

If I try:
OPEN #3,part:PRINT #3,"Testing..."
I get a 'bad parameter' error message.

LPD

[tofro]

Still can't get it to work. I've tried both:

PRINT = lpr
and
PRINT = lpr -PEpson Stylus COLOR 880 (M)

The LPD Service says it's set up and active in Windows 11 Home after following instructions. services.msc now says it's running.

Trying to list a BASIC program:

Save prt
briefly opens a console window outside the emulator but it vanishes before I can read it, and I get a "bad parameter" error in sQLux.

Or, trying:
OPEN #3,prt:LIST #3:CLOSE #3
opens the window briefly, and no error messages from the emulator. But no printing appears.

If I try:
OPEN #3,part:PRINT #3,"Testing..."
I get a 'bad parameter' error message.

did you try "lpr.exe" instead of "lpr" only in sqlux.ini?

[dilwyn]

Still can't get it to work. I've tried both:

PRINT = lpr
and
PRINT = lpr -PEpson Stylus COLOR 880 (M)

The LPD Service says it's set up and active in Windows 11 Home after following instructions. services.msc now says it's running.

Trying to list a BASIC program:

Save prt
briefly opens a console window outside the emulator but it vanishes before I can read it, and I get a "bad parameter" error in sQLux.

Or, trying:
OPEN #3,prt:LIST #3:CLOSE #3
opens the window briefly, and no error messages from the emulator. But no printing appears.

If I try:
OPEN #3,part:PRINT #3,"Testing..."
I get a 'bad parameter' error message.

did you try "lpr.exe" instead of "lpr" only in sqlux.ini?

Yes, exactly the same result (bad parameter errors in the emulator).

Have since restarted Windows in case it needed it (even though setting up LPD didn't say to restart). Same result.

[XorA]

Still can't get it to work. I've tried both:

PRINT = lpr
and
PRINT = lpr -PEpson Stylus COLOR 880 (M)

The LPD Service says it's set up and active in Windows 11 Home after following instructions. services.msc now says it's running.

Trying to list a BASIC program:

Save prt
briefly opens a console window outside the emulator but it vanishes before I can read it, and I get a "bad parameter" error in sQLux.

Or, trying:
OPEN #3,prt:LIST #3:CLOSE #3
opens the window briefly, and no error messages from the emulator. But no printing appears.

If I try:
OPEN #3,part:PRINT #3,"Testing..."
I get a 'bad parameter' error message.

did you try "lpr.exe" instead of "lpr" only in sqlux.ini?

Yes, exactly the same result (bad parameter errors in the emulator).

Have since restarted Windows in case it needed it (even though setting up LPD didn't say to restart). Same result.

If you run it from a windows console, you should get a couple of printfs of debugging that might give us more clue.

It is not a feature Ive ever used even in linux though!

[dilwyn]

Err, give me a clue how to do that

[pjw]

I had a little fiddle with uQLx V1.10. It seems to be coming along nicely!

On a Windows 10 PC, I booted it off my normal Q-emulator system with no changes. That was a nice surprise. On the uQLx side I used the Minerva_1.98a1.bin and TK236 ROMs.

I had the following issues:

1. I defined the main win1 and 2 like this

DEVICE = WIN1,D:/QL/Qemu/win1,qdos-like
DEVICE = WIN1,D:/QL/Qemu/win2,qdos-like

While the standard DIR and WSTAT worked fine, including with subdirectories, Qpac2 (V1.47) Files did not recognise them. Everything was normal on qdos-native file systems. Does anyone have a solution, or an explanation?

2. I loaded the same mouse driver as with Q-emulator. This works well with and between PE programs, but you cant use the mouse to move out of BASIC onto a PE program. CTRL+c is needed. Is there a more appropriate mouse driver that does that? Preferably one that also understands the scroll wheel.

3. I wish all emulator authors would use standard commands (system and BASIC) for things all emulators and platforms need. (I see SCR_XLIM & al have joined the team. Nice!):

MACHINE

PROCESSOR

EXIT (I know, every emulator has its own variant: QPC_EXIT, JVA_EXIT, and now KILL_UQLX, so I guess this is already a lost cause.. I asked both the other authors if they mightn't like to use a generic EMU_xxx instead. One did, the other didn't, so now we are stuck with an additional variant: EMU_EXIT!)

MINIMIZE and a decent HOSTOS$ would also be nice. Sadly, they too come with QPC_ or JVA_ prefixes in the two other emulators. Clearly compatibility was not high on the list of priorities.

There are others, but I wont bore you with the details as you may not find enough merit in the cause.

4. Booting into SMSQ/E is an option in my Q-emulator boot file. It didn't work in uQLx, but it came close. I wonder what the difference could be..?

I just use the standard JS or Minerva ROMs and:

200 IF smsq THEN
210 IF VER$ <> 'HBA' THEN
220 LRESPR 'win2_sys_SMSQ_GOLD'
230 END IF
240 END IF

Anyway, uQLx is a great piece of software! Its fast, versatile, and works well. Thank you!