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by TacticalCoder 622 days ago
> So, if I plug a USB printer into a computer, and ls > /dev/usbXXX, will it print today? Does that still "just work"?

Many commented that it still works... This brought back good memories of sending native PostScript files to an HP LaserJet 4M+'s IP address, over the LAN, using netcat. Amazing stuff.

The gotcha of course is when the shit hits the fan: it can quickly degenerate into pages upon pages of garbage getting printed.

On the plus side back when things were, and still are, simple like that, typically just turning the printer of and terminating the command and you'd be good to go. As opposed to, say, weird spoolers/cache sometimes relaunching print jobs people thoughts were long gone.
2 comments
kalleboo 622 days ago
> it can quickly degenerate into pages upon pages of garbage getting printed

This is still a thing... I was setting up a modern Brother laser printer in FreeBSD (Brother only supplies Linux "PPDs" which run a bunch of binary blobs with Ghostscript and weird stuff) and figured it was easy enough so I did it remotely. Could only watch helplessly on the security camera as the printer spit out every page in it's paper cassette covered in junk... Remote stop commands did nothing.

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kjellsbells 622 days ago
God, that's a flashback. Desperately running NET STOP SPOOLER on an NT print server and then deleting some large SHD file because someone sent 789 pages of manuals to the printer. Sigh.
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