bug#3332: 23.0.93; Printing on MS Windows

["Francis Wright" <f.j.wright@qmul.ac.uk>]

> From: Jason Rumney [mailto:jasonrumney@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Jason
> Rumney
> Sent: Wednesday 20 May 2009 1:10 am
> To: Francis Wright; 3332@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
> Subject: Re: bug#3332: 23.0.93; Printing on MS Windows
> 
> Francis Wright wrote:
> > direct-print-region-helper: Opening output file: permission denied,
> > c:/DOT4_001
> >
> > My printer is an hp LaserJet 1010 connected via USB and the printer
> > driver properties show that it is connect to the port DOT4_001. I
> > think the problem is that "c:/" has been prepended to the port name.
> >
> 
> Windows does that behind your back because DOT4_001 is not a real port,
> so it gets treated as a file name in the default-directory. To print on
> such a printer directly, you will have to share it and configure Emacs
> to use the network share name, or I think there is a way to redirect a
> real port (eg LPT1) to such a USB port.

OK, thanks.

Could Emacs detect that DOT4_001 is not a real port and not use it as the
default? The fact that Emacs picked it up automatically gave me some hope
that it would work.

The Emacs Manual entry for printing on Windows seems to suggest that
connecting a printer to a USB port is "rare", but I doubt that it's possible
to buy a printer that uses any other kind of connection (other than perhaps
wireless). So I think it would be helpful if there were some specific
guidance in the manual along the lines of what you wrote above. The bit
about sharing and redirecting is there (although I haven't managed to get it
to work yet) but there is nothing about USB ports.