Welcome to LinuxCNC.org

The funny thing about EPP mode is you can still change the handshaking line signals in the normal parallel port control register
so you need to set these in an idle state that makes sense for EPP. That's what the 4 written to the standard parallel port control register does
the 1 written to the status port is to clear any EPP timeout errors which may exist (Depending on chipset a EPP timeout may prevent any EPP
operations)

You are likely to get timeouts if your handshaking is not working so its good to monitor them when testing

Well that makes sense. Tomorrow's fun will be to see IF I can query base+$402 to first see with my eyes if BIOS does in fact have the port in EPP mode. Then I shall see if I can first manually set the AS/DS high by writing 4 to control reg. At that point, at least before I try to talk to my card I will be able to verify the lines are correct.

Then I shall try again to talk to the board. I have full hope that all will go well once the setup is done correctly.

btvpimill wrote:I don't think you can use inb() or outb() at the halcmd prompt.
However, you _can_ use it at the normal (bash?) terminal prompt
linux.about.com/library/cmd/blcmdl2_inb.htm
If you are as unfamiliar with the command line as me:
www.freeos.com/guides/lsst/

Well I am back to square 1. I tried to add a function to my comp file, but it wouldn't compile. So I deleted my changes, and now the original won't compile. I think I must need to take a short break from this and try to figure out what I am doing - cuz clearly I don't know. So tonight I am going to study the first 2 listed in this thread. My goal is to understand everything that is going on in them. Maybe then I will be able to create a driver that sets up the port, and talks to my card.

I think this is so frustrating because I Know what must be done, I know why it must be done, but I seem to not have any idea how to convey my desires to the puter.

btvpimill wrote:
There is normally some clue as to why it won't compile. What do the error messages say?

warnings:
"hal_init" [/tmp/tmpXQaY5h/constant.ko] undifined!
"hal_exit"
hal_export_funct
hal_malloc
hal_pin_bit_newf
rtapi_snprintf
hal_ready
hal_pin_u32_newf
tpapi_print

All the above have the same warning as the first one.

I am trying like this:
sudo comp --install constant.comp

So I am not sure from here. I will add that it does generate the C file using
comp constant.comp