Parallel ports on a linux box

[curtis]

Okay, this may sound like a kinda weird question, but how many parallel ports can a linux machine handle?

The reason I'm asking is I'm looking to network 4 Amiga 500's and there is no "normal" method to add that capability other than through the serial port or the parallel port. There is significant work on the parallel port so I'm looking at that.

Curtis

 

[curtis]

Never mind. I misread the explanation on the plipbox.

Only 1 parallel port is necessary, and that is on the Amiga 500's.

The plipbox converts parallel protocol to TCP/IP and a RJ-45.

Just need to get enough ethernet ports on the linux box to get things to work.

Curtis

 

[vwestlife]

Any standard PC can support 3 parallal ports, at 3BCh, 378h, and 278h. The BIOS will scan those addresses in that order and assign the ones it finds to LPT1 to LPT3. More info here:

http://www.luberth.com/cstep/parallel.htm

Using more than 3 parallel ports would require special hardware and special drivers.

 

[barythrin]

The Amiga is also the platform that those ethernet palmpilot cradles were commonly hacked for (serial to ethernet) depending on availability.

 

[curtis]

Didn't know about the Palm Pilot cradles being hacked!

 

[JohnElliott]

I realise the original question's been superseded, but here's the answer anyway.