Overview
A print server that turns a USB-only receipt printer into a standard JetDirect-style network printer on TCP 9100 — so anything that can open a socket can print to it. It was written for a Star TSP100 on Windows, but nothing in it is Star-specific: it will bridge any printer the Windows spooler can see.
How It Works
The service (starbridge.py) is a 9100 listener with a job queue and a status endpoint, configured through config.json (printer name, ports, ACL, limits). A probe_printer.py helper works out which command dialect the printer honours, and install-starbridge.ps1 installs it as an NSSM service with the right firewall rules. A PRINTING-REFERENCE.md captures the hard-won printer facts (measured dot width, ESC/POS dialect, the socket half-close, and a symptom table for bad prints).
Current Status
Running as a Windows service; it’s the network bridge the Thermal Picture Printer and Weather Alert both print through.