[Discuss] Parallel ports

[Hans Oeste]

I've built a parrallel port programmer for a small eeprom type chip. 
Unfortunately the machine I'm trying to run the software on, which is Linux
software, seems to have a bum parallel port.  One of the signal lines
appears to be dead.
 
So I've tried to run the software on several laptops;  an IBM T42 and a
Compaq EVO N610.  .dmesg states that a parrallel port exists, but under /dev
there is no lp0 generated by udev.  I have also gone out and bought a PCI
card with a parallel port on it to have the same thing happen.  No /dev/lp0.
Unfortunately the software, written in 2004 has hardcoded port address
assignments, although those are easy to change, at first glance and then a
recompile to sort that part out.  It also appears to require access to lp0
or the programmer software dies very indignantly.
 
Has anyone any suggestions to do with generating a /dev/lp0?
 
Hans-Peter Oeste
VE7OES