problem using apsfilger

[Colleen <colleen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

i'm having problem using apsfilter.  i've been spending days on this. so i
wonder if anyone can help me out with my problem or point me to where i might
get an answer.

i'm running ghostscript-6.51-16.1.6x.1, i have an Epson (laser) epl5900 
connecting to /dev/lp0.
i've tried out various drivers--epl5800, pxlmono, laserjet, etc--with 
same/similar results.

1) when i tried to print a test page within setup, it produce the 
following error message:

0.01user 229.18system 4:01.28elapsed 94%CPU (0avgtext+0avgdata 
0maxresident)k
0inputs+0outputs (927major+13minor)pagefaults 0swaps

2) i type the command:
gs -q -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -dPARANOIDSAFER -dSAFER -r600x600 -sDEVI
CE=epl5800 -sPAPERSIZE=a4 -sOutputFile='/tmp/apsfi
lter3974/test_page.aps' setup/test.ps

and got the following error message:

**** Unable to open the initial device, quitting.

i replaced the driver name after the "device=" with the same results. when 
i replaced the driver with "laserjet", i got the following message:

Error: /undefinedfilename in (setup/test.ps)
Operand stack:

Execution stack:
   %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   
--nostringval-
-   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   
--nostringval--   fa
lse   1   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
   --dict:1038/1476(ro)(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:83/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Last OS error: 2
GNU Ghostscript 6.51: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1

3) when i tried to print a file with "lpr", nothing was printed, and i got 
the message in my system log:

Jul 10 14:06:06 villabay lpd[5756]: cannot execv 
/usr/local/etc/apsfilter/basedi
r/bin/apsfilter
Jul 10 14:06:06 villabay lpd[5755]: lp: job could not be printed 
(cfA006localhost)

---------------------
what might be the problem and how can i fix it?
any hint will be greatly appreciated.

p.s.: below is how my /etc/printcap looks like.
==========================
# APS1_BEGIN:printer1
# - don't delete start label for apsfilter printer1
# - no other printer defines between BEGIN and END LABEL
lp|epl5800;r=1200x1200;q=high;c=full;p=a4;m=auto:\
    :lp=/dev/lp0:\
    :if=/usr/local/etc/apsfilter/basedir/bin/apsfilter:\
    :sd=/var/spool/lpd/lp:\
    :lf=/var/spool/lpd/lp/log:\
    :af=/var/spool/lpd/lp/acct:\
    :mx#0:\
    :sh:
# APS1_END - don't delete this