Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:26:15 -0600 From: kelly@fsl.noaa.gov (Sean Kelly) To: Richard Kuhns <sawmill!rjk@uunet.uu.net>, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Printer setup/configuration Message-ID: <9509072126.AA28101@emu.fsl.noaa.gov>
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>>>>> "Richard" == Richard Kuhns <sawmill!rjk@uunet.uu.net> writes:
Richard> First, when configuring a printer, you can give it a type
Richard> (a la TERM in termcap/terminfo), which lp can use to set
Richard> special options on the printer. Then, when you want to
Richard> print a given file (output from a report) (spreadsheet),
Richard> `lp -o cpi=16' will print the thing at 16 chars/in, `lp
Richard> -o lpi=8' will print it at 8 lines/in, and you can have
Richard> multiple `-o' options on the command line.
I believe the usual solution with the LPD spooler is to make multiple
/etc/printcap entries that eventually refer to the same printer:
cpi16:\
:pw#132:tc=lp:
lpi8:\
:pl#88:tc=lp:
lp:\
:lp=/dev/ttyd7:fs#0x8200001:\
:if=/usr/local/libexec/filter:
But this is really sidestepping the issue: there should be a way to
pass specialized arguments to the filters. That's why I prefer
Patrick Powell's PLP, a freely-available replacement for LPD. It's
compatible with the LPD protocol, and has a few nice extensions,
especially for handling NFS-mounted spooling directories, multiple
printers on a single queue, and specialized arguments to the filters.
At one site I administrated, users really liked the ability to type
lpr -P somePrinter -Z duplex,paper=punched someDoc1 someDoc2
Richard> Plus, since these all refer to the same logical printer,
Richard> a single command is all that's necessary to disable
Richard> printing.
A nice bonus.
Richard> Second, forms. It's very handy to be able to say `print
Richard> this on a printer that has Purchase Order forms mounted',
Richard> and have it either print immediately on an appropriate
Richard> printer, or stay in the spool until someone loads
Richard> Purchase Order forms on a printer and informs the system.
I didn't even think SysV's lp supported this ... you mean some way to
let a user notify an operator for a certain form, and let the operator
notify the spooler that the requested forms are mounted ... or an
automatic way for a printer to notify the spooler, otherwise hold the
job?
This is an interesting feature request ... I've always been working on
a replacement printer spooler in the background ... I wonder how
this'll fit in.
--
Sean Kelly
NOAA Forecast Systems Lab, Boulder Colorado USA
I hate it when my foot falls asleep during the day because that means
it's going to be up all night. -- Steven Wright
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