From owner-freebsd-hackers Thu Sep 7 14:27:13 1995 Return-Path: hackers-owner Received: (from majordom@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.6.12/8.6.6) id OAA09263 for hackers-outgoing; Thu, 7 Sep 1995 14:27:13 -0700 Received: from fslg8.fsl.noaa.gov (fslg8.fsl.noaa.gov [137.75.131.171]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.6.12/8.6.6) with SMTP id OAA09257 for ; Thu, 7 Sep 1995 14:27:11 -0700 Received: by fslg8.fsl.noaa.gov (5.57/Ultrix3.0-C) id AA05954; Thu, 7 Sep 95 21:26:16 GMT Received: by emu.fsl.noaa.gov (1.38.193.4/SMI-4.1 (1.38.193.4)) id AA28101; Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:26:15 -0600 Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:26:15 -0600 From: kelly@fsl.noaa.gov (Sean Kelly) Message-Id: <9509072126.AA28101@emu.fsl.noaa.gov> To: Richard Kuhns , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Printer setup/configuration Sender: hackers-owner@freebsd.org Precedence: bulk >>>>> "Richard" == Richard Kuhns 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