Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 16:58:17 -0700 From: Wes Peters <wes@btsslc.com> To: terry@lambert.org Cc: ron@infi.net, questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: printing with pcnfs Message-ID: <199601172351.PAA18974@freefall.freebsd.org>
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I recently stated:
> Nope. PC-NFS printing uses an nfs mount to spool files to the server,
> then a command to pcnfsd on the server system to print the file. You
> need to make sure pcnfsd is running on your printer server system, and
> then review the pcnfsd configuration file to make sure your printer
> has been configured there.
Terry Lambert replied:
% You have got to be kidding.
%
% I'm positive I set one up to use LPR protocol -- it was using a VMS
% system as a host.
%
% Are you sure you aren't thinking of Wollongong's stuff instead of Sun's?
Positive. From the pcnfsd man page on HP-UX 9.07:
Printing
pcnfsd supports a printing model that uses NFS to transfer print data
from the client to the server. The client system issues a
PCNFSD_PR_INIT or PCNFSD2_PR_INIT request, and the server returns the
path to a spool directory that is exported by NFS for use by the
client. pcnfsd creates a subdirectory for each client; by default,
the parent directory is /usr/spool/pcnfs, and the name of each
subdirectory is the same as its client's hostname. To use a different
parent directory, add a line to the /etc/pcnfsd.conf file of the form:
spooldir path
Once a client has mounted the spool directory using NFS, and
transferred print data to a file in that directory, it will issue a
PCNFSD_PR_START or PCNFSD2_PR_START request. pcnfsd handles most
print-related requests by constructing a command based on the printing
services of the server's operating system, and executing that command
using the identity of the PC user. Because this involves set-user-id
privileges, pcnfsd must be run as root.
Every print request from a client includes the name of the printer to
be used. This name corresponds to a printer that has been configured
into the line printer spooling system using the lpadmin command.
[...]
Reconfiguration
By checking the modification time (and contents) of the file
/usr/spool/lp/pstatus, pcnfsd will detect when printers have been
added or deleted, and will rebuild its list of valid printers.
However, pcnfsd does not monitor the file /etc/pcnfsd.conf for
updates; if you change this file, you must kill and restart pcnfsd for
the changes to take effect.
EXAMPLES
Given the following entries for the file /etc/pcnfsd.conf:
printer abc lj lp -dlj -oraw
printer test - /usr/bin/cp $FILE /usr/tmp/$HOST-$USER
If a user on a client system prints a job on the printer "abc" the
request will be sent to the destination "lj" in raw mode.
If the client requests a list of the print queue for the printer
"abc", the pcnfsd daemon will translate this into a request for a
listing for the printer lj. The printer "test" is used only for
testing. Any file sent to this printer will be copied into the
directory /usr/tmp. Any request to list the queue, check the status,
etc. of printer test will be rejected because the alias-for has been
specified as "-".
That about sums it up. If you need more information, look at the pcnfsd
man page, or "use the source, luke!"
--
I'd rather be sailing.
Wes Peters BTS SLC wes@btsslc.com
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