25.1.1 Line Printer Spooler System

25.1.1.1 Printer configuration file, /etc/printcap

The file /etc/printcap contains the database of printer capabilities and location of the spool files. Each entry of the file describes a printer with fields separated by ":". The first entry is the name the printer is known by and any aliases separated by "|". Subsequent entries indicate the location and capabilities of the printer.

A print client machine might have a printcap entry similar to:

lp|ps|postscript|PostScript:\

:lp=:rm=tardis:rp=lp:sd=/var/spool/lp:lf=/dev/console:

lw|LaserWriter:\

:lw=:rm=peri:rp=lw:sd=/var/spool/lw:mx#0:lf=/var/spool/lp-log:

while the print server might have an entry:

# PostScript printer driven by TranScript sftw (PostScript & TranScript, tm Adobe Sys. Inc.)

lp|ps|postscript|PostScript:\

:lp=/dev/lp:sd=/var/spool/lp:lf=/var/spool/lp-log:af=/var/spool/lp.acct:\

:br#9600:rw:fc#0000374:fs#0000003:xc#0:xs#0040040:mx#0:sf:sb:\

:if=/usr/local/lib/ps/psif:\

:of=/usr/local/lib/ps/psof:gf=/usr/local/lib/ps/psgf:\

:nf=/usr/local/lib/ps/psnf:tf=/usr/local/lib/ps/pstf:\

:rf=/usr/local/lib/ps/psrf:vf=/usr/local/lib/ps/psvf:\

:cf=/usr/local/lib/ps/pscf:df=/usr/local/lib/ps/psdf:

# LaserWriter Printer

lw|LaserWriter:\

:lp=/dev/ttya:br#9600:ms=-parity,onlcr,ixon,decctlq:\

:sd=/var/spool/lw:lf=/var/spool/lp-log:mx#0:

The various filters specified in the printcap file include:

if plain-text jobs input filter

of output (banner) filter

rf FORTRAN style text files filter

tr troff data filter

nf ditroff data (device independent troff) filter

df TeX data (DVI format) filter

cf cifplot data filter

gf graph data filter

vf raster image filter

The server controls who may print on it's printer by the entries in /etc/hosts.equiv and /etc/hosts.lpd. The former regulates the remote shell commands also, the latter regulates only printing access.

Unix System Administration - 8 AUG 1996

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