Overview; Commands - Sun Microsystems Sun Workstation 100U System Manager's Manual

Line Printer Spooler Manual
This document describes the structure and installation procedure for the line printer spooling
system implemented in this release of the Sun UNIX. operating system.
1. Overview
The line printer system supports:
• multiple printers,
• multiple spooling queues,
• both local and remote printers, and
• printers attached via serial lines which require line initialization such as the baud rate.
Raster output devices such as a Varian or Versatec, and laBer printers such
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an Imagen, are
also supported by the line printer system.
The line printer system consists mainly of the following files and commands:
/etc/printcap
/usr/lib/lpd
/usr/ucb/lpr
/usr/ucb/lpq
/ usr / uc b /lprm
/etc/lpc
/ dev /printer
printer configuration and capability data base
line printer daemon, does all the real work
program to enter a job in a printer queue
spooling queue examination program
program to delete jobs from a queue
program to administer printers and spooling queues
socket on which lpd listens
The file /etc/printcap is a master data baBe describing line printers directly attached to a
machine and, also, printers accessible across a network. The manual page entry printcap(5) pro-
vides the ultimate definition of the format of this data base, as well as indicating default values
for important items such as the directory in which spooling is performed. This document
highlights the important information which may be placed in print cap .
2. Commands
2.1. lpd - line printer «laemon
The program Ipd(8), usually invoked at boot time from the / dc/rc file, acts as a master server
for coordinating and controlling the spooling queues configured in the printcap file. When Ipd is
started it makes a single pass through the printcap database restarting any printers which have
27 July 1983
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