TCPIP Printers

TCP/IP Printers

The UNIX-like service LPR/LPD is also available, included with the Compaq/HP TCP/IP Services product. This service is independent of the queue manager described earlier. The Line Printer Daemon (LPD) is the server that handles the incoming print request and places the file in the designated printer's queue. The Line Printer Request (LPR) is the client that is activated when a local PRINT command is issued.

The TCP/IP queues and printers are set up with an interactive command file. The resulting dialog is partially presented, as follows:

       $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:TCPIP$LPRSETUP [5]      TCPIP Printer Setup Program      Command < add delete view help exit >: add      Adding printer entry, type '?' for help.      Enter printer name to add : LOCAL1      Enter the FULL name of one of the following printer types:      remote local : local      Enter printer synonym:     Enter full file specification for spool directory     SPOOLER DIRECTORY 'sd' : [SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$LPD.LOCAL1]] ?     Enter full file specification for printer log file.     printer error log file 'lf' [SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$LPD]LOCAL1.LOG] ?     Enter the name of the printcap symbol you want to modify. Other     valid entry is :         'q' to quit (no more changes) 

This creates a UNIX-like "printcap" database called TCPIP$PRINTCAP.DAT. Once defined, the queues are started when LPD is started with the command:

      $ @SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$LPD_STARTUP 

This line would normally be placed in SYSTARTUP_VMS to be executed at boot time.

Various logicals may be defined to manage LPR/LPD (e.g., to define the log file location, the manager would create TCPIP$LPD_LOGFILE; to control OpenVMS flag pages, the manager would create TCPIP$LPD_VMS_FLAGPAGES; and to control debug diagnostics, the manager would create TCPIP$LPD_DEBUG).

As in UNIX systems, Line Printer Remove (LPRM) is used to delete queue entries and Line Printer Queue (LPQ) is used to view a printer queue.

^[5]For UCX users, the executable is called UCX$LPRSETUP. TCP/IP and UCX are described in Chapter 9.