Re: [9fans] Newbie question on printing

[Robert Raschke <rrplan9@tombob.com>]

> On 7/26/05, Steve Simon <steve@quintile.net> wrote:
>> I print to lasers which are connected via HP jet-direct boxes using:
>> 
>> /sys/lib/lp/devices:
>> slp_a3 SLP_A3 slp-oh-a3 A4_LPQ  -  post+duplex+nohead  generic  lpdspool  lpd  -  - FIFO
> 
> An even better solution.  Try this first.  The difference between
> this and your original devices line is that this one uses the
> printer's name as the "spooler machine", i.e. the address to
> send the job to.
> 
> Russ

Steve, Russ, thank you very much. I now have
clp550n_ps	robbys-room	clp550n	A4_LPQ	-	post+600dpi+nohead	generic	lpdspool	lpd	-	-	FIFO

and from 'lp -D -dclp550n_ps -q' I get

grep '^clp550n_ps[ 	]' /sys/lib/lp/devices
bind -b /sys/lib/lp/stat /bin
exec lpd
echo transmission log:
transmission log:
test -r /sys/lib/lp/log/clp550n_ps.st
echo printer queue:
printer queue:
/386/bin/aux/lpdsend -q -dA4_LPQ clp550n
connecting to tcp!clp550n!printer
 trying from port 721...connected
PortThru lpd: No Jobs on this queue
exit ''

Lovely.

I have two simple questions, so I can understand what is happening.
The A4_LPQ, what does that do?  It is in the OUT_DEV field but ain't a
device, and just guessing I would assume it names the queue to use.
Is that corerct?  Could that be any text, or does the LPD in the
printer have ideas on how to name and handle queues?

Second, is it good practice to have the machine name of the printer
(/lib/ndb/local entry) be different from the /sys/lib/lp/devices
printer name?  I know that I can add more "virtual" printers to turn
on duplex and color and what not.

I can't actually verify that a page got printed, as I'm doing this
remotely via a drawterm.  But maybe I'll have a page sitting there for
me when I get home tonight.

Thanks again,
Robby