Configuring Printer

The /etc/printcap file describes the Linux Operating System about a printer. Every entry describes a printer, gives a name to be addressed and explains the OS about ways of handling output to it. Multiple "printers" which access the similar physical printer can be installed in a system.

Practice         

The given example describes how to configure a printer.

The /etc/printcap file is first edited.

# vi /etc/printcap

#Local Printer hp|Our printer:\

:sd=/var/spool/lpd/hp:\

:mx#0:\

:sh:\

:hp=/dev/lp0:\

s

The printer name

The first line of a /etc/printcap entry is the printer name. It holds the printer name that is followed via a character "|" and a text explanation of the printer and ends within a character ":".Let takes an Instance:

Hp:\

In this is a printer called "HP" with the defines "OurPrinter" The spool directory

This is a directory for print spooling. The tag "sd=" recognized the spool directory for the printer.

Additional Tags

Additionally there are three things to be put in the printcap entries. They could be seen below:

:mx#0:\

:sh:\

:sf:

The "mx#0"means "don't limit the size of the file we can print". The "sf' avoids a form-feed from being sent after the document ends. At last, the ''sh'' avoids a header page from being sent at the starting of every job. These might be added to the printcap entries.

The printer device

A tag "hp=" takes the name of the printing device. In that case, it is /dev/lp1, the parallel port. There are printers which connect to the serial port.

The Print Spool Daemon, lpd

The program which actually does the printing and spooling of files is lpd. It reads the /etc/printcap file. You could also execute lpd can also be execute as a background job from the command line if logged on as root. lpd is the line printer daemon (spool area handler) and is generally invoked at boot time.

Example

# lpd -l            /dev/lp0

Available options:

-l          - A -l flag causes lpd to log valid requests which are received from the network.

port#   - A port denotes under that port the request has been accepted.

lpq       -  The spool queue examination program lpq examines the spooling area used through lpd for printing files on the line printer and reports the status of the specified jobs or all jobs related with a user. lpq,   which is invoked without any arguments, reports on any jobs presently in the queue.

Note: lpadmin is the command which is used to configure the printer in solaris. The Ip is the service that gives the print service, lpadmin configures the LP print service through defining devices and printers. That is used to add and modify printers, to remove printers from services or to set or modify the system default destinations.

Example

# lpadmin -p printer options

# lpadmin -p epson -v /dev/lp0

-p Denotes the name of the printer

-v Denotes the port