problems with remote printing & lpr

[Joe Block <jpb@creol.ucf.edu>]

I'm running slink on a x86 box with all the security & y2k updates
applied.  I've got lprng (version 3.5.2-2), magicfilter (version
1.2-28), a2ps (version 4.10.4-4) and aladdin-gs (version 5.50-3)
installed.

The first problem I'm having is that when I print (lpr file), I'm not
getting a prompt back until the remote printer is finished printing. 
The remote printer is a Tektronics Phaser III, and my machine is talking
to it using lpr protocol, which the printer supports natively.  The
printcap entry is:

# snip
lp|faculty|Faculty 360:\
       
:lp=/dev/null:sd=/var/spool/lpd/faculty:rm=192.168.100.1:rp=faculty:\
        :sh:pw#80:pl#66:px#1440:mx#0:\
        :if=/etc/magicfilter/psonly600-filter:\
       
:af=/var/log/lp-acct:lf=/var/log/lp-errs:                               
# end snip

The printcap entry was done with magicfilterconfig and not altered other
than to sanitize the printer's real ip address.  It prints, it just
waits.  The jobs never seem to actually be in the local queue, I can't
see them with lpq.  The psonly600-filter is the stock one from the
magicfilter deb file.

The second problem is that I'm getting stairstepped printouts when I try
to print text files, even though I have magicfilter.  I thought
magicfilter was supposed to sense what you're trying to print and apply
appropriate filters.

I've looked through the howtos and didn't find anything that seemed
appropriate.

The truly maddening thing is that way back in October when I set up the
system, it was doing the correct (background printing, no stairsteps)
printing behavior.  The only thing I've done since is the occasional
apt-get update;apt-get upgrade to apply security fixes.

It isn't a huge deal to me as I rarely print anything, but my co-workers
who sometimes use my workstation have the occasional need to print and
they complain about it.  None of them have root, and I've re-configured
the printcap (and restarted lprng) since they reported the problem.

Anyway, does anyone have any ideas?

jpb
-- 
Joe Block <jpb@creol.ucf.edu>
CREOL System Administrator

Social graces are the packet headers of everyday life.