Re: problems with remote printing & lpr

[Alberto Maurizi <alberto@sif.it>]

	I'm not a guru, and printing always causes some problems
	to me. However I use lpr (the good old lpr) and printtool
	and all seems to work. I found printtool very useful for
	configuring remote (and local) printing and avoiding headaches.

	Enjoy!
	Alberto Maurizi
	
On Fri, 28 Jan 2000, Joe Block wrote:

> 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.
>