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printcap(SFF)

printcap -- printer capability database

Description

The /etc/printcap file is a simplified version of the termcap(F) database used to describe line printers. The spooling system accesses the printcap file every time it is used, allowing dynamic addition and deletion of printers. Each entry in the database describes one printer. This database may not be substituted for, as is possible for termcap, because it may allow accounting to be bypassed.

Capabilities

Refer to terminfo(F) for a description of the file layout.

Name Type Default Description
lf str ``/dev/console'' error logging filename
lp str ``/dev/lp'' device name to open for output
rm str NULL machine name for remote printer
rp str ``lp'' remote printer name argument
sc bool false suppress multiple copies
sd str ``/usr/spool/lpd'' spool directory
ex flag none extended RLP support
mx int 1000 maximum number of blocks to copy
mc int 0 maximum number of copies allowed
rg str none restricted group access
of str none output filter to use for printing
sc flag none suppress multiple copies
sf flag none suppress form feed
sh flag none suppress header flag
hl flag none print header last
pw int none page width (in characters)
pl int none page length (in characters)
rs flag none restrict printing to local accounts 

 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |Name | Type | Default            | Description                         |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |lf   | str  | ``/dev/console''   | error logging filename              |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |lp   | str  | ``/dev/lp''        | device name to open for output      |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |rm   | str  | NULL               | machine name for remote printer     |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |rp   | str  | ``lp''             | remote printer name argument        |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |sc   | bool | false              | suppress multiple copies            |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |sd   | str  | ``/usr/spool/lpd'' | spool directory                     |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |ex   | flag | none               | extended RLP support                |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |mx   | int  | 1000               | maximum number of blocks to copy    |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |mc   | int  | 0                  | maximum number of copies allowed    |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |rg   | str  | none               | restricted group access             |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |of   | str  | none               | output filter to use for printing   |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |sc   | flag | none               | suppress multiple copies            |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |sf   | flag | none               | suppress form feed                  |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |sh   | flag | none               | suppress header flag                |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |hl   | flag | none               | print header last                   |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |pw   | int  | none               | page width (in characters)          |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |pl   | int  | none               | page length (in characters)         |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+
 |rs   | flag | none               | restrict printing to local accounts |
 +-----+------+--------------------+-------------------------------------+

More information on configurable options follows:

ex
Extended rlp protocol support. The prescence of the ex flag indicates that the specific remote machine to which the printer is connected to, will support the extended RLP protocol. Only printers connected to systems running SCO OpenServer Release 5 and above will support the extended protocol.

mx
Maximum number of blocks to copy. The default is 1000. This option is used to adjust the size of the printjob (which defaults to 1MB). Configuration example: 
mx#5000
If mx is set to zero, then the mx field is ignored.

mc
Maximum number of copies allowed. The default is 0. The -n command line option could be used to override this only if mc is set to 0. Otherwise, the upper limit is set by mc. Configuration example 
mc#50

rg
Restricted group access. If non-null, only users who are member of the restricted group will be allowed access to print.

of
Output filter to use for printing. For more information, see lpfilter(ADM).

sc
Suppress multiple copies. Turning on this option will override the -n option for lp given on the command line for number of copies. This is a flag.

sf
Suppress form feed on each print job. This is a flag.

sh
Suppress header page. This goes in conjunction with the hl option. With the hl flag and without the sh flag the banner page will be printed. This is a flag.

hl
Print header last. This flag works only in conjunction with the sh flag. If the sh flag is not specified then the banner page will be printed last.

pw
Page width which is to be passed to the output filter. Configuration example: 
pw#80

pl
page length which is to be passed to the output filter. Configuration example: 
pl#100

rs
Restrict printing to those with local accounts on the machine if this flag is turned on. If the local line printer driver supports indentation, the daemon must understand how to invoke it.

Logging

Error messages generated by the line printer programs themselves (that is, the lp* programs) are logged by syslog(SLIB) using the LPR facility. Messages printed on stderr of one of the filters are sent to the corresponding lf file. The filters may, of course, use syslog themselves.

Error messages sent to the console have a carriage return and a line feed appended to them, rather than just a line feed.

See also

cancel(C), lp(C), lpd(ADMN), lpmove(ADM), lpstat(C), terminfo(F)
© 2003 Caldera International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.7 -- 11 February 2003