STEWART_SYS@uta.CSNET.UUCP (06/18/86)
I've just installed VMS V4.4 and I have discovered a strange problem with the
queues. Could anyone tell me if they've experienced a similar problem or know
something I may be doing wrong....
We have two print queues, LPA0 and LPB0, and a generic queue SYS$PRINT which
feeds these two queues. LPA0 uses default forms 0 and LPB0 uses form 1. The
user (in V4.3) merely typed "PRINT file-name" to send something to SYS$PRINT
which fed the file to the printer with the default forms. To send something to
the forms 1 printer, he specified /FORMS=1 in the PRINT command.
With V4.4, DEC has included another /DEFAULT keyword for initializing queues
such that a default form can be specified (ie, /DEFAULT=FORM=0, etc). I
believe this assigns a form type to a print job if the user queues directly to
a physical queue and doesn't specify a form type. If this is not defined in the
queue initialization, the default (form 0) is used.
After the upgrade, as soon as a user attempted to print something, the queue
manager died and an OPCOM message giving a READERR, could not read
JBCSYSQUE.DAT ... Invalid key... appeared on the console. I had created a new
JBCSYSQUE file, so it should have been fully compatible with V4.4 format.
I found that changing one of the /DEFAULT=FORM qualifiers to a different for
type fixed that problem and created another problem.
Now, when something is printed on the default forms printer, after the job
completes, the forms type on the printer becomes 1 instead of 0 automatically.
Consequently, subsequent jobs either sit in the SYS$PRINT queue waiting for
default forms to be mounted somewhere, or they go to the other queue (which is
also form 1, and is supposed to be) and users don't really know where to pick
up their printouts from one to the next...
Anyone got any ideas? Is this a bug or a 'feature' that I haven't mastered??
-Dan Stewart
Manager, Operations and Services
University of Texas - Arlington
STEWART_SYS%UTA.CSNET