[comp.sys.hp] Print Spooling to a printer off a diskless node?

fmonaldo@aplcomm.JHUAPL.EDU (Monaldo Francis M. S1R x8648) (05/24/91)

 	We have an HP 9000 series 360 acting as a files server for a 
couple of discless nodes.  We have one printer interfaced directly to
the 360 and its spooler works fine. We also have a a printer off one of
the discless nodes. Users of the discless node can send (not spool) this
file by using the command    cat file >/dev/printer   . However,
we would like to have a spoolng system whereby uses could simply type
lp -ddevice file and and sens the file to the printer in the server or
the discless node by just specifying the appropriate device in the
command?  Any suggestion?

	Frank Monaldo
	fmonaldo@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu

robs@hpuamsa.neth.hp.com (Rob Slotemaker CRC) (05/27/91)

To make spooling to a local printer work you should do:

  - add the printer to the lp spooler with device /dev/null;

  - modify your script in /usr/spool/lp/interface as follows:

      {
      (current contents of script)
      } | remsh <cnode name> /usr/spool/lp/interface/<cnode name>.aux

  - add a script named <cnode name>.aux in /usr/spool/lp/interface:

      #!/bin/sh
      # An auxiliary script to do remote spooling on diskless client
      # as found in HP-UX 7.0 Supplement to the Technical Exchange
      # Use Bourne shell to avoid any job control anomalies with background jobs

      sleep 999999 > /dev/printer&
      stty <options you want> < /dev/printer
      cat - > /dev/printer
      kill $!

    (sleep and stty to be setup as wanted)


This solution works fine for serial printers in our clustered environment. Note
that spooling using a printer connected to a diskless node still is
unsupported !


Best regards,

Rob Slotemaker, Dutch CRC

lienhart@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Lienhart) (05/29/91)

>To make spooling to a local printer work you should do:
>
>- add the printer to the lp spooler with device /dev/null;
>
>- modify your script in /usr/spool/lp/interface as follows:
>
				.
				.
				.
>that spooling using a printer connected to a diskless node still is
>unsupported !


Wrong!  Update to the 8.0 release of HP-UX and use either SAM
or the -a option to lpadmin.  Cluster client spooling is now
supported!

Bob Lienhart

fmonaldo@aplcomm.JHUAPL.EDU (Monaldo Francis M. S1R x8648) (05/29/91)

Thanks to all the people who e-mailed response or posted suggestions
on how to get the print spooler to output to a printer hung off
a diskless node.  We are currently sorting through the suggestions.

It is nice the HP-UX 8.0 and SAM will have provisions for doing this.
But our copy of the 8.0 will probably come in a few months and I
don't want to wait that long.

	An American prayer: Dear God, please give me patience and
	I want it RIGHT NOW !!!

			Frank Monaldo
			fmonaldo@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu

franks@hpuamsa.neth.hp.com (Frank Slootweg CRC) (05/30/91)

Rob Slotemaker of HP (one of "my" engineers) wrote :

> Note that spooling using a printer connected to a diskless node still is
> unsupported !

To which Bob Lienhart of HP responds with :

> Wrong!  Update to the 8.0 release of HP-UX and use either SAM
> or the -a option to lpadmin.  Cluster client spooling is now
> supported!

  You are both "right": Rob should probably have added "at 7.0" and Bob
should probably have said "Update to the 8.0 release *when you get it*".
As the response from the original poster indicates, there is still some
waiting to do for 8.0 on a 300/400, probably less but still some for the
600/800.

  This response was not written to outsmart Bob, but to prevent zillions
of phone calls to the local HP offices from customers asking "Were is my
8.0 update?".

Frank Slootweg, HP, Dutch Customer Response Center.