wargaski@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Robert E. Wargaski Jr.) (03/01/90)
This is another chapter in the continuing saga of managing printer resources in a large environment. The following was sent to me by Henk Langeveld, a fellow in the Netherlands. Per his request, I am posting this to the net. Robert E. Wargaski Jr. | This is stupid. -- Vila wargaski@ils.nwu.edu | When did that ever stop us. -- Avon NU Distributed Systems Support | . . . #include <disclaimer.h> . . . =====Forwarded message follows===== Try plp: One of the options is to define one queue with multiple backends/unspoolers... Please summarize any responses you get from the net. I'd like to know what other people use, and I think other people will be interested in PLP as well. PLP - The Public Line Printer Spooler A Portable UNIX Line Printer Spooler Release 3.0, 7 Nov. 1988 Prof. Patrick Powell Dept. of Computer Science University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota The Public Line Printer Spooler is a reverse engineered ver- sion of the Berkeley LPD software, with extended functionality. The PLP software has the following features: 1).The PLP software is intended to be used in a Networked File System (NFS) environment, in which there is a common set of spool queues, as well as in a loosely coupled environment in which each host transfers print jobs to a common host. 2).Access and permission to use PLP functions is controlled by entries in a printer permissions file (one of /usr/spool/lpd/printer_perms.<hostname>, /etc/printer_perms, or /usr/etc/printer_perms) which can restrict use by user name, host, spooler, page useage, and a host of other factors. The printcap file (one of /usr/spool/lpd/printcap.<hostname>, /etc/printcap, or /usr/etc/printcap) is used to specify the printer queues and their operation. 3).Jobs can now be prioritized. The maximum priority a user can specify is set in the printer permissions file. 4).In addition to the general printer permissions file, each spool queue can have its own addition printer permissions file. 5).Line printer control functions can be exercised from a remote host. Hosts and users with remote control permissions are specified by entries in the printer permissions file. 6).The unspooling of jobs can be performed by a user defined pro- gram, rather than the spooler. This allows the spooler to be used to send jobs to remote sites using various file transfer protocols. 7).Banner printing can be done either by the PLP software or by invoking user specified programs. 8).Printer support packages such as Transcript (Adobe Software, Inc), and the CAP support for Appletalk Networks can be easily added or used directly. Compatibilty interfaces with the Berkeley LPD software have been provided. 9).Extremely verbose and chatty error messages have been added. These greatly ease debugging and installation. In addition, the checkpc utility can be used to set file permissions and other items for use by the PLP software. PLP may be copied and/or modified as long as the original copyright notification is retained. It is being distributed over the USENET in comp.sources.unix, or can be FTPd (anonymous) from julius (128.101.230.1) in public/PLP.3.0.tar.Z