[comp.os.vms] printing from tape

FXHELP@ALASKA.BITNET (UAF Computer Support Group) (08/09/87)

To summarize, then, the replies to my novice question about PRINTing
a file from tape:

The problem with PRINT is that it expects to use the file's ID number,
which doesn't exist for a tape file.  The print symbiont would also have
problems finding/mounting/accessing the tape, but you'll never get that
far, anyway!

Several responses indicated that the COPY command might be just what we
want:  COPY TAPE:FILE PRINTER:     Some realized the drawback with that;
you still need disk space (on the spooling device), and every user to use
it will need disk quota on the spooling device -- ugh!  (Is four thousand
USERNAMEs a lot for the average VAX?)

Two people, Ed McGuire and James Cameron, each came up with a perfect
(and perfectly obvious) solution:  set the printer /NOSPOOLED, and then
do the COPY, as above, using NO disk space.  This should work fine for
printing monster files to your printer, but we were looking into sending
large postscript files to our Laserwriter, which we'd rather not have to
switch back and forth...
Ah, well!
Jo