ITEM: CD1640L

User wants to capture the print spool file

Question:

printer/ wants to capture the print spool file

Response:

Printing from an SAP machine - digital.
TO AIX then to MVS.

Capturing the print data and sending to another
process.

Explained that they could set up a queue that is always
DOWN, and then print to this.

Gave the customer three options for capturing files depending
on what uses he wants.

1.  Create a file /dev/capture, and make a print queue to
    a file.  TO create the queue at AIX 4.1 do the following.   

    smitty mkpq
       Choose: file                 File (in /dev directory)
       Choose: Other (Select this if your type is not listed above)
       Choose: generic     Generic Printer
        Name of existing FILE in /dev directory        capture
        Enter queue name in PostScript - This is because there
        is no filtering done by AIX for this type of virtual printer.

    Print to the file.  Cat /dev/capture.
    TO rezero the capture file 'cat /dev/null > /dev/capture'

2.  Create any queue.  Disable the queue.
    Print to the queue
    cd /var/spool/lpd/qdir - find file with queue name.
    cat 00user*  - look at the file.  First line is job \#, last
               line is the file name. 
    This users is printing from remote so actual file will always
    be in /var/spool/lpd  probably starting with dfA.  Look at
    this file.

3.  Use a custom backend.  Explained how he could do this with
    a shell script and explained useing 'echo $* > /tmp/flags'
    to find out what flag was send.  Also 'echo *\# >> /tmp/flags'
    to see how may arguments are passed.  Then to save a file
    use 'cat $2 > /tmp/filename' to same the file if there are
    2 parameters.  Use $1 if only the name is passed, etc.

    Offered consult line for backend to generate file names
    and the like.  Customer explained they may want to do
    this later.

NEXT: Close


Response:

Response:

NILM

Response:

Not In, Left Message

Response:

ACTION:  Called customer
Explained to customer about some of details of capturing
files.  Got customers FAX number to send FAX.

Modified http://tesch.aix.dfw.ibm.com/printips/capture.html.

NEXT: WOCB.


Response:

Talked to customer.  He was able to capture a file.
He wondered if we could then have the queuing system
give the file a name.  I explained this is what was
described in the FAX as the 3rd option and requires
a custom backend which I'd be glad to write.  

NEXT: CLose pending callback for custom work.



Support Line: User wants to capture the print spool file ITEM: CD1640L

Dated: August 1996 Category: N/A

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