In AIX 5.1 and later, the operating system supports two printing subsystems: 4.3 BSD and System V. The System V style of printing subsystem uses System V Release 4 commands, queues, and files and is administered the same way. The following paragraphs describe what you need to know to manage the 4.3 BSD style of printing subsystem. You control which subsystem is made active through SMIT. Only one subsystem can be active at a time.
Printing is managed by programs and configurations in the /usr/lpd directory. The design, configuration, queueing mechanism, and daemon processes of the 4.3 BSD and printer subsystems for this operating system are different. However, they both use the lpd protocol for remote printing. Both systems use /etc/hosts.lpd, if it exists, or /etc/host.equiv otherwise. The printer subsystem for this operating system offers a gateway to 4.3 BSD printer subsystems, so systems using this operating system can submit print jobs to 4.3 BSD systems and accept print jobs submitted by 4.3 BSD systems.
The /etc/printcap file of 4.3 BSD does not exist in this operating system. This file is a combination of spooler configuration and printer capability data base. Users need to understand the format and keywords of the printcap file to set up a printer correctly.
The /etc/qconfig file of this operating system contains only the spooler configuration information. The printer capability is defined in the ODM predefined/customized data base. You can use the mkvirprt (make virtual printer) command to define to the system the capabilities of a particular printer.
To make printer lp0 available to print on the remote host viking, put the following in a 4.3 BSD system /etc/printcap file:
lp0|Print on remote printer attached to viking:Z :lp=:rm=viking:rp=lp:st=/usr/spool/lp0d
To do the same on this operating system, put the following in the /etc/qconfig file:
lp0: device = dlp0 host = viking rq = lp dlp0: backend = /usr/lib/lpd/rembak
For more information about the printer subsystem, see the Printer Overview for System Management.
This operating system supports
the following printer commands and library functions:
cancel (1) | Cancels requests to a line printer |
chquedev (1) | Changes the printer or plotter queue device names |
chvirprt (1) | Changes the attribute values of a virtual printer |
disable (1) | Disables a printer queue |
enable(1) | Enables a printer queue |
hplj(1) | Postprocesses troff output for HP LaserJetII with the K cartridge |
ibm3812 (1) | Postprocesses troff output for IBM 3812 Mod 2 Pageprinter |
ibm3816 (1) | Postprocesses troff output for IBM 3816 Pageprinter |
ibm5587G (1) | Postprocesses troff output for IBM 5587G with 32x32/24x24 cartridge |
lp(1) | Sends requests to a line printer |
lpr(1) | Enqueues print jobs |
lprm(1) | Removes jobs from the line printer spooling queue |
lpstat (1) | Displays line printer status information |
lptest(1) | Generates the line printer ripple pattern |
lsallqdev (1) | Lists all configured printer queue device names within a queue |
lsvirprt (1) | Displays the attribute values of a virtual printer |
mkque(1) | Adds a printer queue to the system |
mkquedev (1) | Adds a printer queue device to the system |
mkvirprt (1) | Makes a virtual printer |
pac(1) | Prepares printer/plotter accounting records |
piobe(1) | Print Job Manager for the printer backend |
pioburst (1) | Generates burst pages (header and trailer pages) for printer output |
piocmdout (3) | Subroutine that outputs an attribute string for a printer formatter |
piodigest (1) | Digests attribute values for a virtual printer definition and stores |
pioexit (3) | Subroutine that exits from a printer formatter |
pioformat (1) | Drives a printer formatter |
piofquote (1) | Converts certain control characters destined for PostScript printers |
piogetstr (3) | Subroutine that retrieves an attribute string for a printer formatter |
piogetvals(3)
| Subroutine that initializes Printer Attribute database variables for printer formatter |
piomsgout (3) | Subroutine that sends a message from a printer formatter |
pioout(1) | Printer backend's device driver interface program |
piopredef (1) | Creates a predefined printer data stream definition |
proff(1) | Formats text for printers with personal printer data streams |
qadm(1) | Performs system administration for the printer spooling system |
qconfig (4) | Configures a printer queueing system. |
qstatus(1) | Provides printer status for the print spooling system |
restore (3) | Restores the printer to its default state |
rmque(1) | Removes a printer queue from the system |
rmquedev (1) | Removes a printer or plotter queue device from the system |
rmvirprt (1) | Removes a virtual printer |
splp(1) | Changes or displays printer driver settings |
xpr(1) | Formats a window dump file for output to a printer. |