SUMMARY: [#2] Print to 2 queues at once

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Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2003 14:42:28 +0000
To: tru64-unix-managers@ornl.gov

Sorry for another summary, got 2 more responses, of which I tested and
chose Alan Davis' reply.

Thanks to;
Alan Davis
Fred N. van Kempen
Lawrie Smith

Original Question:

ES40, Tru64 v5.1A, patch kit 1.
HP Laserjet 4100 with internal Jetdirect card.

Our application prints to a printer via LPD, which we suspect of giving us
a problem.

Is there a way to set up a print queue in Unix so that it prints to 2
printers from one print queue? We want to compare the output from both.

More info: When we configure our printers and queues, we edit the printcap
file directly and manually create spool directories and so on. We do not
use lprsetup or other helpful utility.

Here is the section in printcap;
mm_hp4|lp35|mm_hp4:\
        :lp=:\
        :rm=MM_HP4:\
        :rp=text:\
        :lf=/usr/spool/lpd/mm_hp4.log:\
        :sd=/usr/spool/lpd/mm_hp4:

Reply from Alan Davis (btw: tested and working);

Here's how I do it (stripped down - add appropriate error checking,
etc.)...

Set up the print queue that the application uses with an 'if' entry that
does this :

applpr|Application print queue:\
        :if=/usr/local/bin/splitlpr:\
        :sd=/usr/spool/testlp:\
        :lf=/usr/adm/lperr:\
        :lp=/dev/null:

---------- cut here for shell script
#!/bin/ksh
# /usr/local/bin/splitlpr

/bin/cat > /tmp/splitlpr.$$

/bin/lpr -Prealprinter /tmp/splitlpr.$$
/bin/lpr -Pdiagqueue /tmp/splitlpr.$$

/bin/rm /tmp/splitlpr.$$
exit
------------ end shell script

Keep in mind that you can also stop the queue from printing but still allow
it to queue. This allows you to examine the files in the queue before
printing to validate the file.

Reply from Fred N. van Kempen;

Actually, there is a way. It requires some (simple) programming, but
can be done.

Basically, at the Printcap level, define your two printers as needed,
and verify they work when printing to them.

Then, you need to define a 'duplex' printer, meaning, it takes one
copy of input, and then writes multiple copies out to printers. This
is usually done by writing a small C program which then runs in the
background, for example:

# /etc/duplexer /dev/lpduplx lp0 lp1 lp3

would create a fake printer device "lpduplx" in /dev, and all input to
it would be spooled to printers lp0, lp1 and lp3. Once this works (by
doing a cp /etc/passwd /dev/lpduplx and seeing it come out of the three
printers) you can define "your" printer in Printcap with the lp: option
set to be lp=/dev/lpduplx ...

I can write something like this tonight if you need it fast.

Reply from Lawrie Smith;

I would set up a wrapper script to take the same command line arguments as
lpr
And call the script, something like

#! /usr/bin/ksh
##########################################################################
# A quick and dirty wrapper for printing
#
# No parameter checking occurs in this version.
# Only errors are logged as the lpd will log successful printing
#
# Lawrie Smith - (WM) Technical services - December 2001
##########################################################################

USAGE="usage: $0 orientation printer document"
# The script takes three parameters

if (($# == 0))
then
        print ""
        print "You must specify between 2 or 3 command line arguments"
        print ""
        print "If two arguments are given they are assumed to be"
        print "printer and document (including full path)"
        print ""
        print "If three arguments are given they are assumed to be"
        print "orientation printer and document (including full path)"
        print ""
        print "EXAMPLE: JupiterP portrait shfcomp3
/app/application/document"
        print "NB: No parameter checking is performed"
        print ""
        print "$USAGE"
else
        case $# in
                2) cat $2 | tr '#' '£' | lpr -P$1
                ;;
                3) cat $3 | tr '#' '£' | lpr -O$1 -P$2
                ;;
                *) ERROR="$LOGNAME: Incorrect number of parameters `date`"
                   print $ERROR >> JupiterP.err
                ;;
        esac
fi

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