SUMMARY: Duplex printing problem

From: Taylor, Shirley (TaylorSI@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca)
Date: Thu May 30 2002 - 12:14:00 EDT


I received several good suggestions from Mahendra Rajah, Peter Stern and
Ernie LaBonte. Hope I'm not forgetting anyone. The solution I used was from
Ernie, solution #2. Am including his email as it is very instructive:

The printcap entry provided is not capable of setting up the printer for
duplex printing. Is it possible the saved printer default setting was
changed from duplex to simplex?
There are multiple printcap (and print filter) solutions. The best solution
depends on your printing requirements. Solution 1 is a two line change to
the printcap entry. Solution 2 reconfigures the printcap entry to use the
duplex.pcf file.
Solution 1
----------

If all you need is the ability to print text files in simplex and duplex
mode the following printcap changes will work:
                :if=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of:\
                :of=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of:\

To print in duplex mode add the -K2 option in the lpr command line.
If you want duplex to be on by default, use this printcap entry:
                :if=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of -K2:\
                :of=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of:\

This printcap entry is configured for Letter size paper. If you are using A4
paper a -SA4 switch is also required. For example:
                :if=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of -SA4 -K2:\
                :of=/usr/lbin/ps_level2of -SA4:\

Solution 2
----------

Your current printcap entry isn't configured to use .pcf files. This
printcap entry should solve the problem, provided that the duplex unit on
the printer is working, and the file /usr/lbin/pcf/duplex.pcf is properly
configured.
lp2|2|duplex:\
                :ct=tcp:\
                :if=/usr/lbin/pcfof +Cduplex.pcf:\
                :lf=/usr/adm/lp2err:\
                :lp=@stalj4mx/stalj4mx:\
                :mx#0:\
                :of=/usr/lbin/pcfof +Cduplex.pcf:\
                :pl#66:\
                :pw#80:\
                :sd=/usr/spool/lpd2:\
                :xf=/usr/lbin/xf:

Printcap changes:
* I changed the print filter from hplaserof to pcfof. This is the only
filter that uses a .pcf file.
* The +duplex.pcf was changed to +Cduplex.pcf. The 'C' flag was
missing.
* I removed ':Si=2:'. This Digital ULTRIX option is not used in Tru64
UNIX.
* The \ character was removed on the xf= printcap option.

If the files are still not printing two sided try 'lpr -Pduplex -K2 file'.
If adding the -K2 switch corrects the problem then change the printcap input
filter line to:
                :if=/usr/lbin/pcfof -K2 +Cduplex.pcf:\
        Than\\\
        \\\'

Original email
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Hello everyone,
A few years ago I created a printer definition under Tru64 4.0D to print
text files in duplex mode. The excerpt from the /etc/printcap file is:
# Entries for duplex printing hplaserjet4si
lp2|2|duplex:\
        :ct=tcp:\
        :if=/usr/lbin/hplaserof +duplex.pcf:\
        :lf=/usr/adm/lp2err:\
        :lp=@stalj4mx/stalj4mx:\
        :mx#0:\
        :of=/usr/lbin/hplaserof +duplex.pcf:\
        :pl#66:\
        :pw#80:\
        :sd=/usr/spool/lpd2:\
        :xf=/usr/lbin/xf:\
        :Si=2:

Under 4.0 the printer was accessed using this command: lpr -Pduplex file.lis

The queue isn't used often and was discovered a week or so ago to no longer
work. In January I upgraded to 4.0G and am wondering if that caused a
problem but I can't see what it is. Everytime we attempt to print to this
queue the document prints on one side only - no errors logged. The file
duplex.pcf does exist, in two directories:
/usr/lbin/pcf/duplex.pcf
/usr/lbin/duplex.pcf

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Shirley

Systems Admin & Operations | Admin. et Exploit. des systèms
Technology Services | Services technologiques
Informatics Branch | Direction de l'informatique
Maritimes Region, DFO | Région des Maritimes, MPO
(506) 529 5911
taylorsi@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca <mailto:taylors@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca>



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