SUMMARY: Print to 2 queues at once

From: Shaun.Racine@intier.com
Date: Fri Aug 01 2003 - 06:42:51 EDT


Thanks to Lawrie Smith.

No answer for my problem, but included response if it helps anyone else. I
cannot change the application, I wanted to know if Tru64 could duplicate
the prints for me.

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: 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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