4.4BSD/usr/share/man/cat5/printcap.0
PRINTCAP(5) BSD Programmer's Manual PRINTCAP(5)
NNAAMMEE
pprriinnttccaapp - printer capability data base
SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
pprriinnttccaapp
DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
The PPrriinnttccaapp function is a simplified version of the termcap(5) data base
used to describe line printers. The spooling system accesses the
pprriinnttccaapp file every time it is used, allowing dynamic addition and dele-
tion of printers. Each entry in the data base is used to describe one
printer. This data base may not be substituted for, as is possible for
termcap, because it may allow accounting to be bypassed.
The default printer is normally _l_p, though the environment variable
PRINTER may be used to override this. Each spooling utility supports an
option, --PP _p_r_i_n_t_e_r, to allow explicit naming of a destination printer.
Refer to the _4_._3 _B_S_D _L_i_n_e _P_r_i_n_t_e_r _S_p_o_o_l_e_r _M_a_n_u_a_l for a complete discus-
sion on how setup the database for a given printer.
CCAAPPAABBIILLIITTIIEESS
Refer to termcap(5) for a description of the file layout.
NNaammee TTyyppee DDeessccrriippttiioonn
af str NULL name of accounting file
br num none if lp is a tty, set the baud
rate (ioctl(2) call)
cf str NULL cifplot data filter
df str NULL tex data filter (DVI format)
fc num 0 if lp is a tty, clear flag
bits (_s_g_t_t_y_._h)
ff str `\f' string to send for a form
feed
fo bool false print a form feed when device
is opened
fs num 0 like `fc' but set bits
gf str NULL graph data filter (plot(3)
format
hl bool false print the burst header page
last
ic bool false driver supports (non
standard) ioctl to indent
printout
if str NULL name of text filter which
does accounting
lf str _/_d_e_v_/_c_o_n_s_o_l_e error logging file name
lo str _l_o_c_k name of lock file
lp str _/_d_e_v_/_l_p device name to open for
output
mx num 1000 maximum file size (in BUFSIZ
blocks), zero = unlimited
nd str NULL next directory for list of
queues (unimplemented)
nf str NULL ditroff data filter (device
independent troff)
of str NULL name of output filtering
program
pc num 200 price per foot or page in
hundredths of cents
pl num 66 page length (in lines)
pw num 132 page width (in characters)
px num 0 page width in pixels
(horizontal)
py num 0 page length in pixels
(vertical)
rf str NULL filter for printing FORTRAN
style text files
rg str NULL restricted group. Only
members of group allowed
access
rm str NULL machine name for remote
printer
rp str ``lp'' remote printer name argument
rs bool false restrict remote users to
those with local accounts
rw bool false open the printer device for
reading and writing
sb bool false short banner (one line only)
sc bool false suppress multiple copies
sd str _/_v_a_r_/_s_p_o_o_l_/_l_p_d spool directory
sf bool false suppress form feeds
sh bool false suppress printing of burst
page header
st str _s_t_a_t_u_s status file name
tf str NULL troff data filter (cat
phototypesetter)
tr str NULL trailer string to print when
queue empties
vf str NULL raster image filter
xc num 0 if lp is a tty, clear local
mode bits (tty(4))
xs num 0 like `xc' but set bits
If the local line printer driver supports indentation, the daemon must
understand how to invoke it.
FFIILLTTEERRSS
The lpd(8) daemon creates a pipeline of _f_i_l_t_e_r_s to process files for var-
ious printer types. The filters selected depend on the flags passed to
lpr(1). The pipeline set up is:
p pr | if regular text + pr(1)
none if regular text
c cf cifplot
d df DVI (tex)
g gf plot(3)
n nf ditroff
f rf Fortran
t tf troff
v vf raster image
The iiff filter is invoked with arguments:
iiff [--cc] --ww_w_i_d_t_h --ll_l_e_n_g_t_h --ii_i_n_d_e_n_t --nn _l_o_g_i_n --hh _h_o_s_t _a_c_c_t_-_f_i_l_e
The --cc flag is passed only if the --ll flag (pass control characters liter-
ally) is specified to lpr. The _W_i_d_t_h function and _l_e_n_g_t_h specify the
page width and length (from ppww and ppll respectively) in characters. The
--nn and --hh parameters specify the login name and host name of the owner of
the job respectively. The _A_c_c_t_-_f_i_l_e function is passed from the aaff
pprriinnttccaapp entry.
If no iiff is specified, ooff is used instead, with the distinction that ooff
is opened only once, while iiff is opened for every individual job. Thus,
iiff is better suited to performing accounting. The ooff is only given the
_w_i_d_t_h and _l_e_n_g_t_h flags.
All other filters are called as:
ffiilltteerr --xx_w_i_d_t_h --yy_l_e_n_g_t_h --nn _l_o_g_i_n --hh _h_o_s_t _a_c_c_t_-_f_i_l_e
where _w_i_d_t_h and _l_e_n_g_t_h are represented in pixels, specified by the ppxx and
ppyy entries respectively.
All filters take _s_t_d_i_n as the file, _s_t_d_o_u_t as the printer, may log either
to _s_t_d_e_r_r or using syslog(3), and must not ignore SIGINT.
LLOOGGGGIINNGG
Error messages generated by the line printer programs themselves (that
is, the lp* programs) are logged by syslog(3) using the LPR facility.
Messages printed on _s_t_d_e_r_r of one of the filters are sent to the corre-
sponding llff file. The filters may, of course, use syslog themselves.
Error messages sent to the console have a carriage return and a line feed
appended to them, rather than just a line feed.
SSEEEE AALLSSOO
termcap(5), lpc(8), lpd(8), pac(8), lpr(1), lpq(1), lprm(1)
_4_._3 _B_S_D _L_i_n_e _P_r_i_n_t_e_r _S_p_o_o_l_e_r _M_a_n_u_a_l.
HHIISSTTOORRYY
The pprriinnttccaapp file format appeared in 4.2BSD..
4.2 Berkeley Distribution June 5, 1993 3