Specifications

3-18
Guide to Printers and Printing
ps:
device = lp1
lp1:
file = /dev/lp1
header = never
trailer = never
access = both
backend = /usr/lib/lpd/piobe
Each of these stanza pairs defines a queue. When the backend for a queue is piobe, each
queue also has an associated virtual printer. While it is possible to create virtual printer
definitions the hard way, virtual printer definitions are typically created at the same time as
the queue definition, with SMIT and the piomkpq command. The virtual printer definition is
not contained in /etc/qconfig. Its presence is implied by the fact the spooler backend for a
given queue is piobe, but it is stored elsewhere in the base operating file system. The name
of the queue is used to identify and access the virtual printer definition.
The physical printer known to the base operating system as lp1 clearly supports at least
four distinct data stream types; they are ASCII ( asc ), Plotter Emulation ( gl ), Printer
Command Language ( pcl ), and PostScript ( ps ). Each queue with its associated virtual
printer definition is designed to process a particular data stream type, hence the four
queues. This is the basis for the base operating system notion of a logical separation of
physical and virtual printers.
Spooler Queue Names and Status Formats
Spooler queue names (the name of a queue stanza) can be over seven characters in length
but only the first seven characters will be displayed in the output of a queue status query.
Device names (the name of a device stanza) are limited to five characters in the output of a
queue status query.
In spooler queue status queries, remote spooler queues will be indicated twice: once for the
local queue, and once for the remote queue on the print server. For example, if /etc/qconfig
contains this entry:
myps:
device = @kricket
up = TRUE
host = kricket
s_statfilter = /usr/lib/lpd/aixshort
l_statfilter = /usr/lib/lpd/aixlong
rq = myps
@kricket:
backend = /usr/lib/lpd/rembak
the command lpstat –pmyps would return the following:
Queue Dev Status Job Files User PP % Blks Cp Rnk
––––––– ––– ––––––––– ––– –––––––– ––––––––– –– – –––– –– –––
myps @krik READY
myps myps READY
The first line of the output indicates that the local spooler queue named myps, with a device
stanza whose name is listed as @krik, has a status of READY. The second line indicates
that the target remote spooler queue, also named myps, whose device stanza is listed as
myps, also has a status of READY. (It is the author’s habit to make a local spooler queue
name the same as the print server spooler queue name. It’s then easy to visually group the
two lines in the output of a spooler queue status query.)