Re: Printing w/ LPR

[turnbull@example.com (Stephen J. Turnbull)]

>>>>> "Mark" == LNJPTYO1 MDARCY01 <LNJPTYO1.MDARCY01@example.com> writes:

    Mark> ) running. Computer A has an a remote printer in its
    Mark> printcap ( HP 4V with a Jet Direct Access card ). On

That is, you have three devices on the network:  computers A and B and 
a dedicated printer host (the Jet Direct card), and the printer is not 
directly connected to any computer?  How does this printer handle
authentication (ie, the equivalent of the hosts.lpd file)?  I assume
this shouldn't matter, since the connection comes from A whether it is
direct from A or indirect from B, but who knows?

    Mark> Computer B, I have a remote printer printcap entry for the
    Mark> Computer A's "lp" queue and IP address.

so B's printcap looks something like

hp4v|JetDirect|HP4V with Jet Direct served by Computer A:\
    :lp=:       # you need this for some reason, I think lpd will try \
                # to use a local printer \
    :rm=A.sub.top:\
    :rp=hp4v:

and A's looks like

hp4v|JetDirect|HP4V with Jet Direct served by me:\
    :lp=:       # you need this for some reason, I think lpd will try \
                # to use a local printer \
    :rm=JetDirect.sub.top:\
#   :rp=hp4v:   # presumably this defaults to lp, and the JetDirect
                # card knows how to handle it?

and A's hosts.lpd contains

B.sub.top

and `ls -l /var/spool' on B says (inter alia)

  drwxrwxr-x   2 root     lp           1024 Aug 23 15:05 hp4v

and `ls -l /var/spool' on A says (inter alia)

  drwxrwxr-x   2 root     lp           1024 Aug 23 15:05 hp4v

I *assume* (I haven't done this myself) you need spool directories on
BOTH hosts if you are using lpr (surprise!) and you need lpd running
on BOTH hosts because lpr simply sets up the queue (writing daemon
control files, copying or symlinking the print job files, to the spool
directories, etc); it is lpd's job to hang around waiting for the
resource to become available (suppose either the network or computer A
is down?  B's lpr queues the jobs and B's lpd then squirts it out when
the connection to A becomes available.)

    Mark> I have no problems printing from Computer A. When I send
    Mark> something from Computer B to the printer, LPC status command
    Mark> tells me that Computer B is waiting for Computer A's queue
    Mark> to be enabled, which it is.

I think this must be because computer B needs to enable its own queue
for computer A.  Note that `man lpc(8)' says that `lpc command'
operates on the *local* queue and daemon, not on the remote queue and
daemon.

If I'm completely wrong about the division of labor between lpr and
lpd, the only other thing I can think of is that when lpr calls up the 
remote lpd (I don't think it does that, but if I'm wrong and it does), 
the answering lpd gets assigned a user-id that doesn't have enough
privilege to write the spool directories.  But this doesn't fit the
lpc error message.

Good luck....

Steve

-- 
                           Stephen John Turnbull
University of Tsukuba                                        Yaseppochi-Gumi
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences  http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305 JAPAN                 turnbull@example.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
a word from the sponsor will appear below
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The TLUG mailing list is proudly sponsored by TWICS - Japan's First
Public-Access Internet System.  Now offering 20,000 yen/year flat
rate Internet access with no time charges.  Full line of corporate
Internet and intranet products are available.   info@example.com
Tel: 03-3351-5977   Fax: 03-3353-6096