NAME

printcap − printer capability data base

USAGE

/etc/printcap

DESCRIPTION

Printcap is a simplified version of the termcap(5) data base.  However, printcap is used solely to describe line printers.  The spooling system reads the printcap file every time it is used, allowing you to add and delete printers dynamically.  Each entry in the data base is used to describe one printer. 

The default printer is normally lp, though the environment variable PRINTER may be used to override this.  Each spooling utility supports an option, −Pprinter, to allow explicit naming of a destination printer. 

Refer to the DOMAIN/IX Administrator’s Reference Manual for BSD4.2 for a more complete discussion of how to set up the database for a given printer. 

CAPABILITIES

The layout of this file is identical to the layout of /etc/termcap.  NameTypeDefault Description afstrNULLname of accounting file brnumnoneif lp is a tty, set the baud rate (ioctl 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 (sgtty.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 (3X) format) ic bool false driver supports (non standard) ioctl  to indent printout (unimplemented) if str NULL name of text filter which does accounting lf str /dev/console error logging file name lo str lock name of lock file lp str /dev/lp device name to open for output mc num infinite maximum number of copies allowed 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 str NULL Command to run instead of directing output  to lp or rp.  The command should  behave like a printer.  The value supplied  for DOMAIN Systems is:  “/com/prf -banner off -text -npag -headers off” 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 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 /usr/spool/lpd/lp  spool directory sf bool false suppress form feeds sh bool false suppress printing of burst page header st str status status file name tf str NULL troff data filter (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

NOTES

Blank lines in a printcap file will cause lp-related commands to act as if there is a “nameless” printer defined there. 

If the local line printer driver supports indentation, the daemon must understand how to invoke it. 

RELATED INFORMATION

lpq(1), lpr(1), lprm(1), lpc(8), lpd(8), termcap(5), /com/prf.