lpadmin(1M) lpadmin(1M)
NAME
lpadmin - configure the LP print service
SYNOPSIS
lpadmin -p printer options
lpadmin -x dest
lpadmin -d [dest]
lpadmin -S print-wheel -A alert-type [-W minutes] [-Q requests]
DESCRIPTION
lpadmin configures the LP print service by defining printers and
devices. It is used to add and change printers, to remove printers
from the service, to set or change the system default destination, to
define alerts for printer faults, and to mount print wheels.
Adding or Changing a Printer
The first form of the lpadmin command (lpadmin -p printer options) is
used to configure a new printer or to change the configuration of an
existing printer. The following options may appear in any order.
-A alert-type [-W minutes]
The -A option is used to define an alert to inform the adminis-
trator when a printer fault is detected, and periodically
thereafter, until the printer fault is cleared by the administra-
tor. The alert-types are:
mail Sends the alert message via mail [see mail(1)] to the
administrator.
write Writes the message to the terminal on which the
administrator is logged in. If the administrator is
logged in on several terminals, one is chosen arbi-
trarily.
quiet Messages are not sent for the current condition. An
administrator can use this option to temporarily stop
receiving further messages about a known problem. Once
the fault has been cleared and printing resumes, mes-
sages will again be sent when another fault occurs with
the printer.
none No messages are sent; any existing alert definition for
the printer will be removed. No alert will be sent when
the printer faults until a different alert-type (except
quiet) is used.
shell-command
Runs the shell-command each time the alert needs to be
sent. The shell command should expect the message in
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standard input. If there are blanks embedded in the
command, enclose the command in quotes. Note that the
mail and write values for this option are equivalent to
the values mail user-name and write user-name respec-
tively, where user-name is the current name for the
administrator. This will be the login name of the per-
son submitting this command unless he or she has used
the su command to change to another user ID. If the su
command has been used to change the user ID, then the
user-name for the new ID is used.
list Displays the type of the alert for the printer fault.
No change is made to the alert.
The message sent appears as follows:
The printer printer has stopped printing for the reason given
below. Fix the problem and bring the printer back on line. Print-
ing has stopped, but will be restarted in a few minutes; issue an
enable command if you want to restart sooner. Unless someone
issues a change request
lp -i request-id -P ...
to change the page list to print, the current request will be
reprinted from the beginning.
The reason(s) it stopped (multiple reasons indicate reprinted
attempts):
reason
The LP print service can detect printer faults only through an
adequate fast filter and only when the standard interface program
or a suitable customized interface program is used. Furthermore,
the level of recovery after a fault depends on the capabilities
of the filter.
If the printer is all, the alerting defined in this command
applies to all existing printers.
If the -W option is not used to arrange fault alerting for
printer, the default procedure is to mail one message to the
administrator of printer per fault. This is equivalent to speci-
fying -W once or -W 0. If minutes is a number greater than zero,
an alert will be sent at intervals specified by minutes.
-c class
Inserts printer into the specified class. class will be created
if it does not already exist.
-D comment
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Saves this comment for display whenever a user asks for a full
description of printer [see lpstat(1)]. The LP print service does
not interpret this comment.
-e printer1
Copies the interface program of an existing printer1 to be the
interface program for printer. (Options -i and -m may not be
specified with this option.)
-F fault-recovery
Specifies the recovery to be used for any print request that is
stopped because of a printer fault, according to the value of
fault-recovery:
continue Continues printing from the top of the page where
printing stopped. This requires a filter to wait for
the fault to clear before continuing automatically.
beginning Starts printing the request again from the begin-
ning.
wait Disables printing on printer and waits for the
administrator or a user to enable printing again.
During the wait the administrator or the user who
submitted the stopped print request can issue a
change request that specifies where printing should
resume. (See the -i option of the lp command.) If no
change request is made before printing is enabled,
printing will resume at the top of the page where
stopped, if the filter allows; otherwise, the
request will be printed from the beginning.
-f allow:form-list
-f deny:form-list
Allows or denies the forms in form-list to be printed on printer.
By default no forms are allowed on a new printer.
For each printer, the LP print service keeps two lists of forms:
an "allow-list" of forms that may be used with the printer, and a
"deny-list" of forms that may not be used with the printer. With
the -f allow option, the forms listed are added to the allow-list
and removed from the deny-list. With the -f deny option, the
forms listed are added to the deny-list and removed from the
allow-list.
If the allow-list is not empty, only the forms in the list may be
used on the printer, regardless of the contents of the deny-list.
If the allow-list is empty, but the deny-list is not, the forms
in the deny-list may not be used with the printer. All forms can
be excluded from a printer by specifying -f deny:all. All forms
can be used on a printer (provided the printer can handle all the
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characteristics of each form) by specifying -f allow:all.
The LP print service uses this information as a set of guidelines
for determining where a form can be mounted. Administrators, how-
ever, are not restricted from mounting a form on any printer. If
mounting a form on a particular printer is in disagreement with
the information in the allow-list or deny-list, the administrator
is warned but the mount is accepted. Nonetheless, if a user
attempts to issue a print or change request for a form and
printer combination that is in disagreement with the information,
the request is accepted only if the form is currently mounted on
the printer. If the form is later unmounted before the request
can print, the request is canceled and the user is notified by
mail.
If the administrator tries to specify a form as acceptable for
use on a printer that doesn't have the capabilities needed by the
form, the command is rejected.
Note the other use of -f, with the -M option, below.
-h Indicates that the device associated with the printer is
hardwired. If neither of the mutually exclusive options, -h and
-l, is specified, this option is assumed.
-I content-type-list
Allows printer to handle print requests with the content types
listed in a content-type-list. If the list includes names of more
than one type, the names must be separated by commas or blank
spaces. (If they are separated by blank spaces, the entire list
must be enclosed in double quotes.)
The type simple is recognized as the default content type for
files in the Reliant UNIX system. A simple type of file is a data
stream containing only printable ASCII characters and the follow-
ing control characters.
Control Character Octal Value Meaning
_________________________________________________________________
backspace 108 move back one charac-
ter, except at begin-
tab 118 m
ni
on
ve
g o
tf
o l
ne
in
xe
t tab stop
line feed (newline) 128 move to beginning of
form feed 148 m
ne
ov
xe
t l
ti
onb
eeginning of
m
ne
ov
xe
t p
ta
ogb
eeginning of
current line
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carriage return 158
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To prevent the print service from considering simple a valid type
for the printer, specify either an explicit value (such as the
printer type) in the content-type-list, or an empty list. If you
do want simple included along with other types, you must include
simple in the content-type-list.
Except for simple, each content-type name is freely determined by
the administrator. If the printer type is specified by the -T
option, then the printer type is implicitly considered to be also
a valid content type.
-i interface
Establishes a new interface program for printer. interface is the
pathname of the new program. (The -e and -m options may not be
specified with this option.)
-l Indicates that the device associated with printer is a login ter-
minal. The LP scheduler (lpsched) disables all login terminals
automatically each time it is started. (The -h option may not be
specified with this option.)
-M -f form-name [-a [-o filebreak]]
Mounts the form form-name on printer. Print requests that need
the pre-printed form form-name will be printed on printer. If
more than one printer has the form mounted and the user has
specified any (with the -d option of the lp command) as the
printer destination, then the print request will be printed on
the one printer that also meets the other needs of the request.
The page length and width, and character and line pitches needed
by the form are compared with those allowed for the printer, by
checking the capabilities in the terminfo database for the type
of printer. If the form requires attributes that are not avail-
able with the printer, the administrator is warned but the mount
is accepted. If the form lists a print wheel as mandatory, but
the print wheel mounted on the printer is different, the adminis-
trator is also warned but the mount is accepted.
If the -a option is given, an alignment pattern is printed, pre-
ceded by the same initialization of the physical printer that
precedes a normal print request, with one exception: no banner
page is printed. Printing is assumed to start at the top of the
first page of the form. After the pattern is printed, the
administrator can adjust the mounted form in the printer and
press return for another alignment pattern (no initialization
this time), and can continue printing as many alignment patterns
as desired. The administrator can quit the printing of alignment
patterns by typing q.
If the -o filebreak option is given, a formfeed is inserted
between each copy of the alignment pattern. By default, the
alignment pattern is assumed to correctly fill a form, so no
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formfeed is added.
A form is "unmounted" either by mounting a new form in its place
or by using the -f none option. By default, a new printer has no
form mounted.
Note the other use of -f without the -M option above.
-M -S print-wheel
Mounts the print-wheel on printer. Print requests that need the
print-wheel will be printed on printer. If more than one printer
has print-wheel mounted and the user has specified any (with the
-d option of the lp command) as the printer destination, then the
print request will be printed on the one printer that also meets
the other needs of the request.
If the print-wheel is not listed as acceptable for the printer,
the administrator is warned but the mount is accepted. If the
printer does not take print wheels, the command is rejected.
A print wheel is "unmounted" either by mounting a new print wheel
in its place or by using the option -S none. By default, a new
printer has no print wheel mounted.
Note the other uses of the -S option without the -M option
described below.
-m model
Selects model interface program, provided with the LP print ser-
vice, for the printer. (Options -e and -i may not be specified
with this option.)
-o printing-option
Each -o option in the list below is the default given to an
interface program if the option is not taken from a preprinted
form description or is not explicitly given by the user submit-
ting a request [see lp(1)]. The only -o options that can have
defaults defined are listed below.
length= scaled-decimal-number
width= scaled-decimal-number
cpi= scaled-decimal-number
lpi= scaled-decimal-number
stty= 'stty-option-list'
The term "scaled-decimal-number" refers to a non-negative number
used to indicate a unit of size. The type of unit is shown by a
"trailing" letter attached to the number. Three types of scaled
decimal numbers can be used with the LP print service: numbers
that show sizes in centimeters (marked with a trailing c);
numbers that show sizes in inches (marked with a trailing i); and
numbers that show sizes in units appropriate to use (without a
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trailing letter), that is, lines, characters, lines per inch, or
characters per inch.
The first four default option values must agree with the capabil-
ities of the type of physical printer, as defined in the terminfo
database for the printer type. If they do not, the command is
rejected.
The stty-option-list is not checked for allowed values, but is
passed directly to the stty program by the standard interface
program. Any error messages produced by stty when a request is
processed (by the standard interface program) are mailed to the
user submitting the request.
For each printing option not specified, the defaults for the fol-
lowing attributes are defined in the terminfo entry for the
specified printer type.
length
width
cpi
lpi
The default for stty is
stty='9600 cs8 -cstopb -parenb ixon
-ixany opost -olcuc onlcr -ocrnl -onocr
-onlret -ofill nl0 cr0 tab0 bs0 vt0 ff0'
You can set any of the -o options to the default values (which
vary for different types of printers), by typing them without
assigned values, as follows:
length=
width=
cpi=
lpi=
stty=
-o nobanner
Allows a user to submit a print request specifying that no banner
page be printed.
-o banner
Forces a banner page to be printed with every print request, even
when a user asks for no banner page. This is the default; you
must specify -o nobanner if you want to allow users to be able to
specify -o nobanner with the lp command.
-r class
Removes printer from the specified class. If printer is the last
member of class, then class will be removed.
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-S list
Allows either the print wheels or aliases for character sets
named in list to be used on the printer.
If the printer is a type that takes print wheels, then list is a
comma or space separated list of print wheel names. (Enclose the
list with quotes if it contains blanks.) These will be the only
print wheels considered mountable on the printer. (You can always
force a different print wheel to be mounted, however.) Until the
option is used to specify a list, no print wheels will be con-
sidered mountable on the printer, and print requests that ask for
a particular print wheel with this printer will be rejected.
If the printer is a type that has selectable character sets, then
list is a comma or blank separated list of character set name
"mappings" or aliases. (Enclose the list with quotes if it con-
tains blanks.) Each "mapping" is of the form
known-name=alias
The known-name is a character set number preceded by cs (such as
cs3 for character set three) or a character set name from the
terminfo database entry csnm [see terminfo(4)]. If this option is
not used to specify a list, only the names already known from the
Terminfo database or numbers with a prefix of cs will be accept-
able for the printer.
If list is the word none, any existing print wheel lists or char-
acter set aliases will be removed.
Note the other uses of the -S with the -M option described above.
-s system-name [!printer-name]
Makes a remote printer (one that must be accessed through another
system) accessible to users on your system. System-name is the
name of the remote system on which the remote printer is located;
it must be listed in the systems table (/etc/lp/Systems).
Printer-name is the name used on the remote system for that
printer. For example, if you want to access printer1 on system1
and you want it called printer2 on your system, enter -p printer2
-s system1!printer1
-T printer-type-list
Identifies the printer as being of one or more printer-types.
Each printer-type is used to extract data from the terminfo data-
base; this information is used to initialize the printer before
printing each user's request. Some filters may also use a
printer-type to convert content for the printer. If this option
is not used, the default printer-type will be unknown; no infor-
mation will be extracted from terminfo so each user request will
be printed without first initializing the printer. Also, this
option must be used if the following are to work: -o cpi, -o lpi,
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-o width, and -o length options of the lpadmin and lp commands,
and the -S and -f options of the lpadmin command.
If the printer-type-list contains more than one type, then the
content-type-list of the -I option must either be specified as
simple, as empty (-I ""), or not specified at all.
-u allow:login-ID-list
-u deny:login-ID-list
Allows or denies the users in login-ID-list access to the
printer. By default all users are allowed on a new printer. The
login-ID-list argument may include any or all of the following
constructs:
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login-ID a user on any system
system-name!login-ID
a user on system system-name
system-name!all all users on system system-name
all!login-ID a user on all systems
all all users on all systems
For each printer the LP print service keeps two lists of users:
an "allow-list" of people allowed to use the printer, and a
"deny-list" of people denied access to the printer. With the -u
allow option, the users listed are added to the allow-list and
removed from the deny-list. With the -u deny option, the users
listed are added to the deny-list and removed from the allow-
list.
If the allow-list is not empty, only the users in the list may
use the printer, regardless of the contents of the deny-list. If
the allow-list is empty, but the deny-list is not, the users in
the deny-list may not use the printer. All users can be denied
access to the printer by specifying -u deny:all. All users may
use the printer by specifying -u allow:all.
-U dial-info
Allows your print service to access a remote printer. (It does
not enable your print service to access a remote printer ser-
vice.) Specifically, -U assigns the "dialing" information dial-
info to the printer. Dial-info is used with the dial routine to
call the printer. Any network connection supported by the Basic
Networking Utilities will work. Dial-info can be either a phone
number for a modem connection, or a system name for other kinds
of connections. Or, if -U direct is given, no dialing will take
place, because the name direct is reserved for a printer that is
directly connected. If a system name is given, it is used to
search for connection details from the file /etc/uucp/Systems or
related files. The Basic Networking Utilities are required to
support this option. By default, -U direct is assumed.
-v device
Associates a device with printer. device is the path name of a
file that is writable by lp. Note that the same device can be
associated with more than one printer.
Restrictions
When creating a new printer, one of three options (-v, -U, or -s) must
be supplied. In addition, only one of the following may be supplied:
-e, -i, or -m; if none of these three options is supplied, the model
standard is used. The -h and -l options are mutually exclusive.
Printer and class names may be no longer than 14 characters and must
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consist entirely of the characters A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and (underscore).
If -s is specified, the following options are invalid: -A, -e, -F, -h,
-i, -l, -M, -m, -o, -U, -v, and -W.
Removing a Printer Destination
The -x dest option removes the destination dest (a printer or a
class), from the LP print service. If dest is a printer and is the
only member of a class, then the class will be deleted, too. If dest
is all, all printers and classes are removed. No other options are
allowed with -x.
Setting/Changing the System Default Destination
The -d [dest] option makes dest, an existing printer or class, the new
system default destination. If dest is not supplied, then there is no
system default destination. No other options are allowed with -d.
Setting an Alert for a Print Wheel
-S print-wheel -A alert-type [-W minutes] [-Q requests]
The -S print-wheel option is used with the -A alert-type option
to define an alert to mount the print wheel when there are jobs
queued for it. If this command is not used to arrange alerting
for a print wheel, no alert will be sent for the print wheel.
Note the other use of -A, with the -p option, above.
The alert-types are:
mail Sends the alert message via the mail command to the
administrator.
write Writes the message, via the write command, to the ter-
minal on which the administrator is logged in. If the
administrator is logged in on several terminals, one is
arbitrarily chosen.
quiet Messages are not sent for the current condition. An
administrator can use this option to temporarily stop
receiving further messages about a known problem. Once
the print-wheel has been mounted and subsequently
unmounted, messages will again be sent when the number
of print requests reaches the threshold specified by
the -Q option.
none Messages are not sent until the -A option is given
again with a different alert-type (other than quiet).
shell-command
Runs the shell-command each time the alert needs to be
sent. The shell command should expect the message in
standard input. If there are blanks embedded in the
command, enclose the command in quotes. Note that the
mail and write values for this option are equivalent to
the values mail user-name and write user-name
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respectively, where user-name is the current name for
the administrator. This will be the login name of the
person submitting this command unless he or she has
used the su command to change to another user ID. If
the su command has been used to change the user ID,
then the user-name for the new ID is used.
list Displays the type of the alert for the print wheel on
standard output. No change is made to the alert.
The message sent appears as follows:
The print wheel print-wheel needs to be mounted on the
printer(s):
printer (integer1 requests)
integer2 print requests await this print wheel.
The printers listed are those that the administrator had earlier
specified were candidates for this print wheel. The number integer1
listed next to each printer is the number of requests eligible for the
printer. The number integer2 shown after the printer list is the total
number of requests awaiting the print wheel. It will be less than the
sum of the other numbers if some requests can be handled by more than
one printer.
If the print-wheel is all, the alerting defined in this command
applies to all print wheels already defined to have an alert.
If the -W option is not given, the default procedure is that only one
message will be sent per need to mount the print wheel. Not specifying
the -W option is equivalent to specifying -W once or -W 0. If minutes
is a number greater than zero, an alert will be sent at intervals
specified by minutes.
If the -Q option is also given, the alert will be sent when a certain
number (specified by the argument requests) of print requests that
need the print wheel are waiting. If the -Q option is not given, or
requests is 1 or the word any (which are both the default), a message
is sent as soon as anyone submits a print request for the print wheel
when it is not mounted.
FILES
/var/spool/lp/*
/etc/lp
SEE ALSO
enable(1), lp(1), lpstat(1), stty(1), accept(1M), lpsched(1M),
lpsystem(1M), dial(3C), terminfo(4).
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