LP(C) UNIX System V
Name
lp, cancel - send/cancel requests to lineprinter
Syntax
lp [options] files
lp -i options
cancel [ids] [printers]
Description
The first form of the lp shell command arranges for the
named files and associated information (collectively called
a request) to be printed. If no file names are specified on
the shell command line, the standard input is assumed. The
standard input may be specified along with named files on
the shell command line using the file name. The files will
be printed in the order they appear on the shell command
line.
The second form of lp is used to change the options for a
request. The print request identified by the request-id is
changed according to the printing options specified with
this shell command. The printing options available are the
same as those with the first form of the lp shell command.
If request-id has finished printing, the change is rejected.
If the request-id is already printing, it will be stopped
and restarted from the beginning, unless the -P option has
been given.
lp associates a unique id with each request and prints it on
the standard output. This id can be used later to cancel,
change, or find the status of the request. (See the section
on cancel for details about canceling a request, the
previous paragraph for an explanation of how to change a
request, and lpstat(C) for information about checking the
status of a print request.)
Sending a Print Request
The first form of the lp command is used to send a print
request to a particular printer or group of printers.
Options to lp must always precede file names but may be
listed in any order. The following options are available
for lp:
-c When lp is invoked, copies of the files to be
printed are made immediately. Normally, files will
not be copied. If the -c option is not given, then
the user should be careful not to remove any of the
files before the request has been printed in its
entirety. It should also be noted that in the
absence of the -c option, any changes made to the
named files after the request is made but before it
is printed will be reflected in the printed output.
-d dest Prints this request using dest as the printer or
class of printers. Under certain conditions (lack
of printer availability, capabilities of printers,
and so on), requests for specific destinations may
not be accepted [see accept(ADM) and lpstat(C)]. By
default, dest is taken from the environment variable
LPDEST (if it is set). Otherwise, a default
destination (if one exists) for the computer system
is used. Destination names vary between systems
[see lpstat(C)].
-f form-name [-d any]
Prints the request on the form form-name. The LP
print service ensures that the form is mounted on
the printer. If form-name is requested with a
printer destination that cannot support the form,
the request is rejected. If form-name has not been
defined for the system or if the user is not allowed
to use the form, the request is rejected [see
lpforms(ADM)]. When the -d any option is given, the
request is printed on any printer that has the
requested form mounted and can handle all other
needs of the print request.
-H special-handling
Prints the request according to the value of
special-handling. Acceptable values for special-
handling are hold, resume, and immediate, as defined
below:
hold Won't print the request until notified. If
already printing, stops it. Other print
requests will go ahead of a held request
until it is resumed.
resume Resumes a held request. If it had been
printing when held, it will be the next
request printed, unless subsequently bumped
by an immediate request.
immediate
(Available only to LP administrators)
Prints the request next. If more than one
request is assigned immediate, the requests
are printed in the reverse order queued. If
a request is currently printing on the
desired printer, you have to put it on hold
to allow the immediate request to print.
-m Sends mail [see mail(C)] after the files have been
printed. By default, no mail is sent upon normal
completion of the print request.
-n number
Prints number copies of the output (default is 1).
-o option
Specifies printer-dependent or class-dependent
options. Several such options may be collected by
specifying the -o keyletter more than once. The
standard interface recognizes the following options:
nobanner
Does not print a banner page with this
request. (The administrator can disallow this
option at any time.)
nofilebreak
Does not insert a form feed between the files
given if submitting a job to print more than
one file.
length=scaled-decimal-number
Prints the output of this request with pages
scaled-decimal-number lines long. A scaled-
decimal-number is an optionally scaled decimal
number that gives a size in lines, columns,
inches, or centimeters, as appropriate. The
scale is indicated by appending the letter
``i'' (for inches) or the letter ``c'' (for
centimeters). For length or width settings,
an unscaled number indicates lines or columns;
for line pitch or character pitch settings, an
unscaled number indicates lines per inch or
characters per inch (the same as a number
scaled with ``i''). For example, length=66
indicates a page length of 66 lines,
length=11i indicates a page length of 11
inches, and length=27.94c indicates a page
length of 27.94 centimeters.
This option cannot be used with the -f option.
width=scaled-decimal-number
Prints the output of this request with page-
width set to scaled-decimal-number columns
wide. (See the explanation above for scaled-
decimal-numbers.) This option cannot be used
with the -f option.
lpi=scaled-decimal-number
Prints this request for ``lines per inch''
with the line pitch set to scaled-decimal-
number lines per inch. This option cannot be
used with the -f option.
cpi=scaled-decimal-number
Prints this request for ``characters per
inch'' with the character pitch set to
scaled-decimal-number characters per inch.
Character pitch can also be set to pica
(representing 10 columns per inch) or elite
(representing 12 columns per inch), or it can
be compressed, which is as many columns as a
printer can handle. There is no standard
number of columns per inch for all printers;
see the terminfo(F) database for the default
character pitch for your printer. The cpi
option cannot be used in conjunction with the
-f option.
stty=stty-option-list
Set the printer with a list of options valid
for the stty command. Enclose the list with
quotes if it contains blanks.
-P page-list
Prints the page(s) specified in page-list. This
option can be used only if there is a filter
available to handle it; otherwise, the print request
will be rejected.
The page-list may consist of range(s) of numbers,
single page numbers, or a combination of both. The
pages will be printed in ascending order.
-q priority-level
Assigns this request priority-level in the printing
queue. The values of priority-level range from 0,
the highest priority, to 39, the lowest priority.
If a priority is not specified, the default for the
print service is used, as assigned by the system
administrator.
-s Suppresses messages from lp(C) such as ``request id
is ...''.
-S character-set [-d any]
-S print-wheel [-d any]
Prints this request using the specified character-
set or print-wheel. If a form has been specified
that requires a character-set or print-wheel other
than the one specified with the -S option, the
request is rejected.
For printers that take print wheels: if the print-
wheel specified is not one listed by the
administrator as acceptable for the printer involved
in this request, the request is rejected unless the
print wheel is already mounted on the printer. For
printers that use selectable or programmable
character sets: if the character-set specified is
not one defined in the terminfo database for the
printer [see terminfo(F)] or is not an alias defined
by the administrator, the request is rejected.
When the -d any option is used, the request is
printed on any printer that has the print wheel
mounted or any printer that can select the character
set and can handle all other needs of the request.
-t title
Prints title on the banner page of the output. The
default is no title.
-T content-type [-r]
While the printer type information tells the print
service what type of printer is being added, the
content type information tells the print service
what types of files can be printed. Prints the
request on a printer that can support the specified
content-type. If no printer accepts this type
directly, a filter will be used to convert the
content into an acceptable type. If the -r option
is specified, a filter will not be used. If -r is
specified but no printer accepts the content-type
directly, the request is rejected. If the content-
type is not acceptable to any printer, either
directly or with a filter, the request is rejected.
-w Writes a message on the user's terminal after the
files have been printed. If the user is not logged
in, then mail will be sent instead.
-y mode-list
Prints this request according to the printing modes
listed in mode-list. The allowed values for mode-
list are locally defined. This option can be used
only if there is a filter available to handle it; if
there is no filter, the print request will be
rejected.
Canceling a Print Request
The cancel command cancels printer requests that were made
by the lp(C) shell command. The shell command line
arguments may be either request-ids [as returned by lp(C)]
or printer names [for a complete list, use lpstat(C)].
Specifying a request-id cancels the associated request even
if it is currently printing. Specifying a printer cancels
the request that is currently printing on that printer. In
either case, the cancellation of a request that is currently
printing frees the printer to print its next available
request.
Special Options
-R Removes file after sending it.
-L Local printing option. Sends print job to
printer attached to the terminal.
The file /etc/default/lpd contains the setting of the
variable BANNERS, whose value is the number of pages printed
as a banner identifying each printout. This is normally set
to either 1 or 2.
The variables LPR and PRINTER can each be set to `spooler'
or `local'. These variables let you send files to the spool
printer or the terminal's local printer, respectively. The
file /usr/bin/spool contains the `spooler' setting for both
variables. The file /usr/bin/local contains the `local'
setting. The following are a few examples of variable
usage:
lp -option spooler
LPR=local
LPR=spooler
spool lp -option device file
Notes
Printers for which requests are not being accepted will not
be considered when the destination is any. (Use the
lpstat -a command to see which printers are accepting
requests.) On the other hand, if a request is destined for
a class of printers and the class itself is accepting
requests, all printers in the class will be considered,
regardless of their acceptance status, as long as the
printer class is accepting requests.
Warning
For printers that take mountable print wheels or font
cartridges, if you do not specify a particular print wheel
or font with the -S option, whichever happens to be mounted
at the time your request prints will be used. Use the
lpstat -p -l command to see what print wheels are available.
For printers that have selectable character sets, you will
get the standard set if you don't give the -S option.
Files
/usr/spool/lp/*
/etc/default/lpd
See Also
enable(C), lpstat(C), mail(C), accept(ADM), lpadmin(ADM),
lpfilter(ADM), lpforms(ADM), lpsched(ADM), lpusers(ADM),
terminfo(F)
Standards Conformance
cancel and lp are conformant with:
AT&T SVID Issue 2, Select Code 307-127;
and The X/Open Portability Guide II of January 1987.
(printed 2/15/90) LP(C)