Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!decwrl!sgi!jweldon@renegade.sgi.com
From: jweldon@renegade.sgi.com (Jack Weldon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Thanks - but more questions!
Summary: clearing the air--lpr vs. lp
Message-ID: <37732@sgi.SGI.COM>
Date: 11 Jul 89 02:43:21 GMT
References: <8907080016.AA08798@aero4.larc.nasa.gov>
Sender: daemon@sgi.SGI.COM
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 65

In article <8907080016.AA08798@aero4.larc.nasa.gov>, blbates@AERO4.LARC.NASA.GOV ("Brent L. Bates TAD/TAB ms294 x42854") writes:
> 1.  I don't know what the differences are between lpr and lp.
> 
> 2.  I don't think lpr uses the interface files. Like I said above,
>     I think you should forget about lpr and just use lp.
> 
> 3.  Is the times off by hours or minutes?  If it is hours it could
> 
> I wished SGI had used BSD lpr instead of System V.  The best OS is BSD with 
> some System V extensions.  System V is such a pain.


The IRIS is SYS V with BSD enhancements...enough said.  Many of our customers
LIKE the SYS V lp system--It has much more flexibility than the BSD system as
far as multiple printers on a single queue point, but alas, BSD users want
their printcaps.

The lpr source code I sent out to people who asked me for it was to allow
SYS V users (this was originally written for AIX) to print to BSD-based 
printservers. Since I cannot distribute any of OUR source code, this seemed
like an opportune time to send the lpr.src to others who might not know such a
solution was available.  This would allow a simple request to be generated 
for the lpd listening on the other end.  Another way to do it is to setup a 
printer using mknetpr, and then hack around and make the script do a "rsh <> 
lpr" instead of rsh <> lp".  A trivial issue.  I could say the same about BSD 
being a pain to implement...Please tell me how you can get a Sun to print to 
a printer on a SYS V machine...? (Other than using "cat <> | rsh  IRIS lp")

Again, the issues here is not which is better--we will see what happens 
in ATT 4.0. 

In answer to your questions:

1) lpr really shouldn't be on the 3000's as far as I'm concerned--it's not on
the 4D's, unless the owner actually ported the real BSD-lp*.

2) BSD-lpr uses /etc/printcap, whereas the lp on the 3000 and 4D machines 
use the interface files.

3) Since you posted a response to a question that we didn't have the pleasure
of seeing, I can't touch this one.  Why don't you try including a quick blurb 
about the question so the rest of us without the original posting can see what
you're talking about.

4) "The best OS is BSD with SYS V enhancements".  I'm not too sure about this.

5) In response to your other posting, "what does a psuedo lpr/lpq do?
Well, I guess you already modified your printer scripts to do it for you.  This
is an actual port of a portion of the BSD-lpr code.  I guess you don't need it.
Doesn't sound like you want it either.

Hope this explains the issues at hand for you and other users--sure has been
popular--I have gotten at least 20 requests so far. I'm sure the printer tool
folks within SGI are looking at new ways to make things like this available
in the future--not for me to decide, though.


Jack Weldon
Communications Engineer
SGI Geometry Hotline
--

Cheers,
Jack			"Elvis is alive and well and living in a trailer
			 park in Muncie, Indiana"  [National Enquirer]