Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!bionet!arisia!roo!mdixon From: mdixon@parc.xerox.com (Mike Dixon) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Printer problems Message-ID: Date: 24 Mar 90 01:14:42 GMT References: <4651@helios.TAMU.EDU> Sender: news@parc.xerox.com Distribution: usa Organization: Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 24 In-reply-to: ronniek@cs.tamu.edu's message of 23 Mar 90 19:40:51 GMT there's no requirement to have a printer named Local_Printer (i don't have one, and netinfo never gives me grief about it). there's a global default printer, and (like all other defaults) it's stored in the preferences database (under keys System/Printer). to set the default printer from a shell, say dwrite System Printer to see what your default printer is, say dread System Printer if you say lpr , that's the printer it will go to. if you have no System/Printer entry in the preferences database, it uses Local_Printer. the Preferences application probably ought to give you a hook into this; i guess the rational is that you don't want to set the printer unless you're printing something, if you're printing it through appkit you get a button, and if you're mucking with lpr you're probably the sort who would rather use dwrite than Preferences. -- .mike.