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From: jbayer@ispi.COM (Jonathan Bayer)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: different Printers on SCO XENIX 2.3.3
Message-ID: <1670@ispi.COM>
Date: 16 Aug 90 11:56:04 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.151708.6696@pemstgt.gtc.de>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
Lines: 35

tb@pemstgt.gtc.de (Tillmann Basien) writes:

>hy,
>	I want to install more then one printer on SCO XENIX 2.3.3, with
>	are attached to the same physikal device. On this device /dev/lp1
>	is a laserprinter with manny different emulations.

>	Printer 1: ibmlp	/dev/lp1
>	Printer 2: hpjet	/dev/lp1
>	Printer 3: doku		/dev/lp1
>	Printer 4: listing	/dev/lp1


This is in general NOT A GOOD IDEA.  The spooler expects for there to be
one script for each device, it doesn't do any locking of printer devices
beyond locking the printer name.

A workaround that works most of the time is to put a line at the
beginning of each script that disables all the other printers, and at
the end of the script that re-enables all the other printers.  It is
still possible to get a race condition here, but in general it works
fairly well.

A better solution would be to make the scripts re-spool the print jobs
to another printer.  These scripts would be treated as network printers,
and the final printer defination would be the only script that actually
prints the documents.  I have made this work a while ago, but I don't
have the source.


JB
-- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204