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From: C.Elvin@ee.surrey.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals
Subject: Re: BSD lpr question
Message-ID: <24570@adm.BRL.MIL>
Date: 21 Sep 90 11:36:19 GMT
Sender: news@adm.BRL.MIL
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Ron Nash <nash@ucselx.sdsu.edu> write:
>  Is there a way to set up two line printers to appear as one printer queue?
>  We have two laser printer queues that I want the users to see as a single
>  printer.   The system is running BSD 4.3.

One way this can be made to work in BSD 4.3 is to use tty pairs.

use a pseudo tty  (say /dev/ttyqf) as the device in /etc/printcap.

All output sent to ttyqf will be readable on ptyqf so have a process which
opens up ptyqf and read print jobs, and then write this input to any number
of 'real' printers according to any chosen scheduling strategy.  This is
a quick and effective solution and it only 'costs' one pseudo-tty pair.

A word of advice:
	rename the pseudo tty pair  you use to avoid any possiblre problems
	with login trying to grab the psuedo device in use.

-- 
Christopher Elvin 	C.Elvin@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK
Dept of Elec. Eng,
University of Surrey,       "Beware of low flying butterflies!"
Guildford,
Surrey, GU2 5XH.  phone: +44 483 509104   fax: +44 483 34139