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From: prc@erbe.se (Robert Claeson)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers
Subject: Re: 4.3 BSD spooling and option lists
Message-ID: <1991Feb18.085419.28548@erbe.se>
Date: 18 Feb 91 08:54:19 GMT
References: <10040001@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Organization: ERBE DATA AB, Jakobsberg, Sweden
Lines: 30

In article <10040001@hpfcdc.HP.COM> lienhart@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Lienhart) writes:

>How do 4.3 BSD spooler systems handle the concept of options to
>a print request?  For example say I have a LaserJet printer that
>is capable of printing double-sided.  How does one set up a 
>printer on a 4.3 BSD spooler system to allow the user to choose
>between single-sided and double-sided output?  Another example
>is chosing between portrait mode and landscape mode output?
...

>System V spoolers such as those found in HP-UX and SCO, the lp
>command includes a "-o" parameter in which a user can specify
>options.  In the first example above, "lp -odouble <filename>
>would print the request on both sides of the page.  Leaving
>out the "-odouble" would result in single-sided output.  So
>how do 4.3 BSD spoolers handle this type of control--if at all?

You can't. While the System V spooler provides a flexible way of
sending options and arguments to the back-end filters, the BSD
spooler doesn't provide any of this functionality. Instead, it
has a number of pre-defined input format types, with the ability
to, in /etc/printcap, specify filters for any of these formats on
a given printer.



-- 
Robert Claeson

Disclaimer: I represent myself and not my employer.