From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!hp-pcd!peter
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: line printer problems - (nf)
Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.469
Posted: Thu Nov 11 18:02:35 1982
Received: Tue Nov 16 03:35:54 1982

#N:hp-pcd:9400004:000:1067
hp-pcd!peter    Nov 11 13:08:00 1982


We are running 4.1bsd and have been having some problems lately with the line
printer daemon getting out of sync. The sequence of events is as follows:

   1. the line printer refuses to print
   2. a lock file exists in /usr/spool/lpd that is not owned by the user
      on top of the line printer queue.

To restart the printer, we must do the following:

   1. delete the lock file in /usr/spool/lpd
   2. get the person on top of the queue to restart the daemon /usr/lib/lpd.

I have recompiled and reinstalled all the line printer programs, but it does
not help the situation.

Any suggestions?

                                              Peter Robinson
                                              Hewlett-Packard PCD

                                              ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!peter
                                                      harpo!hp-pcd!peter


P.S. I noticed this morning that using "lprm" to abort a printing listing
     caused the situation to occur. If this is the problem, how does one
     cleanly abort a listing in progress?