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From: macmillan%wnre.aecl.cdn%ubc.CSNET@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA (John MacMillan)
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: shared printer problem
Message-ID: <325:macmillan@wnre.aecl.cdn>
Date: Thu, 19-Jun-86 23:38:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: wnre.325:macmillan
Posted: Thu Jun 19 23:38:55 1986
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Most of the laser printers on site, that have a VAX queue, are also being
used locally by a local Rainbow through a manual switch.  i.e. When
they want to print from the Rainbow the switch is turned to the Rainbow 
position; when they want to print from the VAX the switch is turned to the
VAX position. 

Since logging into the VAX to stop the print queue is very tedious, a lot
of people/most people don't bother to stop the vax queue.  So when they
want to print from the Rainbow they just set the switch to the Rainbow postion
and posibly forget to set it back to the VAX position when they are finished
printing.  So any print jobs that are queued to that printer are lost.

Does anyone know of a way for the VAX to automatically detect or check to see 
if there is really a printer out there before sending the file to be printed?

John MacMillan
Atomic Energy of Canada
Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment
Pinawa, MB, Canada R0E 1L0

(204) 753-2311 ext. 2539