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From: jdm@gssc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: System V lp setup
Message-ID: <343@gssc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Mar-87 12:49:49 EST
Article-I.D.: gssc.343
Posted: Wed Mar  4 12:49:49 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Mar-87 00:23:17 EST
Reply-To: jdm@gssc.UUCP (John D. Miller)
Distribution: comp.unix.wizards
Organization: Graphic Software Systems, Beaverton Or
Lines: 42

i hereby cuss and swear vehemently at the UNIX System V (read 3B2) lp setup.
more precisely, lpadmin and the whole /usr/spool/lp directory.

when trying to bring up a new printer (a laserwriter) one cannot write a new
model and stuff it in the .../lp/model directory and specify it as a new
model.  it seems as though lpadmin is HARD CODED to a handful of not very
useful model types.  

furthermore, if i delete the pstatus and qstatus files, i would expect that
they would be recreated as necessary by SOME command, like lpadmin or even
accept.  but they all complain that they can't open the file, or that the
printer has "disappeared."

in short, lpadmin is a pain, and the System V manuals don't make it any easier.
i have NO documentation on the contents of the /usr/spool/lp directory (at
least not that i know of, as all things are hard to find in the "new and
improved" at&t manuals) except what is in the lpadmin man page.

i think that my basic gripes boil down to this:  
	1. lpadmin should not be hardcoded with the model names, and
	2. the new System V manuals are AWFULL!!!!  the original, spiral-bound
	manuals were great, by comparison, except that they fell apart.  

i vehemently oppose spreading the same information over MANY manuals.
PLEASE go back to the following manual structure:
	Volume 1. the the level 1 commands
	Volume 2. the 2 through 8 man-page levels 
	Volume 3. the memorandum papers on advanced topics
	Volume 4. the tutorials
	Volume 5. hardware specific setup

i don't really care about the numbering scheme, i just HATE wasting time to 
search all over for a man page, or any other info i'm looking for.

anyone have any comments?  (you might mail personal flames, but truly useful
info would be welcome on the net, i'm sure.)  =)

-- jdm

-- 
in real life:  John D. Miller, Graphic Software Systems, Inc., Beaverton OR
...!{tektronix!verdix}!sequent!gssc!jdm