printers.conf(4)
NAME
printers.conf - system printing configuration database
SYNOPSIS
/etc/printers.conf
NIS
printers.conf.byname
NIS+
printers.org_dir
FNS
fns.ctx_dir.domain
DESCRIPTION
The printers.conf file is the system printing configuration
database. System administrators use printers.conf to
describe destinations for the print client commands and the
print protocol adaptor. A destination names a printer or
class of printers (see lpadmin(1M)). The LP print spooler
uses private LP configuration data for represented in the
printers.conf database.
Entries
Each entry in printers.conf describes one destination.
Entries are one line consisting of any number of fields
separated by colons (`:') and terminated by a NEWLINE. The
first field of each entry specifies the name of the destina-
tion and aliases to which the entry describes. Specify one
or more names or aliases of the destination in this first
field. Specify the destination using atomic names.
POSIX-style names are not acceptable. See standards(5).
Separate destination names by pipe signs (`|').
Two destination names are reserved for special use in the
first entry. Use _all to specify the interest list for
lpget, lpstat, and cancel. Use _default to specify the
default destination.
The remaining fields in an entry are key=value pairs. See
Specifying Configuration Options for details regarding
key=value pairs.
Empty lines can be included for readability. Entries may
continue on to multiple lines by adding a backslash (`\') as
the last character in the line. printers.conf can include
comments. Comments have a pound sign (`#') as the first
character in the line, and are terminated by a NEWLINE. Use
the lpset command to create or modify printers.conf (see
lpset(1M)). Do not make changes in printers.conf using an
editor.
Specifying Configuration Options
key=value pairs are configuration options defined by the
system administrator. key and value may be of arbitrary
length. Separate key and value by the equal (`=') charac-
ter.
Client/Server Configuration Options
The following client/server configuration options
(represented as key=value pairs) are supported:
bsdaddr=server, destination[,Solaris]
Sets the server and destination name. Sets if the
client generates protocol extensions for use with the
lp command (see lp(1)). Solaris specifies a Solaris
print server extension. If Solaris is not specified,
no protocol extensions are generated. server is the
name of the host containing the queue for destination.
destination is the atomic name by which the server
knows the destination.
use=destination
Sets the destination to continue searching for confi-
guration information. destination is an atomic or
Federated Naming Service (FNS)
(.../service/printer/...) name.
all=destination_list
Sets the interest list for the lpget, lpstat, and
cancel commands. destination_list is a comma-separated
list of destinations. Specify destination using
atomic or FNS names (.../service/printer/...). See
lpget(1M), lpstat(1), and cancel(1).
General Server Options
The following general server configuration options
(represented as key=value pairs) are supported:
spooling-type=spooler[, version]
Sets the type of spooler under which a destination is
configured. Dynamically loads translation support for
the back-end spooling system from /usr/lib/print/bsd-
adaptor/bsd_spooler.so[.version]. Specify spooler as
lpsched, cascade, or test. lpsched is used as a
default for locally attached destinations. cascade is
used as a default for destination spooled on a remote
host. Use test for the test module to allow the cap-
ture of print requests. If using a versioned spooler
module, version specifies the version of the transla-
tion module.
spooling-type-path= dir_list
Sets the location of translation support for the type
of spooler defined by the spooling-type key. Locates
translation support for the for the type of spooler
under which a destination is configured. dir_list is a
comma-separated list of absolute pathnames to the
directories used to locate translation support for the
spooling system set by the spooling-type key.
LP Server Options
The following LP configuration options (represented as
key=value pairs) are supported:
user-equivalence=true|false
Sets whether or not usernames are considered
equivalent when cancelling a print request submitted
from a different host in a networked environment. true
means that usernames are considered equivalent, and
permits users to cancel a print requests submitted
from a different host. user-equivalence is set to
false by default. false means that usernames are not
considered equivalent, and does not permit users
cancel a print request submitted from a different
host. If user-equivalence is set to false, print
requests can only be cancelled by the users on the
host on whichs the print prequest was generated or by
the super-user on the print server.
Test Configuration Options
The following test configuration options (represented as
key=value pairs) are supported:
test-spooler-available=true|false
Sets whether or not the protocol adaptor accepts con-
nection requests to the test adaptor for the destina-
tion. true means that the protocol adaptor accepts
connection requests to the test adaptor for the desti-
nation. test-spooler-available is set to true by
default. false means that the protocol adaptor does
not accept connection requests to the test adaptor for
the destination.
test-log=dir
Sets the location of the log file generated by the
test translation module. Specify dir as an absolute
pathname.
test-dir=dir
Sets the directory to be used during execution of the
test translation module. Specify dir as an absolute
pathname.
test-access=true|false
Sets whether or not the requesting client has access
to the test translation module. true means that the
requesting client has access to the test translation
module. test-access is set to true by default. false
means that the the requesting client does not have
access to the test translation module.
test-accepting=true|false
Sets whether or not the configured destination is
accepting job submission requests. true means that the
configured destination is accepting job submission
requests. test-accepting is set to true by default.
false means that the configured destination is not
accepting job submission requests.
test-restart=true|false
Sets whether or not a protocol request to restart the
destination will be honored or return an error. true
means that a protocol request to restart the destina-
tion will be honored. test-restart is set to true by
default. false means that a protocol request to res-
tart the destination return an error.
test-submit=true|false
Sets whether or not a protocol request to submit a job
to a destination will be honored or return an error.
true means that a protocol request to submit a job to
a destination will be honored. test-submit is set to
true by default. false means that a protocol request
to submit a job to a destination will not be honored.
test-show-queue-file= file
Sets the name of the file whose contents are to be
returned as the result of a status query. Specify file
as an absolute pathname.
test-cancel-cancel-file= file
Sets the name of the file whose contents are returned
as the result of a cancellation request. Specify file
as an absolute pathname.
Locating Destination Information
The print client commands and the print protocol adaptor
locate destination information based on the "printers" data-
base entry in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. See
nsswitch.conf(4).
Locating the Personal Default Destination
The default destination is located differently depending on
the command.
The lp command locates the default destination in the fol-
lowing order:
1. lp command's -d destination option.
2. LPDEST environment variable.
3. PRINTER environment variable.
4. _default destination in $HOME/.printers.
5. _default destination in /etc/printers.conf.
6. _default destination in FNS.
The lpr, lpq, and lprm commands locate the default destina-
tion in the following order:
1. lpr command's -P destination option.
2. PRINTER environment variable.
3. LPDEST environment variable.
4. _default destination in $HOME/.printers.
5. _default destination in /etc/printers.conf.
6. _default destination in FNS.
Locating the Interest List for lpstat, lpget, and cancel
The lpget, lpstat, and cancel commands locate the interest
list in the following order:
1. _all list in $HOME/.printers.
2. _all list in /etc/printers.conf.
3. _all list in FNS.
Looking Up Destinations Using Atomic Names and FNS
Federated Naming Service (FNS) supports resolution of compo-
site names spanning multiple naming systems. FNS supports
several underlying naming services: NIS+, NIS, and files.
Atomic destination names are resolved using the search order
specified by the "printers" database entry in the
/etc/nsswitch.conf file. When the "xfn" service is
configured in the "printers" database, the following
Federated Name Service contexts are searched for the sup-
plied name:
thisuser/service/printer,
myorgunit/service/printer,
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Setting the interest list
The following entry sets the interest list for the lpget,
lpstat and cancel commands to printer1, printer2 and
printer3:
_all:all=printer1,printer2,printer3
Example 2: Setting the server name
The following entry sets the server name to server and and
printer name to ps_printer for destinations printer1 and ps.
It does not generate protocol extensions.
printer1|ps:bsdaddr=server,ps_printer
Example 3: Setting server name and destination name
The following entry sets the server name to server and des-
tination name to pcl_printer, for destination printer2. It
also generates Solaris protocol extensions.
printer2:bsdaddr=server,pcl_printer,Solaris
Example 4: Setting server name and destination name with
continuous search
The following entry sets the server name to server and
destination name to new_printer, for destination printer3.
It also sets the printer3 to continue searching for confi-
guration information to printer another_printer.
printer3:bsdaddr=server,new_printer:use=another_printer
Example 5: Setting default destination
The following entry sets the default destination to con-
tinue searching for configuration information to destina-
tion printer1.
_default:use=printer1
FILES
/etc/printers.conf
System configuration database.
$HOME/.printers
User-configurable printer database.
printers.conf.byname ( NIS)
NIS version of /etc/printers.conf.
printers.org_dir (NIS+ )
NIS+ version of /etc/printers.conf.
fns.ctx_dir.domain
FNS version of /etc/printers.conf.
/usr/lib/print/bsd-adaptor/bsd_spooler.so*
Spooler translation modules.
/usr/lib/print/in.lpd
BSD print protocol adapter.
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri-
butes:
____________________________________________________________
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
| Availability | SUNWpcu |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
| Stability Level | Stable |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
SEE ALSO
cancel(1), lp(1), lpq(1B), lpr(1B), lprm(1B), lpstat(1),
in.lpd(1M), lpadmin(1M), lpget(1M), lpset(1M),
nsswitch.conf(4), printers(4), attributes(5), fns(5),
fns_policies(5), standards(5)
System Administration Guide: Basic Administration
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