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PRINTCAP(5) File Formats Manual PRINTCAP(5)

printcapprinter capability data base

printcap

The printcap data base is used to describe line printers. The spooling system accesses the printcap file every time it is used, allowing dynamic addition and deletion of printers. Each entry in the data base is used to describe one printer.

The default printer is normally lp, though the environment variable PRINTER may be used to override this. Each spooling utility supports an option, -P printer, to allow explicit naming of a destination printer.

Refer to the 4.3 BSD Line Printer Spooler Manual for a complete discussion on how to set up the database for a given printer.

Refer to capfile(5) for a description of the file layout.

Type Default Description
af str
br num none if lp is a tty, set the baud rate (ioctl(2) call)
cf str
df str (DVI format)
fc num 0 if lp is a tty, clear flag bits (sgtty.h)
ff str \f
fo bool false print a form feed when device is opened
fs num 0 like `fc' but set bits
gf str (plot(3) format
hl bool false print the burst header page last
ic bool false driver supports (non standard) ioctl to indent printout
if str
lf str /dev/console
lo str lock
lp str /dev/lp
ms str
mx num 1000 maximum file size (in BUFSIZ blocks), zero = unlimited
nd str
nf str
of str
pc num 200 price per foot or page in hundredths of cents
pf str PostScript files
pl num 66 page length (in lines)
pw num 132 page width (in characters)
px num 0 page width in pixels (horizontal)
py num 0 page length in pixels (vertical)
rf str FORTRAN style text files
rg str
rm str (also suppress the burst page, see NOTES)
rp str ``lp'' remote printer name argument
rs bool false restrict remote users to those with local accounts
rw bool false open the printer device for reading and writing
sb bool false short banner (one line only)
sc bool false suppress multiple copies
sd str /var/spool/output/lpd
sf bool false suppress form feeds
sh bool false suppress printing of burst page header (local only, see NOTES)
st str status
tf str
tr str
vf str
xc num 0 if lp is a tty, clear local mode bits (tty(4))
xs num 0 like `xc' but set bits

If the local line printer driver supports indentation, the daemon must understand how to invoke it.

If a printer is specified via lp (either local or remote), the lpd(8) daemon creates a pipeline of to process files for various printer types. The pipeline is not set up for remote printers specified via rm unless the local host is the same as the remote printer host given. The filters selected depend on the flags passed to lpr(1). The pipeline set up is:

p	pr | if	regular text + pr(1)
none	if	regular text
c	cf	cifplot
d	df	DVI (tex)
g	gf	plot(3)
n	nf	ditroff
o	pf	PostScript
f	rf	Fortran
t	tf	troff
v	vf	raster image

The filter is invoked with arguments:

if [-c] -wwidth -llength -iindent -n login [-j jobname] -h host acct-file

The -c flag is passed only if the -l flag (pass control characters literally) is specified to lpr(1). The width and length specify the page width and length (from pw and pl respectively) in characters. The -n and -h parameters specify the login name and host name of the owner of the job respectively. The -j parameter is optional and specifies the name of the print job if available. The acct-file option is passed from the af printcap entry.

If no if is specified, of is used instead, with the distinction that of is opened only once, while if is opened for every individual job. Thus, if is better suited to performing accounting. The of is only given the width and length flags.

All other filters are called as:

filter -xwidth -ylength -n login [-j jobname] -h host acct-file

where width and length are represented in pixels, specified by the px and py entries respectively.

All filters take as the file, as the printer, may log either to stderr or using syslog(3), and must not ignore SIGINT.

Filters can communicate errors to lpd by their exit code and by modifying the mode of the spool lock file as follows:

0
Success.
1
An attempt is made to reprint the job and mail is sent if it fails.
2
lpd(8) silently discards the job.
n
lpd(8) discards the job and mail is sent.
u+x
Stop printing and leave queue disabled (S_IXUSR).
o+x
Rebuild the queue (S_IXOTH).

Error messages generated by the line printer programs themselves (that is, the lp* programs) are logged by syslog(3) using the LPR facility. Messages printed on stderr of one of the filters are sent to the corresponding lf file. The filters may, of course, use syslog(3) themselves.

Error messages sent to the console have a carriage return and a line feed appended to them, rather than just a line feed.

lpq(1), lpr(1), lprm(1), capfile(5), lpc(8), lpd(8), pac(8)

4.3 BSD Line Printer Spooler Manual.

The flag is a function of the spooler with the locally attached printer, and so has no effect when used with rm. NetBSD never adds a burst page when used as a remote spooler. To suppress the burst page for other systems or dedicated devices, refer to the documentation for those systems or devices.

The printcap file format appeared in 4.2BSD.

April 5, 2012 NetBSD-9.2