Revised Jan 27 2004
Electronic Reserve and
JSTOR documents may not be printed on CCIT printers.
CCIT's high-speed laser printers are capable of processing plain text,
formatted text and graphics (PostScript). Although these laser printers
are shared by and accessible to the MVS system, this page documents their
use from the U-System and Super. The "print
queues" described in this document only have relevance in a Unix-type
environment. The same or comparable commands apply to Linux. Generally, Unix-type systems print with the
commands lpr, lp, a2ps and enscript,
which have the form
lpr -Pxxx filename
where xxx is the name of a queue ("logical printer") and
filename is the file you wish to print.
All of these printing systems and techniques are described in this
webpage.
Computer
labs that use CCIT's Print Server for print routing to their remote printers
must now use the rlpr command: rlpr -Pqueue -Hhostname file with hostname
being the name of their printer and queue being the name of
the print queue on it. There are
examples of rlpr below.
When a print queue is not specified with any of the commands, the default
queue will be used. Whether you are printing on U-System or Super, the default
queue is "nohole" and default printing is
2-sided, 1-up, no-hole
paper, portrait orientation
There are several ways and many options for overriding printing defaults.
Because some queue names no longer exist or were renamed, verify
that your environment variables and scripts use the new names.
One way to override the default queue is by creating the LPDEST environment
variable with the name of your preferred queue, e.g., "3hole",
but you can also override the default print queue in your print request
with the option –P.
lpr filename --> uses the default "nohole" queue
a2ps –P3hole PSfilename --> overrides the default queue
to print on 3-hole paper
enscript –U4 filename --> uses the default "nohole" queue
but overrides the default 1-up
setting and prints 4-up
For details on all print commands refer to the manpages or jump
to the descriptions in this webpage using the links below. Note that lpr and a2ps
are able to print both text and PostScript without any special options on
your part.
TEXT Printing POSTSCRIPT Printing
lpr lpr
a2ps a2ps
enscript
To
list the names of local print queues available on your system, one or more
of the following should work:
lpstat -a
lpq –Pqueuename
lpq (lpq alone shows the default queue on some systems
but all queues on others )
lpc show all (on Super)
more printcap (on Super)
more /etc/printers.conf (on Suns)
Print Queues
Queue #sides #up orientation
nohole 2 1 portrait default
3hole 2 1 portrait
This
section describes how to print a text file using a2ps,
enscript and lpr. See Printing
PostScript if your file has graphics or contains PostScript. You can jump to the Examples if you only need a reminder or use the Pictoral Commands graphic to find a command that will
produce output that looks a certain way.
Equivalents
of Old U-Cluster Print Queues and Commands
Old Queue/Command #Sides #Up Equivalent 2ps/enscript/lpr command
ps/dup 2 1 a2ps (or enscript or lpr) file
dup3hole 2 1 a2ps (or enscript or lpr) -P3hole file
2dup_b 2 2 a2ps -2 --borders=on file
ps1s/simp 1 1 a2ps -=simplex file (nohole only)
ps_b/dup_b 2 1 a2ps --borders=on file
2dup 2 2 a2ps -2 file
prtx -2up 2 2 a2ps --rows=2 -L62 file
prtland 2 1 a2ps -r -l132 (minus, lowercase "L", 132)
prtport 2 1 a2ps (or enscript or lpr) file
Note
that a2ps and enscript automatically rotate
(landscape) a file for 2-up; 4-up is portrait.
Many options have the same names for a2ps and enscript. Where the option is different between the two,
both techniques are given in the documentation below.
The a2ps and enscript utilities can be used
to print text files which the software will then turn into PostScript
based on the formatting directives you provide in your request and those
provided with the system defaults. For
a full list of options see "man a2ps" and "man enscript".
The options and examples here are only a small subset and just the
ones that would satisfy the majority of CCIT’s printing requirements.
The input parameters allowed with a2ps are generally
the same ones permitted with enscript so the options are described
together for both commands below, however, a2ps
can print both text and PostScript files.
(The options which were introduced with GNU's original version of enscript,
genscript, are prefixed with double-dashes (--). They are more intuitive and easier to remember
(but longer) than the older and cryptic versions but work the same.
The enscript that executes on all of our systems is
the latest GNU version.)
Along with the manpages, there is also helpful information obtained with
a2ps --help for a terse display of input options
a2ps --list-options for a display of system defaults
a2ps --list=prologues for a list of a2ps fonts
enscript --help for a terse display of input options
enscript --list-options for a display of system defaults
A2PS and ENSCRIPT Options
-b'header' or --header='header'
to place a special heading at
the top of each logical page. If
printing 2-up, both pages will have this heading.
The default is to use the file name as the header.
-D used to print simplex with enscript
(see -=simplex for a2ps).
The default is -DDuplex:true so, to print simplex, make this flag
false: -DDuplex:false.
-ffontname or --font=fontname
to print under enscript using a font other than the
Courier size 10 default. (See --prologue for a2ps.) The printer knows about most of the Adobe PostScript
fonts, but enscript does not. When your print request contains a font unknown to the enscript
library, you will get the message "couldn't open AFM for font ___,
using default." The metafile
with font information is missing on the server but it sends the request
to the printer anyway, and the font will be loaded at print time. To request the font size, (like 8, 10, 14, etc.) append the font-size
number to the font name. The font
size must be present; there is no default. These names are case-sensitive.
This is only a partial list of the 100+ available fonts.
- Courier10 is the default
on our system
- Arialn
- Bookman-Lightn
- Helvetican
- Palatino-Romann
- Times-Romann
-b'header' or --header='header'
for a2ps to place
a special heading at the top of each logical page. If printing 2-up, both pages will have this heading. The default is to use the file name as the
header.
-B for a2ps allows you to turn
off page headers.
-ffontsize or --font-size=# is
used to set the font size for a2ps. See --prologue for setting the font
itself for a2ps.
-j or --borders (use --borders for a2ps)
places a border around each logical page, whether printing portrait, landscape,
2-up, etc.
-l (lower-case “L”) or --chars-per-line=#
is the a2ps option that controls the width of a print page
(and, therefore, the size of the font used).
Use -l 132
to print 132 characters-wide output in portrait layout.
-L or –lines-per-page=# is the a2ps
option that controls the length of a print page (and, therefore, the size
of the font used).
-Pprinter or --printer=printer
or -dprinter used
to specify the print queue:
- nohole is the default--one-up,
portrait, duplex on no-hole paper
- 3hole is one-up, portrait,
duplex on 3-hole paper
- There are some special
queues available with a2ps
--prologue=fontname is used to set the
font name for a2ps.
A partial font-name list is above under -ffontname. With a2ps, as with enscript, the font-name
parameter is case-sensitive. With
a2ps the font size is specified using -ffontsize.
-r or --landscape used to rotate the
orientation of the page from the default of portrait. When you specify 2-up printing, the output is automatically rotated
to landscape; when you specify 4-up, it is printed in portrait.
--rows=2
is the a2ps option that allows you to align two logical pages
vertically on a portrait page (versus 2-up which is side-by-side).
-=simplex or -=s1 is used with a2ps
as a flag to override the duplexing default.
(The “minus equal” prefix is for special user options.) Simplexing
does not work with 3-hole paper.
-U# or --nup=# or -# sets the logical number of pages per physical
page for enscript; use -# with a2ps. See -r above.
The lpr command is native to Unix and
can be used to print text and PostScript.
The description for PostScript is later in this webpage.
LPR Options
-P The
print queue name is specified with the -P option.
- nohole is the default--one-up,
portrait, duplex, on no-hole paper
- 3hole is one-up, portrait,
duplex, on 3-hole paper
-J The
Job option is used to control output disposition and what prints on the
banner page. Its input should be contained in quotations
if it contains blanks. If not
specified, the name of the file being printed is used as the job name.
The options listed below can be passed using the -J
parameter and must conform to the following rules:
- The options are in the
form of KEYWORD=value pairs.
- The options are not order-dependent
following the "-J".
- The KEYWORD must
be in capital letters.
- The value may be
in mixed case but there can be no embedded spaces.
- The options must be separated
by commas with no intervening spaces.
DIST=STnn This controls where output is placed.
The default Distribution Station is 00 which is the public shelves
of CCIT's I/O Window. The
only way to override this Distribution default is by using lpr
with this "J-switch".
USER=.... This can be used for a description of you or your job
name. It may be lowercase but spaces may not be embedded. If not specified,
it defaults to your userid on the system from which you are printing.
This controls in what alphabetic bin within Distribution Station (DIST
option, above) your output is filed.
The commands and examples in this section are used
to print PostScript (used here to refer to files containing graphics also).
See Printing Text if the
file you want to print is plain text.
You can jump to the Examples if you only need a reminder or use the Pictoral Commands graphic
to find a command that will produce output that looks a certain way.
Before you actually print a PostScript file, you might
want to preview it using ghostscript or ghostview. Both of these utilities are present on U-System
and Super, and have manpages. This free software allows you to view and print
PostScript files on printers without the PostScript driver software. Look
here for Ghostscript information, documentation and links.
Both
lpr and a2ps can print PostScript without
any special user input parameters or queues.
A PostScript file normally has formatting commands, like font,
embedded in it and neither of these commands has the ability to override
such internal directives.
This lpr command has fewer options on
the U-System than on its predecessor, the U-Cluster.
It can be used for printing text files OR files that already
contain print formatting, like PostScript files.
If your PostScript file needs to be further formatted, such as
printing it 2-up, see the a2ps utility below.
LPR Options
-P The
print queue name is specified with the -P option.
-
nohole
is the default--one-up, portrait, duplex on no-hole paper
-
3hole is one-up, portrait, duplex on 3-hole
paper
-J The
Job option is used to control output disposition and what prints on the
banner page. Its input should
be contained in quotations if it contains blanks.
If not specified, the name of the file being printed is used as
the job name.
The options listed below can be passed using the -J
parameter and must conform to the following rules:
-
The options are in the form of KEYWORD=value
pairs.
-
The options are not order-dependent following the "-J".
The KEYWORD must be in capital letters.
-
The value may be in mixed case but there can
be no embedded spaces.
-
The options must be separated by commas with no intervening
spaces.
DIST=STnn This
controls where output is placed. The default Distribution Station
is 00 which is the public shelves of CCIT's I/O Window. The only way to override this Distribution
default is by using lpr with this "J-switch".
USER=.... This can be used for a description
of you or your job name. It may be lowercase but spaces may not be embedded.
If not specified, it defaults to your userid on the system from which you
are printing. This controls in what alphabetic bin within Distribution Station
(DIST option, above) your output is filed.
A2PS
The a2ps utility
should be used to further refine or override the printing controls within
a file that is already PostScript. For
a full list of a2ps options see "man a2ps". The options and examples here are only a small
subset and just the ones that would satisfy the majority of CCIT's printing
requirements.
Along with "man a2ps",
there is also helpful information obtained with
a2ps --help for a terse display of input options
a2ps --list-options for a display of system defaults
Old Queue #Sides #Up Equivalent a2ps command
ps/dup 2 1 a2ps file
(duplex, portrait, 1-up are defaults)
dup3hole 2 1 a2ps -P3hole file
2dup_b 2 2 a2ps --landscape -–borders=on –2 file
ps1s/simp 1 1 a2ps -=simplex file
ps_b/dup_b 2 1 a2ps --borders=on
2dup 2 2 a2ps --landscape -2
A2PS
Options
--borders
or –j flag used to place a border around each column.
-Pprinter
or --printer=printer used to specify the print queue:
- nohole
is the default--one-up, portrait, duplex on no-hole paper
- 3hole is one-up,
portrait, duplex on 3-hole paper
- There are some special
queues available with a2ps
-=simplex
or -=s1 is used with a2ps as a flag to override the duplexing
default. (The “minus equal” prefix
is for special user options.) Simplexing does not work with 3-hole
paper.
-#
sets the logical number of pages per physical page.
lpr filex
Prints a text file on nohole paper, one-up, duplex, portrait.
a2ps -P3hole filex
Prints filex on 3-hole paper, one-up, duplex, portrait.
a2ps -2 --borders=on -b'special heading' filex
Prints filex 2-up, duplex, landscape with a
border and page heading.
enscript --landscape -DDuplex:false filex
Prints filex 1-sided, landscape.
a2ps --landscape –l 132 -=simplex filex
Prints simplex like the above enscript example.
(The line-length setting (-l) is needed with a2ps in
the event that filex contains lines longer than 132.)
enscript -fPalatino-Roman8 filex
Prints on no-hole paper, one-up, duplex, portrait,
using this size-8 font.
a2ps -4 --borders=on filex filey filez
Prints these 3 files together as one job;
4-up, 2-sided, portrait with a border.
a2ps -Ppdf script
Makes a PDF called script.pdf from the file script.
rlpr -Praw@hp201.ag.arizona.edu filex
Prints to the raw queue of a fictional printer named hp201.
man vi | col -bx | a2ps –2 –P3hole
Prints the vi manpage 2up (man output contains control characters
so the man output is pre-processed by col before printing).
Printing Examples - PostScript
lpr filex
If filex is PostScript, prints it according to the PostScript
directives.
lpr -JDIST=ST09 henway.ps
Prints the file with Distribution Station=9 on the banner page.
a2ps -2 --borders=on r235.ps r236.ps
Prints the 2 PostScript files together in one print job; 2-up,
landscape with a border, duplex on no-hole paper, regardless
of the files’ internal printing controls.
a2ps -Ppdf instr.ps; cp instr.pdf public_html; chmod a+r instr.pdf
Takes the file instr.ps and creates a PDF named instr.pdf;
copies the PDF to the directory public_html; makes the PDF
universally readable.
rlpr -Praw -Hhp201.ag.arizona.edu filex
Prints to the raw queue of a fictional printer named hp201.
man ssh | col -bx | a2ps –4
Prints the manpage for ssh 4up on the default print queue (nohole).
zcat psfile.ps.Z | a2ps –2 –P3hole
Prints the compressed PS file 2-up on 3-hole paper.
See
the manpages for lpr, lr, enscript, and
a2ps, for complete formatting options.
See man printing for a collection of examples on U-System
and see "hottip printing" for thumbnail help. There are manpages for the utilities mpage
and psnup which are useful for placing multiple pages
on a printed sheet ("n-upping" your output) and ps2ps
is a utility for cleaning up PostScript.
Terminal
Site Queues
"Public"
printers are located throughout campus.
If you're computing on U-System and want to print to a more local
printer (one remote to CCIT), you must use the rlpr
command: rlpr -Pqueue -Hhostname file with hostname
being the name of their printer and queue being the name of
the print queue on it.
Using
a Printer Attached to Your Terminal
Some
terminals and terminal emulation software will allow you to print a file
on a locally attached printer. Type "man vtprint" for instructions.
 Printing
Information
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