lp printing issue following OS updates

[Fred.B]

We have a Datatel software package, and we use ROC Easyspooler to manage our printing. T/S with ROC tech support resolved an initial issue where the HP OS updates overwrote /usr/bin/llp. ROC had me rename the file to 11p-12-22-2010 to signify when it was updated by my updates. Then copy ROC's llp from there software directory and to /usr/bin directory. I did it and everything worked.

A few hours later a couple of printers disappeared so I did a lot of research and according to Datatel we are supposed to point to a script that calls "lpstat -a" to pull in a printer list. I did a "lpstat -a" and I get the same list that shows up in Datatel which is missing 2 printers.

We modified our Datatel to point to an old script which pulls printer information straight from Easyspooler and we get our full list.

My question is if lpalias has the full list of alias' then why would (assuming that all printers were setup correctly previously) the lpstat be different than the easyspooler listing, and why would the 2 printers just disappear? Is there a seperate file that lp commands use to pull it's printer information from? Thanks.

[Dennis Handly]

>overwrote /usr/bin/llp

I'm not aware if that command, just lp(1).

>Is there a separate file that lp commands use to pull its printer information from?

I would assume so. A better question is, where does Easyspooler keep its info.

[Zinky]

I would suggest you refer and re-digest your EasySpooler manuals and see how it interacts with the SYSV based printing system.

We have some 3rd Party printing subsystems and spoolers like QMX from Minolta, etc. It takes some bit of intimacy with the software but finding out how it interacts with the built in or if it is independent is dependent on thine EasySpooler manauals...

[Bill Hassell]

> lpalias, llp ...

You'll need to work with Easyspooler support on this. There are no HP-UX commands called lpalias or llp. The standard lp commands that are in HP-UX work well by themselves but Easyspooler replaces the lp spooler with a new subsystem.

[Fred.B]

I made a mistake, its lpsalias file not lpalias. The question I have that is unanswered is related to the unix lp commands (lp, lpstat, etc..). If I type lpstat it is not giving me the full list of printers that the ROC software does. So where is the unix lp commands store/pull its information from? My end goal is that I want to setup the printing like Datatel wants, which is to use the unix lp commands and not the ROC software. Thanks.

[Dennis Handly]

>it's lpsalias

(This is as unknown as before.)

>So where is the unix lp commands store/pull its information from?

This isn't going to help you. lp uses binary files in /var/spool/lp/, etc and I assume that Easyspooler uses something completely different.

>I want to setup the printing like Datatel wants, which is to use the unix lp commands and not the ROC software.

One way this might work is if the ROC software has commands with a superset of the lp commands. Then you either set up some aliases for Datatel with the same names and redirect to the ROC commands. Or you can use $PATH to point to some wrapper scripts.

[Dennis Handly]

>We modified our Datatel to point to an old script which pulls printer information straight from Easyspooler and we get our full list.

If this works, what more do you want?
Your subject implies it was working before your update? From what two versions?

[Fred.B]

After bashing my head against the desk a few times I believe that I have been enlightened into what must have happened. We have 3 environments for the datatel system, 2 are pointing to ROC, and the live environment was pointing to HP-UX. I am taking a stab in the dark here but one of my compadres must have changed the live pointer to HP-UX during the T/S, and is not fessing up. My assumption is that the two newest printers on the system were not setup at the HP-UX OS level with the various lp commands, which would explain why it does not show up in Datatel when it is pointing to HP-UX. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.