How does lp really work?

[Tim Medford]

My developers informed me this morning that they are running a job this weekend that will lp approximately 200,000 files. (Thanks for all the notice!)

It will be grouped into batches of 1000 files at a time. So in other words it will be 200 lp commands, each with 1000 files. We do this same thing every month-end, but it's usually about 20 groups of 1000 file print jobs. This will be 200 groups of 1000 file print commands.

I think I'm ok on space in /var but I'm wondering what else might bite me?

My question is this: when lp sends a spool file to the printer is it immediately removed from /var/spool/lp/blah, or does it stay there until the printer is actually done printing it? We are printing to a "remote" printer, Xerox docutech.

If I have to queue up all 200000 files in /var I might be in trouble. If they get cleaned up as soon as the printer has them, then I should be ok.

Thanks,
Tim

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Tim:

The files will be copied to '/var/spool/lp/request/' when the request is queued. As soon as a successful transfer to the remote printer queue occurs, the file will be removed.

Regards!

...JRF...