Remote printing: Ascii is printed instead of PCL

[BradF]

I am using remote printing from HP servers running HP-UX 11.0 to print to a NT and a Linux print server.

From Server1 to the remote print queue, the print job prints correctly formatted.

From Server2 to the remote print queue, the print job prints out as Ascii text so the PCL coding is visible.

The same queue is used on the remote NT or Linux server. The print queue is configured the same on Server1 and Server2. If I disable the HP print queue and look at the print files they are exactly the same. Somehow the remote print server is deciding to not print the file as raw???

I installed the latest lp patch PHCO_25110 on Server2???

I am looking for ways to troubleshoot and trace the print job from Server1 and Server2 to see where the issue is. (The remote print servers are across the WAN).

Thanks

[Mark Greene_1]

check the setup on the destination printer from server 2 to make sure that the default queue is set to AUTO

mark

[John Palmer]

Have you compared the interface scripts (/etc/lp/interface/)?

It's possible that rlp is being called differently.

Regards,
John

[BradF]

The same print queues are used on the NT and the Linux server.

I.E.
Server1 prints to lp1 on NT, it is formatted.
Server2 prints to lp1 on NT, it is ascii text of PCL code.

The interface scripts are the same on Server1 and Server2.

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Brad,

I assume that lp is the command being used to start the print job on it's way.
Do a
which lp
on both servers.
You may be accessing a different lp command on the diff servers.

HTH,
Jeff

[Mark Greene_1]

>The same print queues are used on the NT and the Linux server.

But what is the destination printer setup for? If it is an HP with a JetDirect card, the card's default queue has to be set to AUTO. If it is a non-HP printer, check the manual to verify that it is configured to handle PCL.

mark

[BradF]

SAP creates the print job to the local HP servers.

Server1
SAP sends a print job to server1, server1 has a print queue p001 setup as a remote printer to lp1 on NTserver1, Server1 sends the print job to queue lp1 on NTserver1. NTserver1 sends the print job to a HP5000 called LP1, the printer is connected to the network via jetadmin card. The print job prints out formated.

Server2
SAP sends a print job to server2, server2 has a print queue p001 setup as a remote printer to lp1 on NTserver1, Server2 sends the print job to queue lp1 on NTserver1. NTserver1 sends the print job to a HP5000 called LP1, the printer is connected to the network via jetadmin card. The print job prints out as ascii text of pcl code.

The printer prints fine from server1, but from server2 following the same path it prints as ascii text.

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Brad,

That's understood.
But you should, as the user that owns the SAP process, run
which lp
There may have been a util on server2 at some point that redirected the lp command.
I'm fairly sure that SAP just issues an lp command to send the print job.
Can't hurt to rule that out...

Rgds,
Jeff

[BradF]

which lp returns /usr/bin/lp on both servers.

[Mark Greene_1]

>>Server2
SAP sends a print job to server2, server2 has a print queue p001 setup as a remote printer to lp1 on NTserver1, Server2 sends the print job to queue lp1 on NTserver1. NTserver1 sends the print job to a HP5000 called LP1, the printer is connected to the network via jetadmin card. The print job prints out as ascii text of pcl code<<

so they send to the same physical printer, or no? if no, telnet to the jet direct card and enter a backslash to see the current parameters. the default queue should be AUTO. if it is TEXT or RAW, it will not act on the PCL codes, just print them as you are seeing.

mark

[BradF]

Server1 and Server2 print to the same NT print queue and to the same physical printer.

I telneted to the printer and did a / there was no option for "Auto" etc. It is a HP laserjet 5000n.

[Jordan Bean]

How are the printers defined to SAP? Is one hpux spooler formatting the file in PCL and the other not? Is the NT spooler using a PCL driver as well? Perhaps you are experiencing PCL within PCL...

Would you provide us the following from each hpux server?

lpstat -vlp1
/etc/lp/interface/lp1
and the SAP spooler definition

And spooler details from the NTserver?

Thanks.

[BradF]

The HP spooler should only hand the print file off to the NT Server to print it.

SAP has it's own printer driver and formats the print output. If I disable the print queue on each server the print file created in /var/spool/lp/request/p001 is Exactly the same on server1 and server2. (ie a diff of the files doesn't return anything)

I have done some more research and did a network trace via nettl.

Server2 is sending the file with an "f" to print as text. (according to the LPR standard info)

Server1 is sending the file with an "l" to print file leaving control characters. (according to the LPR standard info)

I have a call open with HP to resolve the "f" / "l" issue.

[Bill Hassell]

You're probably seeing the 'raw' versus 'cooked' problem that exists with all SysV print spoolers, that is, ASCII files must be processed with LF=CRLF, and raw left alone.

Check the printer script in /etc/lp/interface on both machines (diff them to find differences). The printer script is a copy of the model found at: /usr/lib/lp/model/rmodel