The lp command includes information for the AIX® Print Subsystem lp and the System V Print Subsystem lp.
AIX Print Subsystem lp Command
Purpose
Sends requests
to a line printer.
Syntax
lp [ -c ] [ -dQueue ] [ -m ] [ -nNumber ] [ -oOption ] [ -s ] [ -tTitle ] [ -w ] [ Files ]
Description
The lp command
arranges for the files specified by the Files parameter and
their associated information (called a request) to be printed by a
line printer. If you do not specify a value for the Files parameter,
the lp command accepts standard input. The file name - (dash)
represents standard input and can be specified on the command line
in addition to files. The lp command sends the requests in
the order specified. If the job is submitted to a local print queue,
the lp command displays the following to standard output:
where nnn is the assigned job number.
To suppress the job number use the -s flag.
Flags
| Item |
Description |
|---|
| -c |
Copies the files to be printed immediately when the lp command
is run. The lp command copies files only when requested. No
links are created. If you specify the -c flag, be careful not
to remove any of the files before they are printed. If you do not
specify the -c flag, changes made to the files after the request
is made appear in the printed output. |
| -dQueue |
Specifies the print queue to which a job is sent. |
| -m |
Sends mail (see the mail command)
after the files are printed. By default, no mail is sent upon normal
completion of the print request. |
| -nNumber |
Prints the number of copies of printed output. The default
number of copies is 1. |
| -oOptions |
Specifies that flags specific to the backend be passed to the
backend. Thus, for each queue, other flags not described in this article
can be included with the lp command. See the piobe command
for a list of these flags. Specifying this flag is the same as specifying
the -o flag for the enq command. |
| -s |
Suppresses the automatic return of job numbers. The lp command
reports the job number as the default, the -s flag overrides
the default. |
| -tTitle |
Specifies printing the title of the file on the banner page
of the output. |
| -w |
Writes a message on the print requesters terminal after the
files are printed. If the requester is not logged in, the mail command sends the message.
If the user is logged in on multiple windows or terminals, the message
may not be sent to the LFT where the command was issued. The message
is sent to the first terminal on which the writesrv daemon
sees the user to be logged in. Note: If the -w flag
is used in conjunction with the -m flag, the print requester
will only receive mail and will not get a message on the terminal.
|
Security
Attention RBAC users and Trusted AIX users: This
command can perform privileged operations. Only privileged users can
run privileged operations. For more information about authorizations
and privileges, see Privileged Command Database in AIX Version 7.1 Security. For a list
of privileges and the authorizations associated with this command,
see the lssecattr command or the getcmdattr subcommand.
Examples
- To print the /etc/motd file on printer lp0 attached
to device dlp0, enter:
- To print 30 copies of the /etc/motd file
using a copy of the file, and to notify the user that the job is completed
using mail, enter:
lp -c -m -n30 -dlp0:lpd0 /etc/motd
- To print the /etc/motd file using backend
flags -f and -a, with a job title of blah,
enter:
lp -t"blah" -o -f -o -a /etc/motd
- To queue the MyFile file and return
the job number, enter:
- To queue the MyFile file and suppress
the job number, enter:
lp -s myfile
Exit Status
This command
returns the following exit values:
| Item |
Description |
|---|
| 0 |
All input files processed successfully. |
| >0 |
No output device is available, or an error occurred. |
Files
| Item |
Description |
|---|
| /usr/sbin/qdaemon |
Contains the queuing daemon. |
| /var/spool/lpd/qdir/* |
Contains the queue requests. |
| /var/spool/lpd/stat/* |
Contains information on the status of the devices. |
| /var/spool/qdaemon/* |
Contains temporary copies of enqueued files. |
| /etc/qconfig |
Contains the queue configuration file. |
| /etc/qconfig.bin |
Contains digested, binary version of the /etc/qconfig file. |
Purpose
Sends print requests
Syntax
lp [print-options]
[files]
lp -i request-ID print-options
Description
The first form of the lp command
arranges for the named files and associated information (collectively
called a request) to be printed. If filenames are not specified on
the command line, the standard input is assumed. The standard input
may be specified along with named files on the command line
by listing the filenames and specifying - for the standard
input. The files will be printed in the order in which they
appear on the command line.
The LP print service associates
a unique request-ID with each request and displays it on the
standard output. This request-ID can be used later when canceling
or changing a request, or when determining its status. See the cancel command for details about canceling
a request, and lpstat for information
about checking the status of a print request.
The second form
of lp is used to change the options for a request submitted
previously. The print request identified by the request-ID is
changed according to the print-options specified with this
command. The print-options available are the same as those
with the first form of the lp command. If the request has finished
printing, the change is rejected. If the request is already printing,
it will be stopped and restarted from the beginning (unless the -P flag
has been given).
If you enter lp -?, the system
displays the command usage message and returns 0.
Sending a print request
The first form
of the lp command is used to send a print request either to
a particular printer or to any printer capable of meeting all requirements
of the print request.
Flags must always precede filenames,
but may be specified in any order.
Printers for which requests
are not being accepted will not be considered when the destination
is any. (Use the lpstat -a command to see which printers
are accepting requests.) However, if a request is destined for a class
of printers and the class itself is accepting requests, then all printers
in the class will be considered, regardless of their acceptance status.
For
printers that take mountable print wheels or font cartridges, if you
do not specify a particular print wheel or font with the -S flag,
whichever one happens to be mounted at the time your request is printed
will be used. The lpstat -p printer -l command
is used to see which print wheels are available on a particular printer.
The lpstat -S -l command is used to see what print wheels are
available and on which printers. Without the -S flag, the standard
character set is used for printers that have selectable character
sets.
If you experience problems with jobs that usually print
but on occasion do not print, check the physical connections between
the printer and your computer. If you are using an automatic data
switch or an A/B switch, try removing it and see if the problem clears.
Flags
- -c
- Make copies of the files to be printed immediately when lp is
invoked. Normally files will not be copied, but will be linked
whenever possible. If the -c flag is not specified, the user
should be careful not to remove any of the files before the
request has been printed in its entirety. It should also be noted
that if the -c flag is not specified, any changes made to the
named files after the request is made but before it is printed
will be reflected in the printed output.
- -d dest
- Choose dest as the printer or class of printers that is
to do the printing. If dest is a printer, then the request
will be printed only on that specific printer. If dest is a
class of printers, then the request will be printed on the first available
printer that is a member of the class. If dest is any,
then the request will be printed on any printer that can handle it.
Under certain conditions (unavailability of printers, file space limitations,
and so on) requests for specific destinations may not be accepted
(see lpstat). By default, dest is
taken from the environment variable LPDEST. If LPDEST is
not set, then dest is taken from the environment variable PRINTER.
If PRINTER is not set, a default destination (if one exists)
for the computer system is used. If no system default is set and -T is
used, dest will be selected on the basis of content-type specified
with the -T flag [see the description of -T]. Destination
names vary between systems (see lpstat).
- -f form-name [-d any]
- Print the request on the form form-name. The LP print service
ensures that the form is mounted on the printer. If form-name is
requested with a printer destination that cannot support the form,
the request is rejected. If form-name has not been defined
for the system, or if the user is not allowed to use the form, the
request is rejected. (see lpforms).
When the -d any flag is given, the request is printed on any
printer that has the requested form mounted and can handle all other
needs of the print request.
- -H special-handling
- Print the request according to the value of special-handling.
Acceptable values for special-handling are defined below:
- hold
- Do not print the request until notified. If printing has already
begun, stop it. Other print requests will go ahead of a held request
until it is resumed.
- resume
- Resume a held request. If it had been printing when held, it will
be the next request printed, unless subsequently bumped by an immediate request.
The -i flag (followed by a request-ID) must be used
whenever this argument is specified.
- immediate
- (Available only to LP administrators) Print the request next.
If more than one request is assigned immediate, the most recent
request will be printed first. If another request is currently printing,
it must be put on hold to allow this immediate request to print.
-
- -L locale-name
- Specify locale-name as the locale to use with this print
request. By default, locale-name is set to the value of LC_CTYPE.
If LC_CTYPE is not set, locale-name defaults to the
C locale.
- -m
- Send mail after the files have been printed. By default, mail
is not sent upon normal completion of the print request.
- -n number
- Print number copies of the output. The default is one copy.
- -o options
- Specify printer-dependent options. Several such options may
be collected by specifying the -o keyletter more than once
(that is, -o option[1] -o option[2] ... -o option[n]),
or by specifying a list of options with one -o keyletter enclosed
in double quotes and separated by spaces (that is, -o "option[1] option[2] .
. . option[n]").
- nobanner
- Do not print a banner page with this request. The administrator
can disallow this option at any time.
- nofilebreak
- Do not insert a form feed between the files given, if submitting
a job to print more than one file. This option is not supported by
printers configured to use the PS (PostScript)
interface.
- length=scaled-decimal-number
- Print this request with pages scaled-decimal-number long.
A scaled-decimal-number is an optionally scaled decimal number
that gives a size in lines, characters, inches, or centimeters, as
appropriate. The scale is indicated by appending the letter i for
inches, or the letter c for centimeters. For length or width
settings, an unscaled number indicates lines or characters; for line
pitch or character pitch settings, an unscaled number indicates lines
per inch or characters per inch (the same as a number scaled with i).
For example, length=66 indicates a page length of 66 lines, length=11i indicates
a page length of 11 inches, and length=27.94c indicates a page
length of 27.94 centimeters. This option may not be used with the -f option
and is not supported by the PS (PostScript).
- width=scaled-decimal-number
- Print this request with pages scaled-decimal-number wide.
(See the explanation of scaled-decimal-numbers in the discussion
of length, above.) This option may not be used with the -f option
and is not supported by the PS (PostScript).
- lpi=scaled-decimal-number
- Print this request with the line pitch set to scaled-decimal-number.
(See the explanation of scaled-decimal-numbers in the discussion
of length, above.) This option may not be used with the -f flag
and is not supported by the PS (PostScript).
- cpi=pica|elite|compressed
- Print this request with the character pitch set to pica (representing
10 characters per inch), elite (representing 12 characters
per inch), or compressed (representing as many characters per
inch as a printer can handle). There is not a standard number of characters
per inch for all printers; see the terminfo database
for the default character pitch for your printer. This option may
not be used with the -f flag and is not supported by the PS
(PostScript).
- stty=stty-option-list
- A list of options valid for the stty command; enclose the
list with single quotes if it contains blanks.
-
- -P page-list
- Print the pages specified in page-list. This flag can be
used only if there is a filter available to handle it; otherwise,
the print request will be rejected. The page-list may consist
of ranges of numbers, single page numbers, or a combination of both.
The pages will be printed in ascending order.
- -q priority-level
- Assign this request priority-level in the printing queue.
The values of priority-level range from 0 (highest priority)
to 39 (lowest priority). If a priority is not specified, the default
for the print service is used, as assigned by the system administrator.
A priority limit may be assigned to individual users by the system
administrator.
- -R
- Remove file(s) after submitting the print request. Use this flag
with caution.
- -r
- See -T content-type [-r] below.
- -s
- Suppress the ``request id is ...'' message.
- -S character-set [-d any]
- -S print-wheel [-d any]
- Print this request using the specified character-set or print-wheel.
If a form was requested and it requires a character set or print wheel
other than the one specified with the -S flag, the request
is rejected.
For printers that take print wheels: if the print
wheel specified is not one listed by the administrator as acceptable
for the printer specified in this request, the request is rejected
unless the print wheel is already mounted on the printer.
For
printers that use selectable or programmable character sets: if the character-set specified
is not one defined in the Terminfo database for the printer (see terminfo), or is not an alias defined by
the administrator, the request is rejected.
When the -d
any flag is used, the request is printed on any printer that has
the print wheel mounted or any printer that can select the character
set, and that can handle all other needs of the request.
- -t title
- Print title on the banner page of the output. The default
is no title. Enclose title in quotes if it contains blanks.
- -T content-type [-r]
- Print the request on a printer that can support the specified content-type.
If no printer accepts this type directly, a filter will be used to
convert the content into an acceptable type. If the -r flag
is specified, a filter will not be used. If -r is specified
but no printer accepts the content-type directly, the request
is rejected. If the content-type is not acceptable to any printer,
either directly or with a filter, the request is rejected.
In
addition to ensuring that no filters will be used, the -r flag
will force the equivalent of the -o 'stty=-opost' flag.
- -w
- Write a message on the user's terminal after the files have
been printed. If the user is not logged in, or if the printer resides
on a remote system, then mail will be sent instead. Be aware that
messages may be sent to a window other than the one in which the command
was originally entered.
- -y mode-list
- Print this request according to the printing modes listed in mode-list.
The allowed values for mode-list are locally defined. This
option may be used only if there is a filter available to handle it;
otherwise, the print request will be rejected.
The following list
describes the mode-list options:
- -y reverse
- Reverse the order in which pages are printed. This filter option
is not supported by the LP Print Service.
- -y landscape
- Change the orientation of a physical page from portrait to landscape.
- -y x=number,y=number
- Change the default position of a logical page on a physical page
by moving the origin.
- -y group=number
- Group multiple logical pages on a single physical page.
- -y magnify=number
- Change the logical size of each page in a document.
- -o length=number
- Select the number of lines in each page of the document.
- -P number
- Select, by page numbers, a subset of a document to be printed.
- -n number
- Print multiple copies of a document.
-
Security
Attention RBAC users and Trusted AIX users: This
command can perform privileged operations. Only privileged users can
run privileged operations. For more information about authorizations
and privileges, see Privileged Command Database in AIX Version 7.1 Security. For a list
of privileges and the authorizations associated with this command,
see the lssecattr command or the getcmdattr subcommand.