How to set up print to file as an "LPx" device

[Klick]

We currently use a huge line printer for various reports from the AIX 4.3.5 system. There are many custom COBOL programs and a menuing system allowing users to select a printer number. The line printer is leaving us. I have to create an alternative.

My idea is simply to send all output to a directory, then allow users to pick reports from that directory and view them in a Windows report viewer (which we own) and subsequently print to a laser from the report viewer.

How do I create a device/queue called LP6 which users can select to send these reports?

 

[CBCGB]

Create your own script to send input file to a file system with either copy or ftp if Microshaft server. Then create a printque using that program as a backend program.

 

[jwtesch]

This is fairly easy to do.

First create a file in /dev like /dev/lpx set the permissions so that anyone can write and read to it, and then create a local printer. When asked for the device name use 'lpx' and it will print to this file. You can have other names as well. This has some complications. In AIX 4 and later you can create queues to print to a file from the main menus.

The printing for Fun and Profit at AIX 5L talks about using this technique as a troubleshooting guide. See the IBM redbooks at

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com

 

[victorv]

hi,

Create a "user defined backend" queue, then, write a script
to send file in a "place" .

1) smitty spooler / add a ... / other User defined backend

Queue = LP6
Device = LP6d
Backend Program = /home/bin/myscript.ksh

2) touch /home/bin/myscript.ksh
chmod a+x /home/bin/myscript.ksh
vi /home/bin/myscript.ksh

/home/bin/myscript.ksh
-----------------------
#!/usr/bin/ksh

TIME=.....
DATE=.....
AREA=/home/area
cp $1 $AREA/$DATE$TIME${USER}.txt

----------------------------------------------

To complete job, jou can install Samba on your system:
so you can send the file on a Windows server, without
activate on it FTP

/usr/local/bin/smbclient //$WINHOST/$WINPRIN -P -c "put $TMPFILE"

This line was to print: see doc of smbclient.

B Y E