Setting up a Solaris 8 client system with lpset

Example

This example adds support for the print queue cs_co4_lj, an HP LaserJet printer, to a Solaris system (version 8) using Sun's lpset program. The local queue is also called cs_co3_lj. We make it the default queue on the system.

# lpset -n system -a bsdaddr=lpd-serv.cam.ac.uk,cs_co4_lj cs_co4_lj
# lpset -n system -a use=cs_co4_lj _default

Syntax explained

lpset's syntax can be determined by reading the lpset(1) and printers.conf(4) manual pages. The salient points, however, are the following.

-n system

This instructs lpset to update the /etc/printers.conf file as opposed to a NIS+ database.

-a key=value

The -a option sets a key=value pair for the relevant print queue.

bsdaddr=lpd-serv.cam.ac.uk,cs_co4_lj

This key/value pair specifies, by its presence, that the BSD (lpd) style of communication should be used to talk to remote print server. The part of the value before the comma specifies the server's name and the part afterwards specifies the name of the print queue on the server.

cs_co4_lj

This specifies the local name for the print queue. We recommend that you match local and remote print queue names for ease of your user support.

use=cs_co4_lj

This key/value pair specifies what real queue to use for a queue name. It's a simple form of aliasing.

_default

This alias identifies the system's default printer and is typically only used with the use=... key/value pair.