Printing from SLAC's Wireless Network

This document describes how to set up your Linux laptop to print on SLAC's central print server.

All Unix print queues at SLAC are accessible from anywhere in the world via lpr protocol through SLAC's Unix print server "printserv".

How to find the name of a print queue

If you have a SLAC account logon to any Unix system at SLAC and have a look at /etc/printcap This file defines all print queues.

Or, if you don't have an account, go the the WEB page http://www.slac.stanford.edu/comp/service/printing/ and try to find a queue name.

How to print to one of these queues

Make sure you have the LPRng printing package installed on your laptoop.

Use the following command to print the file "file.ps" on queue "hpcgb1a" 

        lpr -Phpcgb1a@printserv.slac.stanford.edu file.ps
(you can leave out the domain name if your machine is inside the SLAC domain; e.g., at SLAC's wireless network)

All other printing commands like lpq, lprm are working in a similar fashion:

To check on your print job: 

        lpq -Phpcgb1a@printserv.slac.stanford.edu
or use the WEB form http://www.slac.stanford.edu/comp/service/printing/ and type in the queue name "hpcgb1a" and click the "Search" button. Follow the "Queues List" URL to get the same output as the above command would give you.

How to make printserv your default print serer

Modify your /etc/lpd.conf file to have the line 
        default_remote_host=printserv.slac.stanford.edu
in it. With this modification all lpr, lpq, lprm etc. commands will go to that print server by default and you can ommit the @printserv.slac.stanford.edu in the commands (see above).



Back to "Printing at SLAC"
June 11, 2003, Alf Wachsmann. Last modified: June 11, 2003