Printing to Lantronix Print/Terminal Servers at AIX V3.2.5


Contents

About this document
Product overview
Two ways to print
Printing to the Lantronix server as a remote printer
Adding a remote queue for a Lantronix printer
Printing with RTEL Reverse TELnet
Using the named pipe

About this document

This document describes how to print to printers attached to a Lantronix terminal server. Two methods are described. The first method uses the standard AIX remote queue while the second method uses a reverse telnet program.


Product overview


Two ways to print

  1. Print from AIX to server as remote printer.

      LPR is recommended (by Lantronix) as the method of printing; it is easy to set up and requires no additional host software.

  2. Print from AIX using RTEL backend.

    • RTEL backend filter

        The RTEL backend filter is a program that interfaces with the host-based spooling system. It receives data from the spooling system and sends the data to the ETS. The advantages of the backend filter are that the banner page is printed at the front of a job, multiple copies can be printed, and simple reformatting such as to conversion and tab expansion can be performed. However, the backend filter does not support any complicated output filtering or conversions.

    • RTEL named pipe interface

        The RTEL Pipe Daemon (RTELPD) process uses a UNIX named pipe as its interface to the host. This allows any host- or user-supplied backend filter to be used for printing. Any data that is sent into the pipe is simply moved to the ETS. However, the data flows one way from the host system to the ETS, and this approach does require one RTELPD daemon process for each print queue configured.

Printing to the Lantronix server as a remote printer

Notes about LPR


Adding a remote queue for a Lantronix printer

Complete the following steps to add a remote queue with SMIT:

  1. At the host prompt, enter smit spooler.
  2. Choose Manage Remote Printer Subsystem.
  3. Choose Client Services.
  4. Choose Remote Printer Queues.
  5. Choose Add a Remote Queue.
  6. Fill in the following fields:

                                Add a Remote Queue
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |AIX Prompt |Description | Example | | | | | |NAME of Queue to Add |Enter name to print to| | | | from AIX | | | | | | |DESTINATION HOST for remote jobs |Hostname of Lantronix | ets_host | | | Server | | | | | | |Pathname of the SHORT FORM FILTER| | | | for queue... |Script for status | /usr/lpd/bsdshort| | | | | |Pathname of the LONG FORM FILTER | | | | for queue... |Script for status | /usr/lpd/bsdlong | | | | | |Name of QUEUE on remote printer |Enter queue on server | ETS_xxxxxx_S1 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  7. Press Enter or DO to add the queue.
A dialog box will appear with the message Added print queue ets_prt.

The AIX /etc/qconfig entry

Example AIX qconfig entry
ets_prt:

device = ets_prtd
up = TRUE
host = ETS_xxxxxx
s_statfilter = /usr/lpd/bsdshort
l_statfilter = /usr/lpd/bsdlong
rq = ETS_xxxxxx_S1
ets_prtd:

backend = /usr/lpd/rembak


Printing to the queue


% lp -dETS_PRT filename
% lpr -PETS_PRT filename
% qprt -PETS_PRT filename
% enq -PETS_PRT filename



Printing with RTEL Reverse TELnet

The rtel filter is supplied by Lantronix. Because it is a filter, it takes data from standard in (stdin), and outputs the data to standard out (stdout). This means that it should work well as the output filter for a virtual printer. The output filter is designated by the mo attribute of a virtual printer. The following describes how this should work, although some details might be missing. As a result, this procedure is unsupported and supplied on a best-effort basis.

Virtual printer using RTEL

Complete the following steps:
  1. Enter touch /dev/rtel1 to create a lock file. Use a separate lock file for each server.
  2. Enter mkvirprt.
  3. Select Printer or Plotter attached to local host.
  4. Enter rtel1 at the prompt for device name.
  5. Select the printer type.
  6. Enter the queue name.
  7. Change the mo attribute. Enter:
    chvirprt -q lanprt -d rtel1 -a "mo=/usr/local/bin/rtel -s lanh -p 2"
    
    The flags -s for server and -p for port should be verified with the manpages of the RTEL program. mo must have the full pathname of RTEL and the options that point at the server and port.
  8. This assumes you can print to the server directly with the command rtel -s xx -p ##.

Using the named pipe

If the LPR method of printing is not adequate for some applications, use the Lantronix RTEL as discussed above. One of the options with this software is to set it up as a named pipe. The details for doing this are supplied in the README file that comes with the RTEL software and is supported by Lantronix.

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[ Doc Ref: 95270634817366     Publish Date: Jul. 18, 2000     4FAX Ref: 8596 ]