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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!meccts!ems!mark
From: mark@ems.UUCP (Mark H. Colburn)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Multi-spoolers
Message-ID: <99@ems.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Dec-86 06:06:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ems.99
Posted: Fri Dec 19 06:06:13 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Dec-86 00:26:25 EST
References: <161@ndmath.UUCP>
Reply-To: mark@ems.UUCP (Mark H. Colburn)
Organization: EMS/McGraw-Hill, Eden Pairie, MN
Lines: 40
Keywords: spooling, multiple printers
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:409 comp.unix.wizards:409

In article <161@ndmath.UUCP> milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson) writes:
>Does anyone out there happen to have any (hopefully free) software that
>allows a single print queue to drive more than one printer at a time?
>
>In other words...I have one print queue and several printers.  Whenever
>a printer becomes free I want the next job in the queue to start printing
>on that printer.  There might be as many as 3 identical printers on the
>system at one time and I don't want to leave the load-leveling job to
>the users.
>
>Greg Corson
>seismo!iuvax!kangaro!milo

You neglected to say what version of system you are using, but it is possible
to do this kind of spooling using the System V lp spooler.  By correctly
specifying printers and classes a user can send to a specific printer, or a
specific class of printers.

A class is a group of printers that share a similar characteristic.  For
example, we have three NLQ dot matrix printers here at the office.  If a
user wants the file to be printed  out as fast as possible, they may issue
the command 'lp -dlq ' where '-d' specifies the destination, and
'lq' is a class of printers which contains the three NLQ printers.  The
file would get printed on the first available printer in that class.

If a user wanted the file printed on a specific printer, (i.e. the one nearest
his or her office, they would use the command 'lp -dprinter1 ' where
'printer1' is the name of the printer nearest them.

There are a lot more features, but I will refrain from reciting them all here.
If you have System V and LP, then it might be the answer that you are looking
for to solve your problem.



-- 
Mark H. Colburn             UUCP: ihnp4!meccts!ems!mark
EMS/McGraw-Hill              ATT: (612) 829-8200
9855 West 78th Street
Eden Prairie, MN  55344