Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP 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