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netcat

The 'netcat' referred to here is a simple C program (SCO systems) for direct writing to specified ports - see Where do I get "netcat" and how do I use it?

It was very useful on SCO systems because they used a complicated HP binary that often caused problems. Netcat was simple, direct and problem-free.

Note that this is calling "lpadmin" to create new printers.

From: Steve Fabac <smfabac@att.net>
Subject: Netcat again
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 06:16:25 GMT

Boy, I like netcat. Just finished converting one client's SCO 5.0.5
system from Berkeley LPD to netcat and recommend the change to anyone
now using LPD to print to dedicated print servers. 

I cobbled the following script to parse the /etc/printers file and 
automatically setup one or all printers. I also include my version
of HPLaserJet.net supporting duplex enable printers, 66 line
portrait and 66 line landscape as well as 88 line 16.6cpi portrait. 

The netcat documentation suggests port 9101 and others, but when I 
tried 9101 with the HPJetdirect cards and Lexmark printers, the jobs
hang and don't print. Each of the print servers at the client's site
were single port, So I have not addressed the problem of printing to
stand alone servers with multiple parallel ports for two or more
printers. 

If you use netcat and have information on other printer port settings
that work, I would like to hear from you.

-- 

                                      Steve Fabac
                                       S.M. Fabac & Associates
                                        816/765-1670

>/usr/local/bin/printeradmin:
option=$1
tprinter=$2
[ -z "$option" ] || opt="opt=$1"
[ -z "$tprinter" ] || printer="ptr="$2
awk  ' BEGIN { FS = ":" }
{
#       print ARGC, ARGV[0], ARGV[1], ARGV[2] , ARGV[3], ARGV[4]

        if ( ARGC < 3 ) {
                printf "\n\n Usage: printeradmin add    <- create all printers in /etc/printers\n        printeradmin delete <- delete all printers in /etc/printers\n\n"
                printf "\n\n Usage: printeradmin add    name <- create named printer in /etc/printers\n        printeradmin delete name <- delete named printer in /etc/printers\n\n"
        exit
        }
        if ( ARGC == 3 ) {
        if ( NF == 4 ) {
                if ( opt == "add" ) {
                        printf "/usr/lib/lpadmin -p %s -v /dev/null -m HPLaserJet.net -D \042%s\042\n", $1, $4
                        printf "/usr/lib/accept  %s\n", $1
                        printf "enable  %s\n", $1
                }
                if ( opt == "delete" ) {
                        printf "/usr/lib/lpadmin -x %s \n", $1
                }
        }
        }
        if ( ARGC == 4 ) {
        if ( NF == 4 ) {
                if ( opt == "add" && ptr == $1 ) {
                        printf "/usr/lib/lpadmin -p %s -v /dev/null -m HPLaserJet.net -D \042%s\042\n", $1, $4
                        printf "/usr/lib/accept  %s\n", $1
                        printf "enable  %s\n", $1
                }
                if ( opt == "delete"  && ptr == $1 ) {
                        printf "/usr/lib/lpadmin -x %s \n", $1
                }
        }
        }
} ' $opt $printer /etc/printers

printeradmin writes its output to standardout and does not execuite
the commands. I just run printeradmin > /tmp/doit and then
"sh /tmp/doit" after I page /tmp/doit to see that it's correct. 

>HPLaserJet.net:
:
#       @(#) hpjet.src 1.2 88/05/13 
#
#       Copyright (C) The Santa Cruz Operation, 1985, 1986.
#       This Module contains Proprietary Information of
#       The Santa Cruz Operation, Microsoft Corporation
#       and AT&T, and should be treated as Confidential.
#
#!      HP Laserjet, Thinkjet or QuietJet
#
printer=`basename $0`
request=$1
name=$2
title=$3
copies=$4
options=$5
shift; shift; shift; shift; shift
spool=/usr/spool/lp
FILTER="xtod | ${spool}/bin/ffstrip"

# Look for HOST and Port address
PRTSETUP=`grep "^$printer:" /etc/printers`
if [ $? = 0 ]
then
PRTHOST=`echo $PRTSETUP|awk -F: '{ print $2 }'`
PRTPORT=`echo $PRTSETUP|awk -F: '{ print $3 }'`
else
 exit 1
fi

# border around the banner
x="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

Graphics=no
Landscape=no
Wide=no
banner=no  # I don't use banners, have not tested banner=yes
sixlines=no
tencpi=no
Duplex=no
for i in $options
do
        case $i in
        raw|g|G|pro)    Graphics=yes
                        ;;
                l|L)    Landscape=yes
                        ;;
                d|D)    Duplex=yes
                        ;;
                w|W)   Wide=yes
                        ;;
         nobanner|b)    banner=no
                        ;;
                6lpi)   sixlines=yes
                        ;;
                10cpi)  tencpi=yes
                        ;;
        esac
done
#
# Set up FILTER environment variable.
#
#
: ${SPOOLDIR:=/usr/spool/lp}
: ${LOCALPATH:=${SPOOLDIR}/bin}
if [ ! -x "${LPCAT:=${LOCALPATH}/lp.cat}" ]
then
        LPCAT="cat"
fi

if [ "$Graphics" = "yes" ]
then
        FILTER="${LPCAT} 0"
fi


(

if [ "$Landscape" = yes ]
then
        echo "\033E\033&l1o5.45c66F\033(s16.66H\c"
        [ "$tencpi" = yes ] &&  echo "\033(s10H\c"
elif [ "$Wide" = yes ]
then
        echo "\033E\033&l0o5.47c88F\033(s16.66H\c"
else
        echo "\033E\033&a0L\033&l0o7.27c66F\c"  

fi

if [ "$Duplex" = "yes" ]
then
        echo "\033&l1S\c"
else
        echo "\033&l0S\c"
fi

if [ "$sixlines" = yes ]
then
        echo "\033&l6D\c"
fi

[ "$banner" = yes ] && {
        # get the local system id
        if test -r /etc/systemid; then
                sysid=`sed 1q /etc/systemid`
        else
                sysid=`uname -n`
        fi

        # user = fifth field of /etc/passwd
        user=`sed -n "s/^$name:.*:.*:.*:\(.*\):.*:.*$/\1/p" /etc/passwd`

        # nhead gets the value of BANNERS or 1 by default
        nhead=`sed -n 's/^BANNERS=//p' /etc/default/lpd`
        [ "$nhead" -ge 0 -a "$nhead" -le 5 ] || nhead=1

        # print the banner $nhead times
        while   [ "$nhead" -gt 0 ]
        do
                echo "$x\n"
                banner "$name"
                echo "$x\n"
                [ "$user" ] && echo "User: $user\n"
                echo "Request id: $request\n"
                echo "Printer: $printer\n"
                echo "Options: $options\n"
                date
                echo "\nMachine: $sysid\n"
                [ "$title" ] && banner $title
                echo "\f\c"
                nhead=`expr $nhead - 1`
        done
}

# send the file(s) to the standard out $copies times
while   [ "$copies" -gt 0 ]

do
        for file
        do
                0<${file} eval ${FILTER} 

        done
        copies=`expr $copies - 1`
done ) | /usr/local/bin/netcat -h $PRTHOST -p $PRTPORT
sleep 1 
exit 0 



> Modified /etc/printers:
printer:printserver host:port
laser1:hpnet1:9100:HP 4050D in accounting
boblaser:hpnet2:9100:Lexmark T522N 192.168.10.20

The comment field was added and these comments appear as printer 
comments with the scoadmin printer screen.
 

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