What does waiting for lock on /dev/... mean"

[Tim Fredrick]

We have this recurring problem on our PostScript printers which are
accessed via a GatorBox on a LocalTalk network.  The UNIX print spoolers
will occasionally get into a state where they will not try to send
anything to the PostScript printer.  The message on lpq looks like:

wk1:/ # lpq
waiting for lock on /dev/acdps2
Rank   Owner      Job  Files                                 Total Size
1st    root       18   /usr/spool/qdaemon/tI8QCGy            8123 bytes

There is only one UNIX computer trying to print to these printers, but
there are PCs and MacIntoshes which are also trying to print.

Does anyone have any insight or know how I can restore the print queues
once we see this?  BTW is it related to the rpc.lockd daemon?  This is
on a Sun SPARCstation running SUNOS4.1.  Any insight or comments would
be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.  --Tim
.


Tim Fredrick             National Center for Atmospheric Research
                         Atmospheric Chemistry Division
fredrick at ncar.ucar.edu   PO Box 3000
fredrick at ncar.CSNET      Boulder, CO 80307