4.2 Printer Spooler Question

[Chris Torek]

(Not an answer, but a plug for MDQS:)  We run BRL's MDQS (with some
local hacks) and it handles multiple queues on one printer, or
multiple printers on one queue, just fine.  It also has network
servers, so that all machines can print on any machine's printer.

Here's a sample from /etc/qconf (the config file).  I've broken down
a couple of long lines, and added comments here & there.

#
#  Device Descriptions
#
# "imagen" and "cthulhu" are the two Imagen 8/300s; both are on
# the Ethernet.  Whichever one is available gets used.
imagen	/dev/null	skipmsg,anyform 
cthulhu	/dev/null	skipmsg,anyform
# these are pseudo-devices for translating troff and TeX output
# to imPress before sending to the Imagen; by putting them in
# queues we single-thread this stuff and keep the load down.
catdvi	/dev/null	skipmsg,anyform
texdvi	/dev/null	skipmsg,anyform
-----------------------------------
#
#  Queue Descriptions
#
imagen-imp  	
imagen-cat
imagen-texdvi
-----------------------------------
#
#  Queue-->Device Mappings
#
# imagen-cat converts C/A/T stuff to impress stuff, and requeues it:
imagen-cat	catdvi	/usr/lib/mdqs/procserver -s /ful/imagen/bin/catdvi |
			/usr/bin/qpr -q imagen-imp -t $T -u $U
# imagen-texdvi converts a .dvi file to Impress, and requeues it:
imagen-texdvi	texdvi	/usr/lib/mdqs/procserver -s /usr/local/bin/imagen1 -s |
			/usr/bin/qpr -q imagen-imp -t $T -u $U
# imagen-imp is served by TWO devices (the two printers), so that
# they are both used in parallel.  "Bandersnatch" is the name of
# the first 8/300, "cthulhu" is the name of the second.
imagen-imp	imagen	/usr/lib/mdqs/rimeserver impress /usr/adm/imagenacct
			bandersnatch
imagen-imp	cthulhu	/usr/lib/mdqs/rimeserver impress /usr/adm/imagenacct
			cthulhu
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 4251)
UUCP:	seismo!umcp-cs!chris
CSNet:	chris at umcp-cs		ARPA:	chris at maryland