On BSD-derived UNIX, printers are defined in /etc/printcap.
The printers that are available to a BSD UNIX system are defined in the file /etc/printcap. Among other things, /etc/printcap tells the printer daemon how to connect to the printer, what filters to run the file through, the length and width of each page, where to send error messages, etc. It also defines aliases for printers, which are alternative names you can use for a printer. For example, a printer call lp3 might be aliased to the friendlier name sales if it is located in the sales department.
All this is set up by your system administrator and is out of your control. What you can use /etc/printcap for is to find out the names of the printers at your site. Even if most of the file looks like gibberish to you, look for the initial line of each entry. That line identifies the printer, each of its aliases, and what sort of printer it is:
emu|emu_ps|lp|ruby_ps|AppleLaserWriterIIg via EtherTalk:\
:lp=/usr/spool/lpd/emu/emu:\
:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/emu:pl#72:pw#85:mx#0:\
:lf=/var/adm/lpd-errs:\
:if=/usr/local/cap/emu:\
:of=/usr/local/cap/papof:
opal|opal_lp|NeXT laserprinter: \
:lp=:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/opal_lp\
:rm=opal.ora.com:rp=opal_lp:\
:lf=/var/adm/lpd-errs:mx#0:
linotype|Linotronic_100:\
:lp=:sd=/usr/spool/lpd/linotype/
:rm=ma_apple_gateway.ora.com:\
:rp=linotype:\
:lf=/var/adm/lpd-errs:mx#0:Get WYNTK: UNIX System Admininistrator now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
