Managing printers and print jobs

Setting print queue priorities

The print service provides a simple priority mechanism that allows users to adjust the position of a print job in the queue. When users submit print jobs with lp(C), they can assign a ``priority level'' of between 0 and 39 to the print jobs. A lower number indicates a higher priority. Requests with higher priority are placed ahead of print jobs with lower priority. See ``Setting the priority level for a print job''.

To ensure that the priority scheme works, root or the lp administrator controls how high users can set the priority by:

assigning each user a priority limit.
Users cannot submit print jobs with a priority higher than their individual limit (users can submit jobs with lower priority levels).
assigning a default priority limit for the users not assigned a personal limit.
This limits the priority that users who do not have a personal priority limit can set.
setting a default priority level for the print service.
This priority is assigned to print jobs to which the user does not assign a priority.

By setting the characteristics according to your needs, you can prevent lower priority printing tasks (such as regular printing by most staff members) from interfering with higher priority printing tasks (such as payroll check printing by the accounting staff).

To list the current default priority level and priority limits, enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -l

If you have not set any priority limits or defaults, you see:

   Default priority: 20
   Priority limit for users not listed below: 0
   Priority  Users

If you set the priority limit for steve and naomi to 10, when you list the priority level and limits, you see:

   Default priority: 20
   Priority limit for users not listed below: 0
   Priority  Users
      10     steve,naomi

See also:

lpusers(ADM) manual page

Setting the priority level for a print job

Users can set a priority level for a specific print job using the -q option with the lp(C) command from the UNIX command line. The priority level values range from 0 (highest priority) to 39 (lowest).

For example, to print the file urgent and set the priority level to 5 (relatively high priority), enter:

lp -q 5 urgent

If the user does not specify a priority level for a print job, the print service uses the default priority level; initially, this is set to 20. To change the default priority level, see ``Setting the default priority level''.

The lp administrator (or root) can change the priority for any print job that is already in the queue, as long as it is not already printing:

lp -i request-id -q new-priority-level

This repositions the print job in the queue, putting it ahead of lower priority jobs, but behind any others at the same or higher priority. The priority limit assigned to the user (or the default priority limit) has no effect because the administrator overrides this limit.

See also:

``Setting individual and default priority limits''
``Setting print queue priorities''
lp(C) manual page

Setting individual and default priority limits

The ``priority limit'' is the highest priority level a user can assign to a job submitted to the print service with lp(C). See ``Setting the priority level for a print job''.

To set the priority limit for a particular user, enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -q priority_level -u username

The priority_level is a number between 0 (highest) and 39 (lowest).

To set the priority limit for a group of users, list their names after the -u option, separated by commas or spaces (enclose the list in quotes if you use a space).

For example, to set the priority limit for steve and naomi to 10, enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -q 10 -u "steve naomi"

The ``default priority limit'' is the limit for all users who have not been assigned a personal limit.

To set the default priority limit, enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -d priority_level

For example, if you set the default priority limit to 30 and then list the priority limit values with /usr/lib/lpusers -l, you see:

   Default priority: 20
   Priority limit for users not listed below: 30
   Priority  Users
      10     steve,naomi

To remove the individual priority limit for a user (and return the priority limit to the default for that user), enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -u username

If you do not set a default priority limit, users without personal limits are limited to priorities between 20 and 39.

See also:

``Setting print queue priorities''
lpusers(ADM) manual page

Setting the default priority level

When a user sends a file to the printer without specifying a priority level, the print service assigns the system-wide default priority level (initially 20) to the print job.

To change the default priority level, enter:

/usr/lib/lpusers -d priority_level

The priority_level is a value between 0 (highest priority) and 39 (lowest priority).

For example, if you change the default priority level to 30, then list the priority information with /usr/lib/lpusers -l, you see:

   Default priority: 30
   Priority limit for users not listed below: 0
   Priority  Users

Do not confuse the default priority level with the ``default priority limit''; the default priority limit prevents users who have not been assigned a personal limit from requesting too high a priority. See ``Setting individual and default priority limits''.

NOTE: If the default priority is greater than the priority limit for a user, the limit is used instead.

See also: