Adding a new printer manually

The print service relies on the standard interface script and the terminfo database to initialize each printer and set up a selected page size, character pitch, line pitch, and character set. Thus, it is usually sufficient to have the correct entry in the terminfo database (/usr/lib/terminfo/terminfo.lp) to add a new printer to the print service.

The terminfo database identifies each printer by a short name, identical to the kind of name used to set the TERM shell variable. For example, the name in the terminfo database for the AT&T model 455 printer is ``455''.

To specify the terminfo type for your printer, in the Printer Manager select Advanced from the Settings menu, then select Terminfo Type. By default, the terminfo database includes entries for several popular printers. Select the terminfo type from the list that corresponds to your printer.

If terminfo does not include an entry for your printer, you might still be able to use the printer with the print service. However, you will not be able to use automatic selection of page size, pitch, and character sets, and you might have trouble keeping the printer set to the correct modes for each print request or using printer forms with the printer. In this case, you can either add an entry to terminfo for your printer or create a customized interface program to use with the printer.

See also:

• terminfo(M) manual page

Adding a printer entry to the terminfo database

To create a terminfo entry for your printer:

1. Identify an entry in the /usr/lib/terminfo/terminfo.lp file that uses the same or similar commands as the printer you are adding and copy that information to filename, where filename is the file containing the terminfo entry you created for the printer.

2. Use the information in the manual for your printer, ``terminfo entry definitions for printers'', and the terminfo(M) manual page to modify the entry in filename.

3. Once you create the new entry, compile it into the database:
   
   tic filename

After adding or deleting terminfo entries or changing values that govern pitch settings, page width and length, or character sets, stop and restart the print service.

terminfo entry definitions for printers

terminfo entry	Description
Booleans:
daisy	printer needs operator to change character set
Numbers:
bufsz	number of bytes buffered before printing
cols	number of columns in a line
it	tabs initially every # spaces
lines	number of lines on a page
orc	horizontal resolution in units per character
orhi	horizontal resolution in units per inch
orl	vertical resolution in units per line
orvi	vertical resolution in units per inch
cps	average print rate in characters per second
Strings:
cr	carriage return
cpi	change number of characters per inch
lpi	change number of lines per inch
chr	change horizontal resolution
cvr	change vertical resolution
csnm	list of character set names
mgc	clear all margins (top, bottom, and sides)
hpa	horizontal position absolute
cud1	down one line
cuf1	carriage right
swidm	enable double-wide printing
rwidm	disable double-wide printing
ff	page eject
is1	printer initialization string
is2	printer initialization string
is3	printer initialization string
if	name of initialization file
iprog	pathname of initializing program
cud	move carriage down # lines
cuf	move carriage right # columns
rep	repeat a character # times
vpa	absolute vertical position
scs	select character set
smgb	set bottom margin at current line
smgbp	set bottom margin
smgl	set left margin at current column
smglp	set left margin
smgr	set right margin at current column
smgrp	set right margin
smgt	set top margin at current line
smgtp	set top margin
scsd	start definition of a character set
ht	tab to next 8-space tab stop

See terminfo(M) for the terminfo file structure and for information on how to construct a terminfo database entry for a new printer.

See also:

• ``Adding a new printer manually''

• tic(C) manual page

• termcap & terminfo, by John Strang, Linda Mui, and Tim O'Reilly, published by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.