NAME
ifhp - Almost Universal LPRng Print Filter
SYNOPSIS
ifhp
[-F format] [-s statusfile] [-?value (other LPRng filter options)]
[-Z[options[,options]*]*
[-T[options[,options]*]*
[accountingfile]
ifhp.conf(configuration file)
DESCRIPTION
The ifhp is a general purpose filter for allmost all PostScript, PJL,
PCL, and text based line printers.
The ifhp filter resets and synchronizes the printer, gets accounting
information, and then checks the file to determine its format. Based
on the format, it will do PCL, PostScript, or other initializations,
and then transfer the file to the printer. Termination sequences are
sent, followed by getting accounting information.
OPTIONS AND CONFIGURATION
Options controlling ifhp operations are specified by -Toption or
-Zoption values. These options have the form:
Form Same As
flag flag=1
flag@ flag=0
flag=str
flag#str
The complete set of options and their effect on operation are detailed
in the IFHP-HOWTO document. The following is a brief list of the more
important ones that will have a dramatic effect on printer operation.
model =modelid
Specifies the printer modelid information. This is used to
select an appropriate configuration from the ifhp configuration
file.
status (status@)
The status option enables checking for status information from
the printer. See STATUS, SYNC, WAITEND, AND PAGECOUNT for
details.
sync (sync@, sync=ps, sync=pjl)
waitend (waitend@, waitend=ps, waitend=pjl)
If the status option is enabled, sync will check to see that the
printer is online and ready and the waitent will check that the
job has finished. The sync@ and waitend@ will suppress these
checks. See STATUS, SYNC, WAITEND, AND PAGECOUNT for details.
pagecount (pagecount@, pagecount=ps, pagecount=pjl)
If the status option is enabled, pagecount will try to get the
value of the printer pagecounter. See STATUS, SYNC, WAITEND,
AND PAGECOUNT for details.
config=path,path,...
pathnames of configuration files to read to obtain printer
configuration information.
debug=debuglevel
Set the debugging level. A larger number causes more verbose
error messages. You have been warned.
trace
Sends out debugging and tracing information on STDERR as well as
to the status log file.
stty=options
Sets serial line configuration when a dev entry specified.
STATUS, SYNC, WAITEND, AND PAGECOUNT
If the status option is true, then the ifhp filter will assume that the
printer is attached by a bidirectional channel and will attempt to read
status information from the printer. This also enables the sync, sync
and pagecount handshaking and getting pagecount information from the
printer.
The sync flag causes a special PJL job or PostScript job to be sent to
the printer at the start of printing at periodic intervals. This job
has the property that it will attempt to put the printer into a sane
state and cause it to return status information. By default, if the
printer supports PJL then the PJL job is used, otherwise if it supports
PostScript, the PostScript job is used. You can force the sync method
using sync=pjl or sync=ps if necessary, and suppress it using sync@
The waitend flag causes a special PJL job or PostScript job to be sent
to the printer at the end of the job at periodic intervals. This job
has the property that it will attempt to put the printer into a sane
state and cause it to return status information. By default, if the
printer supports PJL then the PJL job is used, otherwise if it supports
PostScript, the PostScript job is used. You can force the waitend
method using waitend=pjl or waitend=ps if necessary, and suppress it
using waitend@
The pagecount flag causes a special PJL job or PostScript job to be
sent to the printer at the start and end of the job. This job has the
property that it causes the printer to return the value of a hardware
page counter. By taking the difference of the start and end values of
the pagecounter, an accurate measure of the number of pages (or
impressions for some duplex printers) can be done. By default, if the
printer supports PJL then the PJL job is used, otherwise if it supports
PostScript, the PostScript job is used. You can force the pagecount
method using pagecount=pjl or pagecount=ps if necessary, and suppress
it using pagecount@
The IFHP filter will puts tracing and status information in the file
specified by the -s command line flag. If the status file does not
exist, it will not be created. The diagnostic trace flag overrides
this and directs the status to STDERR.
The pagecount information is put into the accounting file specified on
the command line. If the accounting file does not exist, it will not
be created.
JOB PROCESSING (LPR -Z) OPTIONS
The lpr program passes the command line -Z options or the lp program -o
options to the LPRng lpd server which then passes them to the ifhp
filter. The options are used to control various printing features.
For example if duplex printing and landscape is wanted, then
lpr -P<printer> -Z'duplex,landscape' <file>
Since each printer has a different set of capabilities there are no
standard set of -Z options. The following is a sample of the options
provided by ifhp. Check the ifhp.conf file for all of the options
supported by the printer.
Input Tray Selection
inupper, inlower, intray1, intray2, intray3, manual, envelope
source=name
The input tray selection options should start with the in prefix
and corresponds to the various trays. The manual and envelope
options are included to select manual feed or envelope feed.
There is a possible source of conflict here as there may be an
envelope feeder as well as an envelope media. This is a printer
specific dependency.
The source=name option allows users to use options such as
-Zsource=inbin1, which may be useful for systems that have an
unusual or nonstandard input selection mechanism. se select
media (paper) from the specified tray or feeder.
Output Bin Selection
outupper, outlower, outbin1
outbin=name
The output bin selection should start with the out prefix.
The outbin=name form allow users to use options such as
-Zoutbin=stapler, which may be useful for systems that have an
unusual or nonstandard output selection mechanism.
Media Size Selection
a0 a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 a7 a8 a9 a10 b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5
archA archB archC archD archE flsa flse halfletter
note letter legal 11x17 ledger tabloid
paper=name
The paper size selection facilities usually are quite printer
dependent, and the input tray selection and paper size selection
mechanisms may interact in strange and mysterious ways.
The paper=name form allow users to use options such as
-Zpaper=b3, which may be useful for systems that have an unusual
or nonstandard input media selection mechanism.
Media Type Selection
plain, preprinted, letterhead, transparency, glossy, prepunched,
labels
bond, recycled, color, heavy, cardstock
Media Type is not the same as paper size, and corresponds to the
name assigned to a particular media. Of course, the issue is
complicated by the fact that some media have standard sizes as
well. Again, the input tray selection, media size, and media
type selection will interact in confusing and mysterious ways,
depending on the whim of the printer firmware iplementors.
You will notice that there is no generic mediatype=name
facility. This is due to the radically different way that
PostScript, PJL, PCL, etc., each handle media name and
selection. While it is possible to determine the various
strings, numbers, escape codes, etc., that need to be sent for
each mediatype, a general mechanism is too fragile and fraught
with peril for the unwary administrator to provide. You have
been warned. Been there and have the scars to prove it.
These are commonly used media type names gleaned from various
PostScript Printer Description Files, Microsoft printer drivers,
and arcane lore of the Printer Working Group. Note that these
are not accepted terms in the paper industry for any of these
type of media. You are warned.
Duplex/Simplex
duplex (lduplex) duplexshort (sduplex)
simplex
tumble (shortedge)
The duplex (alias lduplex) and duplexshort (alias sduplex) will
print on both sides of the paper; duplexshort will reverse the
orientation; simplex will print only on one side of the paper.
The tumble (shortedge) will reverse the orientation of the
paper. Used when printing facing pages of duplex and there is a
desperate need for this orientation.
Copies
copies=N
Be aware that this option is totally bogus is usually ignored
(except when you expect it to be ignored). You have been
warned.
OF MODE
The OF mode of operation is selected by the -Fo command line option.
When operationg in OF mode it will scan the input for a two character
stop sequence \031\011. When it finds the sequence it will suspend
itself. The spooler will restart the filter with a SIGCONT signal when
it has more output for it.
FILES
/etc/ifhp.conf
Configuration files
/usr/lib/ifhp/ifhp
Executables.
SEE ALSO
The IFHP-HOWTO document, which is included as part of the IFHP
distribution. This is the principle reference for this filter.
lpd(8), printcap(5).
FTP sites: ftp://ftp.lprng.com
WEB sites: http://www.lprng.com
Mailing List. Send email to lprng-request@lprng.com
with the word 'subscribe' in the boyd.
BUGS
They are not bugs. They are mis-documented features.
AUTHOR
The IFHP filter was inspired by the LPRng CTI-ifhp filter, which was a
descendent of the print filters developed by the CTI-Print project at
the Division of Computing Facilities of the Computer Technology
Institute (CTI), Patras, Greece.
AUTHORS
Patrick Powell,
Astart Technologies,
San Diego, CA
<papowell@lprng.com>
3.5.20