Print Protocol Adaptor

The Solaris 2.6 print protocol adaptor replaces the Service Access Facility (SAF), the network listener, and lpNet on the inbound side of the LP spooler with a more modular and modern design.

The print protocol adaptor provides the following features:

•  Implementation of the complete BSD print protocol plus extended Solaris functionality.

•  Multiple spooling systems can coexist on the same host and have access to the BSD print protocol.

•  Third-party application developers can extend the print protocol adaptor to support other printing protocols such as Apple and Novell.

The new print protocol adaptor is compatible with print clients set up in previous Solaris 2.x releases if the “BSD” protocol was used to configure these clients. If the “BSD” protocol was not used, you must modify the previous Solaris 2.x print client configuration to use the “BSD” protocol using Admintool™, Solstice Printer Manager, or the lpsystem command.

SunSoft Print Client

The SunSoft Print Client software is bundled with the Solaris 2.6 release as packages SUNWpcr and SUNWpcu. This software was previously released as an unbundled product. It was available on the Solaris Migration CD-ROM and as part of the AdminSuite 2.x suite of administration products.

The SunSoft Print Client software uses an NIS map, NIS+ table, or a single file to provide centralized client administration in the Solaris 2.6 release. Features of the Print Client software include:

•  Replacing the /etc/lp directory structure with a configuration database that can be stored in a user file ($HOME/.printers), a system file (/etc/prints.conf), an NIS map (printers.conf.byname), or an NIS+ FNS context.

•  Using a more streamlined implementation that provides reduced client overhead and quicker, more accurate responses to print status requests.

•  Using the lpset(1M) command to create the printers.conf file.

•  Reducing the size of the package from previous Solaris releases.

•  Providing interoperability with the BSD protocol available with SunOS 4.x, Solaris 2.x, HPUX, and other systems as described in RFC-1179.

Enhanced Network Printer Support

The Solaris 2.6 print software provides better support for network printers than in previous Solaris releases, including the following features:

•  A new interface script, /usr/lib/lp/model/netstandard, which is specifically designed to support network printers. This script collects the spooler and print database information necessary for performing network printing and passes that information to the print output module.

•  A new print output module, netpr, is called from the netstandard interface script to print the print job. It opens a network connection to the printer, creates the correct protocol instructions, and sends the data to the printer. The netpr program currently supports two protocols: BSD print protocol and a TCP pass-through.

•  New arguments to the lpadmin -o command are available for specifying destination name, protocol, and time-out values for the network printer.

•  Solstice AdminSuite 2.3 Printer Manager can be used to set up and manage network printers.

Print Administration Tools in the Solaris 2.6 Environment

The Solaris 2.6 printing software provides an environment for setting up and managing client access to printers on a network. The Solaris 2.6 printing software contains the following components:

•  SunSoft Print Client software, previously available only with the Solstice™ AdminSuite™ set of administration tools, enables you to make printers available to print clients by using a name service.

•  Admintool, a graphical user interface, enables you to manage printing on a local system.

•  The LP print service commands, a command-line interface, enables you to set up and manage printers that provide additional functionality that is not available with the other print management tools.

•  The Solstice AdminSuite Printer Manager, a graphical user interface that lets you manage printers in a name service environment and over the network, is available with the Solaris 2.6 server products.

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NOTE:  If you do not use the Solstice AdminSuite Print Manager to set up and manage printing, you must use some combination of the other components to completely manage printing in the Solaris 2.6 environment.

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Table 11-2 summarizes the features of the Solaris 2.6 printing components.