Bug 68748

Summary:	some better printing guidance?
Product:	[OLD] Docs-user	Reporter:	ivo welch <ivo.welch>
Component:	Printing HOWTO	Assignee:	Docs Team <docs-team>
Status:	RESOLVED FIXED
Severity:	normal	CC:	printing
Priority:	High
Version:	unspecified
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
URL:	http://localhost:631/printers/
Whiteboard:
Package list:		Runtime testing required:	---

Description ivo welch 2004-10-24 14:18:19 UTC

hi:  first, I think we should mention http://localhost:631/printers/ .  it is a great way to interact with cups.

more remarkably, I have managed to get most printing to work, but I am baffled.  I can print using the cups web interface.  I can print by writing directly to /dev/usb/lp0 .

however, the command line lpr seems to send jobs into netherland.  lpstat shows nothing.  I am truly perplexed.  lpr fails to have a "-v" switch to tell me how it proceeds and what it thinks it happening (like where it puts the file to be spooled, what it is named, what the status of lockfiles is, etc.)    are there any guidelines how to troubleshoot under this scenario?

sincerely,

/iaw


Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

Comment 1 Xavier Neys (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-10-24 14:43:31 UTC

What's in http://localhost:631/printers/laser?which_jobs=completed
Replace laser with your printer name.

Why lpr? What's wrong with lp?
What does lpstat -t show?

Check files in /var/log/cups/
Your spool is /var/spool/cups/

Comment 2 ivo welch 2004-10-24 14:51:28 UTC

  what's wrong with lpr?  ;-)

lp works.  lpr does not.  I guess I came the wrong unix route.  I wonder if this is a bug in the system, or a weird config on my part.  if it is neither, then perhaps the docs should say so.

many thanks for the note.  I was just totally baffled.  the suggestion about adding the localhost interface should still be useful.

/iaw

Comment 3 Xavier Neys (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-10-24 15:08:07 UTC

I am not aware of issues when using lpr instead of lp with cups apart from the fact that the switches are different: lp -d printer  /  lpr -P printer

"Adding the localhost interface":
I suppose that you mean displaying the url instead of the ugly "here" link.
I agree.

Comment 4 Xavier Neys (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-10-24 15:15:21 UTC

Fixed link to "here".

Sending bug back to docs-team in case anyone has any comment on the lp vs. lpr issue.

Comment 5 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-11-02 03:30:31 UTC

printing-team: what's the difference between cups' lp and cups' lpr? Why would lp work and lpr not?

Comment 6 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-12-02 09:18:32 UTC

18:17 <@spyderous> lpr submits files for printing.
18:17 <@spyderous> lp  submits  files for printing or alters a pending job.

Comment 7 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2004-12-02 09:20:27 UTC

Lovely thing is, the CUPS docs say:
"""
Both lp and lpr are supported ways of queuing your job for printing. However it suggested you use lp because it is what cups was designed around.
"""

Anyway, marking as FIXED (now that we know what lp/lpr differ in *cough* :)