Starting the Technical Print Service

When you use SAM to configure an X print server, the Technical Print Service is automatically started. Two processes — an X print server and a Print Dialog Manager daemon — are started as a matched set.

The default startup option can be turned off in SAM. To start the Technical Print Service at a later time, use SAM to select and start the X print server you have previously configured.

Error Messages

Error messages for the X print server and Print Dialog Manager daemon are written to log files located in the /var/dt directory. For example, if you have started an X print server using display number 3, error messages will be written to these files: XPserver:3.err and dtpdmd.3.log.

Manual Startup: Using the Command Line

You can also start both processes, the X print server and Print Dialog Manager daemon, by entering commands in a terminal window.

Before you can start the X print server manually, you must have previously configured an X print server X*screens and X*devices file. These files are created automatically when you use SAM to configure an X print server.

Both the X print server and a Print Dialog Manager daemon must be started. Be sure to start the X print server first.

To Start the X Print Server

Use this command syntax to start an X print server:

/usr/bin/X11/X [-XpFile {X*printers}] {:displaynumber} &
 

The option -XpFile specifies the X*printers file to be used by the X print server. If an X*printers file is not specified, the X print server uses the default file, /usr/lib/X11/LANG/print/Xprinters. Or, if the XPCONFIGDIR environment variable has been defined, it will search the directory specified by this variable. An explanation of the XPCONFIGDIR variable is found in Chapter 5 “Chapter 5: Printer Configuration Files ”.

Example

This entry:

/usr/bin/X11/X :4 -XpFile /etc/X11/X4printer &

starts an X print server whose display number is 4. The -XpFile option specifies the corresponding X*printers file.

	WARNING! Always specify the X print server display number. If you fail to do so, the display number defaults to 0 and will conflict with the video X server.

To Start the Print Dialog Manager Daemon

Use this command syntax to start a Print Dialog Manager daemon:

dtpdmd -d hostname{:displaynumber} [-l logfile] &
 

where hostname is the name of the local machine and displaynumber is the display number of the X print server that has been started.

Example

This command:

/usr/dt/bin/dtpdmd -d :4 -l /var/dt/dtpdmd.4.log &

starts a Print Dialog Manager daemon in conjunction with the X print server shown in the previous example. Error messages are written to the dtpdmd.4.log file in /var/dt.

The Print Dialog Manager daemon (dtpdmd) will maintain an X-Selection on the X server, and will start one or more Print Dialog Managers as needed to service requests.

	NOTE: The system running the Print Dialog Manager daemon will need display authorization to the user's video display and the X print server.

For more information about the Print Dialog Manager refer to Chapter 7 “Chapter 7: Print Dialog Manager Daemon ” or the dtpdm(1M) and dtpdmd(1M) man pages.

Print Server Defaults

In the absence of certain configuration files, the X print server uses this default behavior:

• If an X*printers file is absent, the X print server will use lpstat to generate a list of printers.

• If a print driver has not been specified for a printer or cannot be found, the X print server will use the postscript raster driver to generate the print job.