[cups.general] Disable

[Michael Sweet]

On Jan 21, 2011, at 9:37 AM, Sue Toeppler wrote:
> We are converting from an NCR server running Unix to a Linux server.  CUPS has been installed on the Linux server.  We have 3 Genicom printers connected serially to our network (Digi Portserver).  We use the disable command when we need to print on special forms.  We issue the command 'disable -W printername' and if anything is printing, it finishes and then spooled reports just wait in the queue.  We change the paper, run the appropriate job to print on the special form, and when finished, load green-bar and enable the printer.  Whatever is in the queue, then prints.
> 
> I can't get this to work with CUPS and Linux.  There is no '-W' option in the disable although it appears what is printing does finish.  But it leaves the print request in the queue (lpstat).  When the printer is enabled (cupsenable), that request prints again.

Please file a feature request here:

    http://www.cups.org/str.php

In short, cupsd does offer the necessary functionality in current releases but does not expose it via the cupsdisable command.

> Also, with the interface I've defined for the printer, it is supposed to do a form-feed when it's finished printing.  When it's been disabled while something is printing, this does not happen.  So it seems as though the disable has taken precedence over what normally happens at the end of a print session (do the form feed as directed by the interface and delete it from the queue).

Raw printing does not give you any processing of the print file.  If you use an interface script, it is your responsibility to catch/trap SIGTERM and send the form feed yourself in the script since CUPS does not know anything about the printer's native language/format...

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Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer, PWG Chair