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POSTIO(8) System Manager's Manual POSTIO(8) NAME postio - serial interface for postscript printers SYNOPSIS /usr/bin/postscript/postio [ option ... ] [ file ... ] DESCRIPTION Postio sends files to a PostScript printer. It is usually called by the innards of lp(1). If no files are named, the standard input is sent. Mandatory argument -l names the printer. If the first character of line is it is assumed to be a local filename like Otherwise it is taken to be a network address, with default network to which the printer is connected. These options are probably the most useful: -bspeed Transmit data at baud rate speed, one of 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 (default), and 19200. -q Disable status queries while files are being sent to the printer. When status queries are disabled a dummy message is appended to the log file before each block is transmitted. -Bnum Set the internal buffer size for reading and writing files to num bytes, 2048 by default. -D Debug mode: copy everything read from the printer to the log file or standard error. -Lfile Log data read from the printer in file. Standard error is the default. Normally only messages indicating a change in the printer's state are logged. -Pstring Send string to the printer before any input files. The de- fault is PostScript code that disables timeouts. -Rnum If num is run as a single process; if use separate processes for reading and writing. These options are not useful to spoolers like lp. -i Interactive mode: send the files to the printer, then copy standard input to the printer and printer output to standard error. Overrides many other options. To have a friendly chat with the printer, begin by typing on a line by itself. -t Copy printer output that doesn't look like status information to the standard output; intended for use with PostScript pro- grams that write results. This option should be used only as a last resort: -S Take special measures to send data slowly. Limits the inter- nal buffer to 1024 bytes, implies -R1 and disables -q and -i. Expensive in CPU time. When postio starts, it attempts to force the printer into IDLE state by sending a sequence of control-t (status query), control-c (interrupt), and control-d (end of job) characters. When the printer is idle, the files are transmitted with an occasional control-t interspersed (except under -q). After all data have been sent, postio waits until the printer appears to have finished before exiting. Fatal error messages from the printer cause postio to exit prematurely. EXAMPLES postio -l/dev/tty01 file1 file2 Runing as a single process at 9600 baud, send file1 and file2 to printer postio -R2 -B4096 -l/dev/tty01 -Llog file1 file2 Similarly, but use two processes and a 4096-byte buffer, and copy printer messages to file log. postio -t -l/dev/tty22 -Llog program >results Send the PostScript to printer /dev/tty22, place any data in re- sults, put error messages in log. postio -i -l/cs/dk!my/printer Connect interactively to the printer at network address /cs/dk!my/printer. SEE ALSO lp(1), postscript(8) DIAGNOSTICS Exit status 1 means a system error (e.g. can't open the printer), 2 means a PostScript error, 3 means both. Status 2 is usually caused by a syntax error in an input file. BUGS Multiple files with PostScript end-of-job marks are not guaranteed to work. If a network is involved, -b may be ineffective and attempts by postio to flow-control data in both directions may not work. Option -q can help if the printer is connected to Radian Datakit. POSTIO(8)