How to get more out of lpr.

The Darkness Visible deep at moncam.co.uk
Thu May 25 02:57:00 AEST 1989


Anyone writing filtas for lpr will have noticed that the flag info
for -w, -i and -l in the call to lpr are inherited by the filter
specified (default lp); -l becomes -c, and -w<number> -i<number>
get passed unchanged.  However, because of the way lpr uses
/etc/printcap, the <number> in each case is actually passed as
a string, and so can be anything.  I have used this feature,
somewhat nortily I admit, as a means to pass extra information
on to the filter.  I use the width flag, with a `/' to introduce
the nortie flags, vis, -w<number>/<nortie flags> or -w/<nortie flags>.

I will gladly change all this when (?) I get some lpr-ish software
which will pass unrecognised flags on to the filter, much as cc seems
to pass things it doesn't understand on to the linker.
--
I hear Her Voice
Calling my name,
The sound is deep
In the Dark.
I hear Her Voice
And start to run,
Into the Trees...
Into the Trees...



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