vtprint.man
VTPRINT(1) User Commands VTPRINT(1)
NAME
vtprint - print files from UNIX host to printer attached to
local terminal
SYNOPSIS
vtprint [ -bBcCdDeEfFhlnNqQtvw ] [ -L vtprintcap ] [ -T
termtype ] [ -V device ] [ filename... ]
DESCRIPTION
vtprint is a simple filter that prints ASCII text to a
printer connected to a terminal or terminal emulator. It
uses terminal escape sequences to print, and can substitute
for lpr(1) in circumstances where the printer is not con-
nected directly to the host or available via TCP/IP.
OPTIONS
-b Causes vtprint to open the output stream in binary
modes, overriding any automatic postprocessing done by
the host (e.g. CR/LF translations). This has no effect
if the output stream is not a tty device.
-B Undoes the effect of the -b option. Note that this
does not open the output stream in text mode if it
would not normally be opened in that mode.
-c Causes vtprint to append any linefeeds (ASCII 0xA) with
carriage returns (ASCII 0xD). This is useful for
printing data from a UNIX or similiar host to an MS-DOS
system's printer that expects CR/LF line termination.
-C Causes vtprint to pass all carriage returns and
linefeeds unmodified.
-d Use the tty device file instead of stdout for output.
This is defined as /dev/tty on this system. (This is
operating system specific and may vary from system to
system.) This is useful for using vtprint as a pipe
called by programs that suppress or redirect the stdout
stream of the pipe or printing process.
-D Use the stdout stream for output, rather than a tty
device file.
-e Forces vtprint to ignore the TERM environment variable
and use the builtin control codes instead.
-E Undoes the effect of the -e option, which allows
vtprint to attempt to find an entry in
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap for the TERM value
and use the corresponding control codes.
-f Requests vtprint to suppress inclusion of formfeeds
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VTPRINT(1) User Commands VTPRINT(1)
(ASCII 0xC) between multiple files. Note that this has
no affect on any formfeeds that may be present in the
input files already.
-F Requests vtprint to include formfeeds between multiple
files specified on the command-line and at the end of
the last file printed.
-h Print out a simple usage message.
-l Print out the vtprint license agreement.
-L vtprintcap
Specifies an alternate file to use instead of
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap.
-n Causes vtprint to strip the CR from any CR/LF
sequences. This will not affect handling of any CRs
present elsewhere in the file.
-N Causes vtprint to pass all carriage returns and
linefeeds unmodified.
-q Quiet mode. Suppress various status messages from
being displayed, useful in situations where vtprint is
used as part of a shell script, for example.
-Q Cancels the effect of the -q option, allowing normal
progress reporting to occur.
-t Force the use of the TERM variable to perform a look up
of the control sequences to be used in
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap. If an entry in that
file can't be found, vtprint will abort with an error.
-T termtype
Use the value of termtype instead of the value of the
TERM environment variable when performing lookups in
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap.
-v Display version information.
-V device
Specifies an alternate device file instead of /dev/tty
to use.
-w Display important warranty waiver information. NO WAR-
RANTY!
-- This option changes no special operational parameters
of vtprint. But it does indicate to the program that
all of the command-line arguments which follow are to
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VTPRINT(1) User Commands VTPRINT(1)
be parsed as filenames, even if they begin with a dash.
Hence to process a single file with the name "file" you
would call vtprint as " vtprint -- -file".
ENVIRONMENT
TERM the type of the terminal vtprint will assume is being
used.
VTPRINT
string of options to be used by vtprint.
AUTHOR
vtprint was written by Garrett D'Amore, on December 27, 1993
and last modified on October 25, 1994. It is heavily
derived from a similar program, called lprint, by the same
author. He can be reached via Internet e-mail at
garrett@sciences.sdsu.edu.
DISTRIBUTION
The latest version of vtprint can be obtained by anonymous
ftp at ftp.sdsu.edu in the /pub/vtprint directory. Please
read the INDEX and README files before downloading.
If you do not have ftp availability, then you can request a
uuencoded copy of vtprint be sent to you via e-mail from the
author. The author is also willing to make other arrange-
ments as needed, within certain limitations.
MAILING LIST
A mailing list for the discussion of topics related to and
about vtprint exists. To subscribe to this mailing list,
send a message to "vtprint-request@sdsu.edu" with the word
"subscribe" as the body. An automated list server will
reply with information about the mailing list.
COPYRIGHT
vtprint is copyrighted 1994, by Garrett D'Amore. It may be
freely redistributed or modified, so long as this and any
other copyright notices are included in their original form
with the program. The user is granted the right to use this
program without limitation.
DISCLAIMER
vtprint is provided WITHOUT WARRANTY. The user agrees to
indemnify the author from any claims of damage or loss aris-
ing from the use of or inability to use this program. In
other words, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
CAVEATS
vtprint cannot be used to print files containing non-
printable characters, as these may cause conflicts with the
terminal or emulator used.
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VTPRINT(1) User Commands VTPRINT(1)
When used over a serial (modem) connection, vtprint may not
work properly unless hardware (CTS/RTS) flow control is
used. This is due to the fact that most printers are slower
than serial connections in common use.
vtprint uses terminal escape sequences to print, and not all
terminal emulators support these sequences, and of those
that do, some support it differently. You can find a list-
ing of some of the programs known to work and not to work
with vtprint in the file COMPAT. The best thing to do is try
your particular emulator, and find out if it works. The
author would appreciate any reports of success or failure,
or strange behavior. You can send those to him via Internet
e-mail. (See the AUTHOR chapter for how to reach him.)
The /usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap file is still largely
incomplete. The author would very much appreciate it if
individuals with more information different terminals would
get in contact with him so that support can be added for
these terminals in the master archive.
Do not background this program, as it has no way of knowing
when it is in the background and when it is in the fore-
ground. This will result in your foreground process' output
being printed as well as the output from vtprint.
FILES
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap
TODOS
Fix any bugs present, clean-up the documentation, continue
to build upon entries in the COMPAT and
/usr/local/lib/vtprint/vtprintcap files, and finally, fin-
ish getting a college education!
BUGS
vtprint doesn't handle some signals properly, especially the
SIGKILL and SIGSTOP signals, which can't be caught anyway.
Also it doesn't check to see if you have backgrounded the
process. The resulting condition may leave all output
directed to the printer instead of the screen. The fix for
this condition is to run the provided vtprtoff program with
no arguments, which will restore normal screen output. (You
probably won't be able to see what you're typing while you
start vtprtoff from the shell.)
SEE ALSO
lpr(1), vtprintcap(5), vtprtoff(1)
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