Hardware-Mounted Character Sets

Another method to obtain alternative character sets is to use removable print wheels or font cartridges that you physically attach, or mount, in a printer.

To administer hardware-mounted character sets, you inform the LP print service of the names you want to use for the available print wheels, and how you want to be alerted when a printer needs a different print wheel. Then, when a user requests a particular character set with the lp -S command, the scheduler sends an alert to mount the print wheel, and the print request is placed in the print queue. When you mount the correct print wheel and tell the LP print service that the print wheel is mounted, the job is printed. For more information, see How to Unmount and Mount a Print Wheel or Font Cartridge.

If you do not specify multiple print wheels or cartridges for a printer, the LP print service assumes that the printer has a single, fixed print wheel or cartridge, and users cannot specify a special print wheel or cartridge when using the printer.

Unlike selectable character sets, the names you use for print wheels or cartridges are not tied to entries in the terminfo database. Print wheel or cartridge names are used only for the purpose of communicating with the LP print service and its users.

The names you choose for print wheels or cartridges, however, should have meaning to the users. The names should refer to font styles. In addition, the names should be the same across printers that have similar print wheels or cartridges, or selectable character sets. That way, users can ask for a font style (character set) without regard to which printer—or even whether a print wheel or cartridges—or selectable character set will be used.

Of course, you and the printer users should agree on the meanings of print wheel or cartridge names. Otherwise, what a user asks for and what you mount, might not be the same character set.