Using Print Clients

This section of the overview focuses on the print client, a system that can send print requests to a print server, and print commands, which enable the print client to initiate print requests.

The following figure highlights the part of the print process in which the user submits a print request from a print client.

Figure 2–2 The User Submits a Print Request from a Print Client

What Is a Print Client?

A system becomes a print client when you install the Solaris print software and enable access to remote printers on the system.

The Solaris print software checks the following resources to locate printers and printer configuration information:

• The command-line interface by using the lp -d command (atomic or POSIX format)

• A user's LPDEST or PRINTER variables

• The _default variable in the sources configured for the printers database in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file

• The user's $HOME/.printers file

• The local /etc/printers.conf file for the NIS name service

• The LDAP or NIS name service database

The print client sends its requests to the print server's queue. The client does not have a local queue. The client writes the print request to a temporary spooling area only if the print server is not available or if an error occurs. This streamlined path to the server decreases the print client's use of resources, reduces the chances for printing problems, and improves performance.