Adding a terminfo Entry for an Unsupported Printer

The LP print service uses an interface program and the terminfo database to initialize each printer and establish the following:

• Selected page size

• Character pitch

• Line pitch

• Character set

Each printer is identified in the terminfo database with a short name. The short name required by the terminfo database is identical to the name used to set the TERM shell variable. This name is also the printer type that you specify when setting up a printer. For example, the entries for different types of PostScript printers are in the /usr/share/lib/terminfo/P directory. The default entries provided with the SunOS software release are PS (for PostScript) and PSR (for PostScript Reverse).

If you cannot find a terminfo entry for your printer, you still might be able to use the printer with the LP print service without the automatic selection of page size, pitch, and character sets. However, you might have trouble keeping the printer set in the correct modes for each print request.

If no terminfo entry exists for your type of printer and you want to keep the printer set in the correct modes, you can do one of the following:

• Customize the interface program used with the printer.

• Add an entry to the terminfo database.

A terminal or printer entry in the terminfo database contains and defines hundreds of items. The LP print service, however, uses fewer than 50 of these items. The following table lists the required terminfo items for a printer.

Table 7–2 Required terminfo Items for a Printer (Booleans)

Item		Description
Booleans:
	cpix	Changing character pitch changes resolution
	daisy	Printer requires an operator to change character set
	lpix	Changing line pitch changes resolution

Table 7–3 Required terminfo Items for a Printer (Numbers)

Item		Description
Numbers:
	bufsx	Number of bytes buffered before printing
	cols	Number of columns in a line
	cps	Average print rate in characters per second
	it	Tabs initially every n spaces
	lines	Number of lines on a page
	orc	Horizontal resolution, in units per character
	orhi	Horizontal resolution, in units per inch
	orl	Vertical resolution, in units per line
	orvi	Vertical resolution, in units per inch

Table 7–4 Required terminfo Items for a Printer (Strings)

Item		Description
Strings:
	chr	Changes horizontal resolution
	cpi	Changes number of characters per inch
	cr	Carriage return
	csnm	List of character set names
	cudl	Moves carriage down one line
	cud	Moves carriage down n lines
	cuf	Moves carriage to the right n columns
	cvr	Changes vertical resolution
	ff	Ejects page
	hpa	Horizontal position absolute
	ht	Tabs to next 8-space tab stop
	if	Is the name of initialization file
	iprog	Is the path name of initialization program
	is1	Is a printer initialization string
	is2	Is a printer initialization string
	is3	Is a printer initialization string
	lpi	Changes number of lines per inch
	mgc	Clears all margins (top, bottom, and sides)
	rep	Repeats a character n times
	rwidm	Disables double-wide printing
	scs	Selects character set
	scsd	Starts definition of a character set
	slines	Set page length to n lines per page
	smgl	Sets left margin at current column
	smglp	Set left margin
	smgr	Sets right margin at current column
	smgrp	Sets right margin
	smglr	Sets both left and right margins
	msgt	Sets top margin at current line
	smgtp	Sets top margin
	smgb	Sets bottom margin at current line
	smgbp	Sets bottom margin
	smgtb	Sets both top and bottom margins
	swidm	Enables double-wide printing
	vpa	Sets vertical position to absolute

How to Add a terminfo Entry for an Unsupported Printer

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Note –

Before you create a terminfo entry for a printer, make sure that none of the existing terminfo entries will support the printer. To do so, try to set up the printer with an entry for a similar printer, if a similar printer exists.

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1. Log in as superuser, lp, or assume an equivalent role on the print server.

2. Determine a terminfo entry name for the printer.

   The directories in the /usr/share/lib/terminfo directory contain all the valid terminfo entries. Use these entries as a guide for choosing a name for the printer.

3. Create a terminfo entry file for the printer.

   Table 7–2 shows the items you must define in the terminfo entry to add a new printer to the LP print service. For more details about the structure of the terminfo database, see the terminfo(4) man page.

   To help you start writing a new terminfo entry, use the infocmp command to save an existing terminfo entry to a file. This command is helpful if there is a terminfo entry that is similar to entry you want to create. For example, the following command saves the ps entry to the ps_cust file, which will become the new terminfo entry.

   infocmp ps > ps_cust

4. Compile the terminfo entry file into the terminfo database.

   # tic terminfo_entry

   where terminfo-entry variable is the terminfo entry file you created.

5. Check for the new terminfo entry file in the /usr/share/lib/terminfo directory.