Setting up Printers on Reality

The way in which you set up network printers on Reality depends on your Reality release.

RealityX 4.x or later, or Reality on UNIX

On later versions of RealityX and on Reality on UNIX, the interface between the spooling sub-system and npu can be set up using any one of the three methods described below.

Method 1

This method is preferred if you have a large number of small print jobs.

1. Create the necessary ROUTE-FILE entry using the netadmin ROUTE-FILE Maintenance Utility.

2. Create an item in the Reality NETDEVS file as follows:

   item-id
   001 system-name of ROUTE-FILE entry
   002 NPU
   003 NETDSP

3. Use the Reality DSM (Despooler Control File Maintenance) utility to create a Despooler. Set field 2, Device Name, to the item-id of the item created in the NETDEVS file.
4. Set field 9, Permanent or Shared, to P  or S  as required.
5. Associate the Despooler with one or more formqueues.

Method 2

This method is preferred if the printer is shared with other systems and you have a small number of large print jobs.

1. Create the necessary ROUTE-FILE entry using the netadmin ROUTE-FILE Maintenance Utility.
2. Add your network printer using the netadmin Print Management Utility.

3. If the formqueue you require does not already exist, use the Reality FQM (Form Queue File Maintenance) utility to create it.

   Note: Reality allows you to associate multiple formqueues with a single Despooler. Refer to the User's Reference: Operation for details.

4. Use the Reality DSM (Despooler Control File Maintenance) utility to create a Despooler. Set field 2, Device Name, to point to the network printer created in step 2, as follows:

   %PrinterName /dev/null

   where PrinterName is the name of the printer created in step 2.

   Notes:

   • The printer name must be preceded by a percentage sign (%).
   • addnetprinter  creates an interface script for the new printer. If you enter just the printer name as shown above, this script is assumed to be in the directory $REALROOT/files/interfaces. If, for any reason, your script is in a different directory, you must specify the full path name.
   • Specifying the device /dev/null, ensures that the interface script will handle the output data.
5. Associate the Despooler with the formqueue.

Method 3

This method allows you to use a single Despooler and network printer entry to service multiple printers — each printer will be associated with a different formqueue.

1. Create a ROUTE-FILE entry for each printer using the netadmin ROUTE-FILE Maintenance Utility. Note that each ROUTE-FILE entry must have the same name as the formqueue with which it will be associated.

   Note: If you want to associate more than one formqueue with a single printer, create a separate ROUTE-FILE entry for each formqueue. Those that will be associated with the same printer can be identical, except for the system name.

2. Add your network printer using the netadmin Print Management Utility. You only need a single network printer entry — use one of your ROUTE-FILE entries as the printing destination name.
3. If the formqueues you require do not already exist, use the Reality FQM (Form Queue File Maintenance) utility to create them.

4. Use the Reality DSM (Despooler Control File Maintenance) utility to create a Despooler. Set field 2, Device Name, to point to the network printer created in step 2, as follows:

   %PrinterName /dev/null FQ=&

   where PrinterName is the name of the printer created in step 2.

   Notes:

   • The printer name must be preceded by a percentage sign (%).
   • addnetprinter creates an interface script for the new printer. If you enter just the printer name as shown above, this script is assumed to be in the directory $REALROOT/files/interfaces. If, for any reason, your script is in a different directory, you must specify the full path name.
   • Specifying the device /dev/null, ensures that the interface script will handle the output data.
   • The option FQ=&  specifies that the formqueue name should be used as the destination.
   • Associate the Despooler with the formqueues.

RealityX 3.1

To use a network printer on RealityX 3.1, you must define a formqueue for the private (PTR) printer sub-system, using SP-STATUS Action Code 1 (Create Queue), or SP-CREATE. The printing device must be the network printer name as defined using the Network Printer Administration addnetprinter  option.