man page for lprpp

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From: Jean-Pierre Radley <jpr@jpr.com>
Subject: lprpp
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 16:49:01 GMT

In the HPLaserJet interface script, output is piped through
/usr/lib/lprpp *unless* the -oraw option has been passed to the lp
command.

SCO didn't provide the man page for this filter, but it exists on other
Unix distributions:

    lprpp
      This is a filter that converts backspace overstrike to line overprint
      with horizontal print positioning to enhance bold print.  This
      functionality is required on printers such as the LaserJet, which
      cannot produce bold print by overstriking.

      Options:

           -i             Converts <ANYCHAR> to <ANYCHAR><BACKSPACE>_ to
                          italicize ANYCHAR.  Also properly italicizes
                          overstruck (bold) characters.  Does not work
                          correctly for "hashed-overstrike" such as
                          <ANYCHAR><BACKSPACE><DIFFERENTCHAR><BACKSPACE>_.

           -o             Print only the odd numbered pages.  Used with -e
                          for double-sided printing.

           -e             Print only the even numbered pages.  Used with -o
                          for double sided printing.

           -lnn           Specifies the page length in lines.  Default is 60
                          unless -n or -p is selected, in which case it is
                          66.

           -n             Specifies nroff mode for printing output of the
                          nroff command.  Prints 66 lines per page with the
                          first line appearing on logical line 4 of the
                          printer.

           -p             Specifies pr mode for printing output from the pr
                          command.  Prints 66 lines per page with the first
                          line appearing on logical line 3 of the printer.


There are some side effects not mentioned in that description:

        a formfeed character is introduced every 'page lentgh' lines,

        tabs are converted to spaces,

        trailing carriage returns are suppressed.

That last effect bit badly when substituting an HP2100 for an older
LaserJet.  That printer has no control panel, and does not offer a way
to make it supply CRs upon seeing LFs; so text that was produced with an
LF/CR pair by an application reached the printer without the CRs, and
the text stair-stepped itself clear off the page.

This can be cured by editing the script not to use the lprpp filter, or
by piping the final do/done loop through lponlcr.

One of these days, I *might* play with the possibilities offered by the
-e/-o options of lprpp. :-)

-- 
JP

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