getprops(C)

getprops -- get local printer options

Syntax

getprops [ -v ] printer | model
getprops [ -v ] -p printer
getprops [ -v ] -m model

Description

getprops reports the options provided by the interface program of a printer. These options can be used with the -o option of the lp(C) command. getprops reads the printer interface program and writes the available options on the standard output.

Printer interface program scripts exist in a default (model) form in the directory /usr/spool/lp/model. When a printer is configured or installed, the appropriate script is copied to the directory /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces and given the same name as the printer.

If you do not specify a relative or absolute pathname for printer or model, getprops searches the default directories /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces and /usr/spool/lp/model for the appropriate file. getprops only examines the first script file that it finds.

getprops takes the following options:

-m: Only the directory /usr/spool/lp/model is searched for the file specified by model.
-p: Only the directory /usr/spool/lp/admin/lp/interfaces is searched for the file specified by printer.
-v: Provides a fuller description of the options found. getprops extracts the descriptions from the file /usr/spool/lp/options_list. (Note that an option may not have a description in this file; if so, getprops displays "printer specific option".)

getprops does not produce any output if it does not find any options.

Exit values

getprops returns the following exit values:

0: Normal exit on success.
1: Interface program script or common description file (/usr/spool/lp/options_list) not found.
2: Usage error.
3: Interface program script not found because printer is remote.

Examples

Find the options to lp -o provided by the model printer interface program standard:

getprops -m standard

This produces the output:

   nobanner
   nofilebreak
   cpi=pica
   cpi=elite
   cpi=
   lpi=
   length=
   width=
   stty=

Option arguments listed as require a scaled decimal number, a list, or other data item to be specified. See lp(C) for more information.

The verbose version of the report is obtained by specifying the -v option:

getprops -v -m standard

This produces the output:

   nobanner        "printer specific option"
   nofilebreak     "printer specific option"
   cpi=pica        "characters per inch"
   cpi=elite       "characters per inch"
   cpi=           "characters per inch"
   lpi=           "lines per inch"
   length=        "set page length in lines"
   width=         "set page width in characters"
   stty=          "stty options"

Limitations

getprops returns meaningful information for local printers only.

Authorization

All users may examine the options available with printer interface programs that have been installed in the /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces directory.

Only root and users with the lp authorization are permitted to examine the options available with the model printer interface programs.

Files

/usr/bin/getprops: full pathname of the getprops executable
/usr/spool/lp/options_list: long descriptions of printer interface options
/usr/spool/lp/model/: default versions of printer interface programs
/usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces/printer: interface program specific to an installed printer

Standards conformance

getprops is not part of any currently supported standard; it is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.