Appendix A describes the common reasons and solutions for print jobs not printing. Appendix A addresses the following items to check if a print job does not print when expected:
- the LP Plus environment.
- the scheduler.
- the print queue.
- the printer.
- the print job.
When you send a print job to a printer you expect it to print unless you specified it not to print (e.g. placed the request on hold). When there is a problem printing, the status of the request will be "intrd" (interrupted). This means LP Plus was unable to start or finish printing a print job because a problem (cable, printer, network) has occurred. This can also happen if a printer is setup incorrectly through the LP Plus Administration system (e.g. wrong printer interface).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Checking the LP Plus log file using the "l" command from the Status and Control menu (dccstat) can provide valuable information about problems. The error, information, and warning numbers associated with these messages should be used with the LP Plus Message System to get additional insight for solving problems. Refer to the Message System section of Part 3 for information on using this system.
Below are some reasons for a printer not printing.
THE ENVIRONMENT
The environment variable LPHOME must be set to the base directory where LP Plus resides (e.g. LPHOME=/usr/lpplus). This must be part of any user’s environment who runs LP Plus. When LP Plus initially installs, an entry for the LPHOME variable is set in the /etc/profile. The PATH must also be set to reflect the LP Plus binaries directory (e.g. /usr/lpplus/bin). This is also set in the /etc/profile when LP Plus installs. Check to make sure these are set correctly. Unexpected results and "file not found" errors will occur if these are not set.
THE SCHEDULER
The LP Plus scheduler must be active in order for the system to print. You can submit (spool) a print job to a printer but it will not print (de-spool) unless the scheduler is active. In the upper right hand corner of the Status and Control menu (dccstat) the message "Scheduler Active" will appear if the scheduler is active. If the message "Scheduler Inactive" appears the scheduler is not running or there is a potential problem. The reasons for the scheduler not running can be found in the LP Plus message log. This log can be viewed by pressing "l" from the Status and Control menu or by using "pg" or "more" on the $LPHOME/messages/messages file.
THE PRINTER
All printers must be added to the LP Plus system prior to printing. Because LP Plus and the UNIX lp system are separate, you must configure your printers through LP Plus. If the printer in question does not appear in the Printer Status and Control screen, it is not acknowledged by the LP Plus system and must be added. Refer to Part 3 of the LP Plus Administration Guide for details on adding printers to the LP Plus system.
MUST BE ENABLED
The printer must be enabled before it can print. A printer can become disabled for several reasons. When printers are first added to LP Plus they are in a disabled state until enabled. A printer can be manually disabled or a printer will be disabled after a number of attempts to print to it have failed. This can be caused by equipment problems such as cables, ports, or printers being off-line. When the printer is disabled, when there is a problem printing, the print job that was attempting to print will go to a status of "intrd" (interrupted). If the message "ATTENTION REQUIRED" appears on a print jobs detailed information, it means LP Plus failed to open a printer for printing after a number of retries.
MUST BE CAPABLE OF PRINTING
The printer must be on-line, have paper, etc in order to print. LP Plus will display the message "ATTENTION REQUIRED" on the Detailed Printer Information and the Detailed Request Information if there is a physical problem with the printer.
THE PRINT JOB
MUST BE RELEASED (not on hold)
If the status of a print job is "held" and the number of pages printed is 0 (e.g. 32/0), this means the print job was placed on hold prior to printing. Use the "r" (release) command from the Status and Control menu to release the print job.
MUST HAVE CORRECT FORM
If the form associated with the print job does not match the form mounted on the printer, the job will not print. The status of the print job on the Status and Control screen will be "fpend" (form pending). The print jobs detailed information shows what form is associated with the print job and what form is mounted on the printer. Either change the form for the print job (from the Status and Control menu with the "f" (form) command) to match the form mounted on the printer, or, mount the correct form on the printer. Refer to Forms Management in Part 3 for detailed information about LP Plus forms.