VTPRINT(1)						      General Commands Manual							VTPRINT(1)

NAME

       vtprint - print files from UNIX host to printer attached to local terminal

SYNOPSIS

       vtprint [ -bBcCdDeEfFhlnNqQtvw ] [ -L vtprintcap ] [ -T termtype ] [ -V device ] [ filename...  ]

DESCRIPTION

       vtprint	is  a  simple  filter  that  prints ASCII text to a printer connected to a terminal or terminal emulator.  It uses terminal escape
       sequences to print, and can substitute for lpr(1) in circumstances where the printer is not connected directly to the host or available via
       TCP/IP.

OPTIONS

       -b     Causes  vtprint  to  open  the  output  stream in binary modes, overriding any automatic postprocessing done by the host (e.g. CR/LF
	      translations).  This has no effect if the output stream is not a tty device.

       -B     Undoes the effect of the -b option.  Note that this does not open the output stream in text mode if it would not normally be  opened
	      in that mode.

       -c     Causes  vtprint to append any linefeeds (ASCII 0xA) with carriage returns (ASCII 0xD).  This is useful for printing data from a UNIX
	      or similiar host to an MS-DOS system's printer that expects CR/LF line termination.

       -C     Causes vtprint to pass all carriage returns and linefeeds unmodified.

       -d     Use the tty device file instead of stdout for output.  This is defined as /dev/tty on this system. (This is  operating  system  spe-
	      cific  and  may vary from system to system.) This is useful for using vtprint as a pipe called by programs that suppress or redirect
	      the stdout stream of the pipe or printing process.

       -D     Use the stdout stream for output, rather than a tty device file.

       -e     Forces vtprint to ignore the TERM environment variable and use the builtin control codes instead.

       -E     Undoes the effect of the -e option, which allows vtprint to attempt to find an entry in /etc/vtprintcap for the TERM value  and  use
	      the corresponding control codes.

       -f     Requests	vtprint  to suppress inclusion of formfeeds (ASCII 0xC) between multiple files.  Note that this has no affect on any form-
	      feeds that may be present in the input files already.

       -F     Requests vtprint to include formfeeds between multiple files specified on the command-line and at the end of the last file printed.

       -h     Print out a simple usage message.

       -l     Print out the vtprint license agreement.

       -L vtprintcap
	      Specifies an alternate file to use instead of /etc/vtprintcap.

       -n     Causes vtprint to strip the CR from any CR/LF sequences.	This will not affect handling of any CRs present elsewhere in the file.

       -N     Causes vtprint to pass all carriage returns and linefeeds unmodified.

       -q     Quiet mode.  Suppress various status messages from being displayed, useful in situations where vtprint is used as part  of  a  shell
	      script, for example.

       -Q     Cancels the effect of the -q option, allowing normal progress reporting to occur.

       -t     Force the use of the TERM variable to perform a look up of the control sequences to be used in /etc/vtprintcap.  If an entry in that
	      file can't be found, vtprint will abort with an error.

       -T termtype
	      Use the value of termtype instead of the value of the TERM environment variable when performing lookups in /etc/vtprintcap.

       -v     Display version information.

       -V device
	      Specifies an alternate device file instead of /dev/tty to use.

       -w     Display important warranty waiver information.  NO WARRANTY!

       --     This option changes no special operational parameters of vtprint.  But it does indicate to the program that all of the  command-line
	      arguments  which follow are to be parsed as filenames, even if they begin with a dash.  Hence to process a single file with the name
	      "file" you would call vtprint as " vtprint  --  -file".

ENVIRONMENT

       TERM   the type of the terminal vtprint will assume is being used.

       VTPRINT
	      string of options to be used by vtprint.

AUTHOR

       vtprint was written by Garrett D'Amore, on December 27, 1993 and last modified on October 25, 1994.  It is heavily derived from	a  similar
       program, called lprint, by the same author.  He can be reached via Internet e-mail at garrett@sciences.sdsu.edu.

DISTRIBUTION

       The  latest  version  of vtprint can be obtained by anonymous ftp at ftp.sdsu.edu in the /pub/vtprint directory.  Please read the INDEX and
       README files before downloading.

       If you do not have ftp availability, then you can request a uuencoded copy of vtprint be sent to you  via  e-mail  from	the  author.   The
       author is also willing to make other arrangements as needed, within certain limitations.

MAILING LIST

       A  mailing  list  for  the  discussion of topics related to and about vtprint exists.  To subscribe to this mailing list, send a message to
       "vtprint-request@sdsu.edu" with the word "subscribe" as the body.  An automated list server will reply with information about  the  mailing
       list.

COPYRIGHT

       vtprint	is  copyrighted  1994,	by  Garrett  D'Amore.  It may be freely redistributed or modified, so long as this and any other copyright
       notices are included in their original form with the program.  The user is granted the right to use this program without limitation.

DISCLAIMER

       vtprint is provided WITHOUT WARRANTY.  The user agrees to indemnify the author from any claims of damage or loss arising from the use of or
       inability to use this program.  In other words, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

CAVEATS

       vtprint cannot be used to print files containing non-printable characters, as these may cause conflicts with the terminal or emulator used.

       When  used  over a serial (modem) connection, vtprint may not work properly unless hardware (CTS/RTS) flow control is used.  This is due to
       the fact that most printers are slower than serial connections in common use.

       vtprint uses terminal escape sequences to print, and not all terminal emulators support these sequences, and of those that do, some support
       it  differently.   You  can find a listing of some of the programs known to work and not to work with vtprint in the file COMPAT.  The best
       thing to do is try your particular emulator, and find out if it works.  The author would appreciate any reports of success or  failure,	or
       strange behavior.  You can send those to him via Internet e-mail.  (See the AUTHOR chapter for how to reach him.)

       The  /etc/vtprintcap  file is still largely incomplete.	The author would very much appreciate it if individuals with more information dif-
       ferent terminals would get in contact with him so that support can be added for these terminals in the master archive.

       Do not background this program, as it has no way of knowing when it is in the background and when it  is  in  the  foreground.	This  will
       result in your foreground process' output being printed as well as the output from vtprint.

FILES

       /etc/vtprintcap

TODOS

       Fix  any  bugs  present,  clean-up the documentation, continue to build upon entries in the COMPAT and /etc/vtprintcap files, and  finally,
       finish getting a college education!

BUGS

       vtprint doesn't handle some signals properly, especially the SIGKILL and SIGSTOP signals, which can't be caught anyway.	 Also  it  doesn't
       check  to  see  if  you have backgrounded the process.  The resulting condition may leave all output directed to the printer instead of the
       screen.	The fix for this condition is to run the provided vtprtoff program with no arguments, which will  restore  normal  screen  output.
       (You probably won't be able to see what you're typing while you start vtprtoff from the shell.)

SEE ALSO

       lpr(1), vtprintcap(5), vtprtoff(1)

vtprint v2.0.2							  25 October 1994							VTPRINT(1)