magicfilter(8) System Manager's Manual magicfilter(8)
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NAME
magicfilter - automatic configurable printer filter
SYNOPSIS
magicfilter ifdef(`HAVE_XGETOPT', config-file [-c] [-n user] [-h host] [-iindent] [--debug] [other-options], config-file [-c] [-n user] [-h
host] [-iindent] [other.options])
DESCRIPTION
magicfilter is an extensible and customizable automatic printer filter. It selects an appropriate conversion technique for the input data
by seeking for magic numbers, and then utilizing the appropriate conversion utility.
magicfilter is primarily intended for use as the ``input filter'' by the lpd print spooler. The options accepted by magicfilter are
exactly the ones passed to the input filter by lpd.
OPTIONS
Typically magicfilter will be invoked by lpd and hence provided the right options automatically. This list is included for reference only.
-c Copy the input to the output without any conversion whatsoever (used by lpd whenever the -l option is passed to the lpr program).
-nuser The login name of the user who submitted the job. Available to subfilters as $LPUSER. If the user has an associated GECOS entry it
will be available as $LPUSERNAME.
-hhost The host on which the job was submitted. Available to subfilters as $LPHOST.
-iindent
A numeric option passed by lpd; can be set by the user by the -i option to lpr. Although nominally used for the amount of indenta-
tion requested, magicfilter makes it available to subfilters for any useful purpose as $LPINDENT.
-Cclassname
LPRng class (priority) name. Available to subfilters as $LPCLASS.
-Fformat
Format letter (passed by LPRng only). When used as input filter (if) this will be f, when used as other filter types it will be the
option character corresponding to this filter. Available to subfilters as $LPFORMAT.
-Jjobname
The name of the printer job (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $LPJOB.
-Kcopies
Copy count (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $LPCOPIES.
-Lbannername
User name from the banner page (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $BANNERNAME.
-Pprinter
Printer name (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $PRINTER.
-Qqueuename
Spool queue name (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $LPQUEUE.
-Raccountinfo
Accounting information (passed by LPRng only). Available to subfilters as $LPACCT.
-Zoptions
LPRng ``Z-options''. The LPRng lpr program supports a -Z option, which can be used to pass arbitrary information to the printer
filters. Available to subfilters as $ZOPT. ifdef(`HAVE_XGETOPT',
--debug
Write debugging output to stdout. Every --debug increases the quantity of debugging output. ifelse(magicfilter,`magicfilter-t',,
--dump Write the default magicfilter configuration to stdout. This can be customised and put in @confdir@/magicfilter.cf if you wish to
modify which filetypes magicfilter knows about.)
--help Prints out a synopsis of the command-line switches supported.,)
other options
Any other options, such as the -w, -l, -x, and -y options typically passed by lpd are ignored.
USING LPD
To run magicfilter from lpd it should be entered as one of the filters in the /etc/printcap file. Typically, it will be the input filter
(if). Since most version of lpd do not accept arguments entered as part of the filter name, typically the filter name entered into the
/etc/printcap file will simply be the name of the configuration file, which is set executable and starts with the line:
#! @exedir@/magicfilter
Most UNIX kernels will then be able to treat the configuration file itself as if it was the actual program.
For systems which do not support the ``#!-hack'', the filter set in the if entry should point to magicfilter directly, and the accounting
file (af) entry should point to the configuration file. This, however, is a less general, and hence less desirable solution.
This version of magicfilter supports the enhanced lpd included with the LPRng package from dickory.sdsu.edu.
BUGS
Magicfilter has been extensively modified for the 2.0 release, and has very little in common with the old 1.2 magicfilter. The config-file
format has changed pretty drastically, and old config files will not work anymore.
Currently, there is no protection against the pipe or fpipe facilities going into an infinite loop.
AUTHOR
H. Peter Anvin <hpa@zytor.com>, David Parsons <orc@pell.chi.il.us>
SEE ALSO
printcap(5), magicfilter(5), ifelse(magicfilter,magicfilter-t,.BR magicfilter (5)`,' ,)dnl lpr(8), dvips(1), grog(1), gs(1), gzip(1),
troff(1).
February 2000 Version 2.0.0 magicfilter(8)