DiskAccess and AccessNFS Gateway Printing

This document will provide technical tips on printing for AccessNFS Gateway and DiskAccess. It is written from a support analyst’s point of view and deals primarily with details on printing, plus the necessary steps that a user needs to take so as to be able to print from DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway.

AccessNFS Gateway and DiskAccess support LP/LPR printing only, it is dependent on PCNFSD services running on an NFS Print Server. Printing from the NFS Server must already be configured and properly running. Follow the steps below to print using DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway NFS print resources.

1. To ensure successful printing, verify that a) the user is running current versions of DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway, b) verify network connectivity, and c) successfully authenticate.

Note

If the NFS server is running SUNOS 4.1.x, the Windows login account must be one that exists in the /etc/passwd file on that NFS server.

a. Check and record product version number and NFS Server (UNIX) types.

Windows Operating System: ____________________
DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway Version #: _____
NFS Print Server types: _______________________

b. Verify that you can successfully ping in both directions using hostnames, ping from UNIX to Windows, then from Windows to UNIX.

PC Hostname: __________________________
UNIX Hostname: ________________________

c. Successfully authenticate from Control Panel – DiskAccess (or Control Panel - AccessNFS Gateway).

What is the returned authenticated UID/GID pair? ________________

2. Verify that the user can successfully submit a print job from the NFS server using the following UNIX key-in command:

lpr -P Printername textfilename.ext

Printing must first be tested on the NFS Print Server and it must be tested using the LP or LPR utility. Do not test printing using an application. Only if printing is successful from the Server, can you continue to Step 3.

Note

The user must be able to confirm that printing is successful from the NFS Server. The user must also be able to provide the LP or LPR printer names. The user may need to contact their UNIX administrator for assistance.

3. PCNFSD must be running on the NFS server because DiskAccess and AccessNFS Gateway use PCNFSD to hand the print file to LP/LPR services. The print file is actually copied to the PCNFSD Spool directory then is sent to LP/LPR for printing.

Use the DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway RPC Information Utility to verify if PCNFSD is running. Check to see if PCNFSD is UDP or TCP or Both. Next, verify that PCNFSD is running by calling the ‘program’ Via TCP and/or UDP. See the options in the RPC Information dialog for the Program Name/Version.

Is PCNFSD ready and running on the NFS Print server? __________

4. The PCNFSD Spool directory can be any local subdirectory on the UNIX hard disk, such as, /usr/spool/pcnfsd. However, a) it must be an NFS export and b) it and its subdirectories must have appropriate permissions.

Caution

Do not confuse the spool directory with the PCNFSD spool directory. Sometimes the PCNFSD spool directory is defined in the /etc/pcnfsd.conf configuration file.

a. What is the NFS Print Server’s PCNFSD Spool directory? _________________

b. Verify that the PCNFSD spool directory is a valid NFS export and that it grants access to "everyone" using the DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway Showmount Utility.

Tips

Note the issues on Windows 95/98 for valid NFS export names; for example, MiXed case scenarios. Verify that the export name is valid for Windows 9x, Windows NT or 2000. There are some limitations.

On Windows NT and 2000, there is an easy way to see what the spool directory is for any printer being advertised by PCNFSD.

Go to Network Neighborhood on Windows NT or My Network Places on Windows 2000, double-click Entire Network, double-click NFS Network, then the double-click the appropriate LAN. Right-click on the NFS Print Server then select Properties.

A dialog displays providing information about the machine’s exported file systems and exported printers. The NFS Printer Tab will display printers advertised via PCNFSD, plus the spool directory for each printer. This capability will only work if the Version 2 or higher of PCNFSD is running on the NFS Server. This capability is only available on Windows NT and 2000. Windows 9x does not have this capability.

c. Now set permissions on the PCNFSD subdirectory and all of its subdirectories, using chmod. Subdirectories named after PC hostnames, such as, bbtpc, will reside in the PCNFSD spool directory. Go to your UNIX machine and set the permissions on the PCNFSD spool directory and its subdirectories to be wide open using the following command:

chmod 777 pcnfsd

d. In some configurations, the PCNFSD Spool directory may be a symbolic link. See the warnings below for more detailed information on symbolic links.

Caution

Some Sun machines use /var/spool/pcnfsd for their PCNFSD spool directory. This directory must be exported. It is highly recommended that the PCNFSD spool directory NOT be a symbolic link. You can verify this from the UNIX machine by using the, ls –ls, directory listing command.

By default, some UNIX machines will symbolically link /usr/spool to /var/spool. In this case, both directories must be exported.

Also, if the PCNFSD Spool directory is a symbolic link, the user MUST enable the Resolve_Symbolic_Links option and authentication must be successful from Control Panel - DiskAccess or Control Panel - AccessNFS Gateway.

5. Create or Add the Printer. Use the AppleLaserWriter II Driver when creating a Windows 2000/NT/W9x laser printer (or use the Generic/Text Only Driver for older printers) when creating a PostScript or text-only printer.

Note

The drivers in Step 5 above will apply if you are using a PostScript printer or a text printer. We have had the most success using these drivers; however, if your tests fail using this driver, then use a driver that is most compatible with your printer.

6. Now test printing. Open Notepad with an existing text file, or create a new one. Submit the text file to the NFS printer. If printing fails, manually test DiskAccess or AccessNFS Gateway printing. See below for details.

Try to manually copy a file to the PCNFSD export and verify if the privileges are appropriate to write to the subdirectory. Make a connection to the PCNFSD spool directory and now try to copy a file to this directory. This should be successful, if not, then verify permissions on the directories again.

If you are still having trouble, verify that Windows-to-Windows printing is successful. If NFS printing is still unsuccessful, test with another NFS Server or Client, or obtain a network trace for analysis.

Appendix A: NFS Printing Tips

Below are printing tips that might be useful.

1. If print connections/reconnections are not always successful,

On Windows NT: Go to Control Panel-Network-Services-NetworkAccessOrder and move up DiskAccess Print Services in the Print Providers list.

On Windows 2000: Right-click on My Network Places and select Properties. Click Advanced – Advanced Settings then select the Provider Order Tab from the dialog. Move up DiskAccess Print Services in the Print Providers list.

The capability to modify the Network Provider Order using the mouse is not available on Windows 9x.

2. DiskAccess or Access NFS Gateway Printing can be completely disabled by deleting the following Registry key:

HkeyLocalMachine/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/ Print/Providers/DiskAccess_Print_Services

Appendix B: Intergraph CLIX LPR Tips

Below are printing notes for Intergraph CLIX machines.

1. The LP/LPR utility is downloaded with the CLIX SystemV operating system.

2. To print a text file to the port: cat textfilename.ext /dev/tty01

3. The LPR shell script is located at: /etc/init.d/lpr

4. The LPR configuration file is located at: /etc/printcap

5. LPR command line to submit a print job: lpr -P <prntername> <textfilename>

6. Syntax to stop LPR: /etc/init.d/lpr disable

7. Syntax to initialize LPR services: /etc/init.d/lpr init

8. Syntax to starts LPR services: /etc/init.d/lpr start

9. The LPR spool directory where LPR print files are sent: /usr/spool/lpd

Note: If everything is setup correctly and LPR printing stops and no longer works, then verify the contents of this directory. It can contain files that are corrupted or have invalid types; if this is the case, then delete all files in this directory.

10. Syntax to check the status of LP: lpc stat

11. Help for LP: lpc help

12. To check LP status: lpstat -r