UNIX System Administration Handbook - Evi Nemeth [439]
Previewing is built into many modern WYSIWYG editors, but if your users are addicted to an older typesetting system, you will need to provide some other way to preview documents.
For random PostScript documents, you can use ghostscript; for roff, pipe the output of psroff into ghostview; for TeX, try xdvi. After you have provided the necessary previewers, train your users to use them. A good use of accounting records is to check for cases in which the same document has been printed repeatedly.
Buy cheap printers
Printer technology is mature. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for great output and reliable mechanics.
Don’t splurge on an expensive “workgroup” printer unless you really need it. There’s no difference in the output, and a medium-grade “personal” printer can often be just as fast and just as reliable, not to mention tens of pounds lighter. A 10-page-a-minute printer can serve about five full-time writers. In most cases, you’d be better off buying five $500 printers for a group of 25 writers than one $2,500 printer.
In general, never buy a printer (or a hard disk, or memory) from a computer manufacturer. Their printers are usually just rebranded commodity printers at twice the price. The best bet is to invest in PostScript printers manufactured for the PC and Macintosh markets. We have had particularly good luck with HP and Lexmark laser printers. They are superior products that can spool network lpd print jobs, and they work pretty well with the generic UNIX PostScript drivers.
Keep extra toner cartridges on hand
Laser printers occasionally need their toner cartridges replaced. Buy replacements before you need them. Areas of faded type are a sign that the printer is running out of toner. Before you replace a cartridge, remove it from the printer and gently rock it to redistribute the remaining toner particles. You can often get another hundred pages out of a cartridge this way. Streaks and unexpected spots probably mean you should clean your printer.
Rather than replacing cartridges with new ones, you can often get them refilled by a third party. Good shops will clean the cartridge and replace the imaging drum in addition to adding more toner. This service is expensive, but it’s cheaper than buying new cartridges. We have had mixed experiences with refurbished cartridges; their quality and life span can vary wildly. Some refurbished cartridges seem to last only half as long as new cartridges. Figuring out an optimal toner management plan is an excellent hobby project for the statistically minded sysadmin.
Printer manufacturers make a big chunk of their money on ink and special papers. Recently, a few greedy vendors have started building cartridges so that they cannot be refilled. Before you buy a particular printer, check the web to make sure that cartridge refilling services are available for that model.
Secure your printer
Most newer network printers support some form of remote management. Remote management is nice for sysadmins because it allows for convenient configuration without a lot of walking. Some common ways to remotely access a printer include telnet, HTTP, and SNMP. Through the remote interface, you can set the printer’s IP address, default gateway, syslog server, SNMP community name, protocol options, and most importantly, password.
By default, most remotely administrable printers are unprotected and must have a password assigned as part of the installation process. For example, to set a password on a new HP JetDirect printer with the “JetDirect Telnet Client,” first set IP information on the printer, using the buttons on the printer. Then, telnet to the printer:
% telnet howler-lw
< passwd
Enter Password[16 character max.; 0 to disable]: < junk#bond
Password set to : newpass
1. The cf file is actually called tf (“temporary file”) while lpr is in the process of accepting a job. After the file has been written, lpr changes the file’s name from tfxxx to cfxxx.
2. Actually, it is