How do I handle output from an application that only prints to files?

If you have one of those silly applications that can only print to files, you can use the “Directory Monitoring” service in Rhapsody or EasySpooler to get them into the spooler. The “llpd” program can be run as a service from Windows or as daemon from Unix or Linux. Before starting up the program you will want to create an “llpd.config” in your “$LPSDIR/adm” directory. This file should contain patterns and command line options you want to use whenever the pattern is matched. More information about the format of the file can be found in the “llpd.config” section of the Developer’s Guide.

Once the configuration file is in place, and the “llpd” program has been started, the directory specified will be continuously monitored. Any file that appears there will be checked against the patterns in the configuration file. If a match is found, it will be spooled using the options specified and, if an archive location was defined, it will also be archived in the location specified, and then the file will be removed from the directory. By using this pattern matching scheme you can send jobs to different destinations, use different formats, specify a different number of copies, or any other option you wish, based simply on the name of the file. More information can be found in the “Monitor a Directory” section of the Administrator’s Guide as well as the “llpd” section of the Developer’s Guide.