Remote printer configuration: AIX

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Last updated: May 11, 2018
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AIX 4.x, AIX 5.x

  1. Run /usr/bin/smit as root user.
  2. Double-click Print Spooling -> Add a Print Queue.
  3. Double-click Remote Printer Attached to Remote Host -> Standard Processing.
  4. In the printer configuration window, enter the following:



    • Name of QUEUE to add: printer name to be used on the print command line.
    • HOSTNAME of the Remote Server: IP address or hostname of PC where Xlpd is installed. If the IP address is not accepted, then the hostname should be registered in /etc/hosts file as explained in General setup.
    • Name of QUEUE on remote server: Enter the queue name registered in Xlpd. If this name is not already registered in Xlpd and a print job is sent to Xlpd using this queue, then Xlpd will print the job using its default queue or create a new queue automatically depending on the Xlpd settings.
    • TYPE of Print spooler on Remote Server: Select BSD.
    • Backend TIME OUT period(minutes)(Num.): Leave as default.
    • Send control file first?: Leave as default.
    • To turn on debugging, specify output file pathname: Leave as default.
    • DESCRIPTION of printer on remote server: comments on printer model or other useful information. It is not used on the print command line.

  5. Click OK to exit smit.

  6. To print a file on AIX 4.x or AIX 5.x, the following command line is used. 

    $ /usr/bin/lpr -PPrinter_name filename

  7. If the error message "unable to run qdaemon" is shown while in the setup, run the following command as root user. 

    # /usr/sbin/qdaemon&


AIX 3.2

  1. Run smit as root user.
  2. Double-click Spooler (Print Jobs) -> Manage Remote Printer Subsystem.
  3. Double-click Client Services -> Remote Printer Queues -> Add a Remote Queue.
  4. In the printer configuration window, enter the following:
    • NAME of queue to add: printer name to be used on the print command line
    • DESTINATION HOST for remote jobs: IP address or hostname of the PC where Xlpd is installed. If the IP address is not accepted, then the hostname should be registered in /etc/hosts file as explained in General setup.
    • Pathname for the SHORT FORM FILTER for queue status output: /usr/lpd/bsdshort
    • Pathname for the LONG FORM FILTER for queue status output: /usr/lpd/bsdlong