Understanding the lp Spooler

Understanding the lp Spooler

The line printer (lp) spooling utility is software that manages the print spooling system. Spooling is a technique that temporarily stores data until it is ready to be processed (in this case, by your printer). For lp spooling, a file (or group of files) to be printed is stored in a queue until a printer becomes available. When the printer is available, the next file in the queue is printed.

Figure 2-1 : Print Spooling lp spooling allows background printing; users can immediately use their workstations while their print jobs await the printer. With lp spooling, printers can be shared among many users. The flow of printing is regulated by the lp spooling utility.

The user interface to lp is a series of user and administrator commands that permit control of individual print jobs and management of printer resources.

Terms