What is rlpr?
It is a package that makes it possible (or at the very least, easier), to print files on remote sites to your local printer. The rlpr package includes BSD-compatible replacements for `lpr', `lpq', and `lprm', whose functionality is a superset of their BSD counterparts. In other words, with the rlpr package, you can do everything you can do with the BSD printing commands, and more. The programs contained within the rlpr package are all GPL'd, and are more lightweight, cleaner and more secure than their BSD counterparts.
What is the latest version?
Currently rlpr is at version 2.06; an
SRPM and linux x86 RPM are also available.
Versions
2.04 and earlier had a critical security flaw in rlprd, so
please upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible.
If you are interested in what's been fixed since 2.00, you can view the NEWS file.
Is rlpr a full replacement for BSD lpr?
Not yet. At this point, you still need the BSD utilities `lptest', `lpc' and (most importantly) `lpd', although you no longer need to run `lpd' locally to print to a printer on a remote machine. However, you can completely dispose of `lpr', `lpq', and `lprm', as the rlpr versions of these commands are backward compatible and GPL'd. The rlpr versions of these commands are clean-room implementations, and contain no proprietary source code (although there is bug-for-bug compatibility where necessary, which was obtained by examining network traffic).
Will rlpr become a full replacement for BSD lpr?
Maybe. The primary goal of the rlpr project has been to produce a simple and high-quality remote printing software suite that makes it easier for users to get their job done. However, now that this goal has been ostensibly accomplished, it may be time to write `lpd', `lptest' and `lpc'. Note that this is not a small task; most of the real work in the printing subsystem is done by `lpd'.
What operating systems are supported?
The rlpr source is considered quite portable and in fact has in the past been patched to work on non-Unix POSIX.1 environments such as MVS. Note that both the operating system features *and* the development tools (such as cc, make, and so forth) determine whether rlpr will build and operate correctly on a given system.
Currently, rlpr is only tested with GNU development tools. While care has been taken to avoid nonportable constructs wherever possible, using GNU development tools is *strongly* recommended. However, if you must use other development tools and encounter problems, please report them so that the issues can be addressed (if possible).
The rlpr 2.05 package has been reported to work on recent releases of many modern UNIX systems, including a variety of Linux variants, Solaris, Irix, HP/UX, AIX, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Digital UNIX, and SCO Open Server.
If you have success or difficulty getting rlpr with other POSIX.1-conformant systems (or perhaps even those that do not conform), please send mail.
Downloading rlpr