pr -t switch ignored in Red Hat Linux 7.0

[Rochat, Andrew M. (O3A)]

We have recently upgraded some of our Intel Pentium servers to Red Hat Linux
7.0 and note that the old BSD-derived "lpr" print spooling system has been
replaced by a newer version called LPRng.  This is all well and good except
that lpr as implemented in RH 7.0 will not print a plain text report cover
page that contains three centered lines of text and is normally printed on a
C. Itoh CI1000 printer using 11x17 paper.  (At least, after several days of
almost continuous testing, this system administrator has not been able to
get it to do so.)

The file to be printed is generated by the Empress RDBMS Ver. 8.20 report
writer and, as previously noted, is plain ASCII text.  When the file name is
given to lpr as an argument without using "pr" or some other text formatting
program, RH 7.0 produces and prints the following error message (instead of
the desired file):  "No way to print this type of input file: fsav (linux)
virus (2570-11-10)".

To try to work around this, the text formatting program "pr" was used in
conjunction with lpr.  It works to a degree, but not in the most important
aspect.  For our reports, including the cover page, we do not need or want
the header and trailer that are generated by "pr".  The man page for "pr"
specifies that the -t switch can be used to "omit page headers and
trailers".   Running in RH 7.0, the -t switch is ignored.  For example, when
"pr" is invoked from the command line as: "pr -t filename | lpr", the
Linux-produced error message noted above prints on all output.  The printers
tested are a networked C. Itoh CI1000 printer and a directly-connected HP
Laser Jet 4 printer.

Any workarounds, suggestions, or tips that you may be able to provide would
be MUCH APPRECIATED.

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Andy Rochat
Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC
East Tennessee Technology Park
NMC&A Department
Building K-1600, MS 7304
Oak Ridge, TN  37831-7304

phone: (865) 574-8215
fax:      (865) 574-9489