My original inquiry read as follows:
> I am a fairly new UNIX user, and a brand spanking new UNIX
> system manager. I have, however, already "Read The Fine
> Manual", and can't resolve this problem. We have a Sun4M
> on which we are running SunOS 4.1.2 and a Sun4C also running
> SunOS 4.1.2.
>
> Printing works fine on the 4M. We copied /etc/printcap from
> the 4M to the 4C and set up every (as far as we know) identically.
> We have only remote printers, which are attached to a VAXCluster.
> We print to a remote VAX machine, tawc5.
> Our printcap looks like this:
> #
> lp|vax|vx line printer:\
> :lp=:rm=tawc5:sd=/usr/spool/vaxlpd:lf=/usr/adm/lpd-errs:
> CC1PRINT:\
> :lp=:rm=tawc5:rp=cc1print:sd=/usr/spool/vaxlpd:lf=/usr/adm/lpd-errs:
>
> When we boot the Sun4C, the get the message "proc: table is full"
> twice in succession, but the print daemon does not get started.
>
> A print command generates:
> lpr: connect: No such file or directory
> jobs queued, but cannot start daemon.
>
> lpc status CC1PRINT shows:
> CC1PRINT:
> queuing is enabled
> print is enabled
> 1 entry in spool area
> no daemon present
>
> /usr/adm/lpd-errs contains an error message like
> Jan 11 12:50:30 awcdb2 lpd[643]: startup: cannot fork
>
> We tried removing the locks on the printer port
> (/var/spool/lpd.lock and /var/spool/vaxlpd/lock), and
> then restarting the printer daemon (/usr/lib/lpd). We
> don't get the "proc: table is full" message, but the
> daemon does not start.
>
> We've checked file protections between the two systems,
> but can't find anything wrong there either. The file
> /dev/printer doesn't exist, but (I think) it gets created
> upon startup of the printer daemon??
>
> If anyone has any clues, we would appreciate it.
First, let me say thanks to all who responded. The majority of
the replies pointed towards increasing the value for 'maxusers'
and rebuilding the kernel. The advice that gave me the most
insight into the problem was "Note that (confusingly) 'maxusers'
doesn't really mean the maximum number of users your system can
support -- it's just a scaling know for various kernal innards,
like the size of the proc table."
Anyway, increasing maxusers did the trick. Also, several pointed
out that I should have a separate spool area for each printer,
which I did. After creating the spool directories, I tried to
print and got an error message "waiting for tawc5 to come up". I
then stopped and restarted the lpd process on tawc5, which cleared
up the problem.
Interesting to note- I called Sun support a couple of days before
I posted to the group. They still have not responded.
Thanks again.
John T. Wilson
USAFAWC/SCAM
Eglin AFB, Fl
904/882-8988 DSN 872-8988 IP wilsonj@tawc1.eglin.af.mil
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