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Groups > alt.sys.pdp10 > #9920
| From | jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | alt.sys.pdp10 |
| Subject | TOPS-20 and DQS printers |
| Date | 2026-02-06 16:59 -0500 |
| Organization | atr2net 2026 |
| Message-ID | <871pixmt2k.fsf@atr2.ath.cx> (permalink) |
Since the KLH-10 emulator does not support a printer, I had the bright
idea to set up a DQS printer on a VMS node. According to MGR_GUIDE.MEM,
this is (theoretically) possible. In actual practice it is a nightmare
and maybe not even possible.
It seems the VMS side is fine, though I have no way to really test it
outside of looking at logs.
$show queue
Batch queue SYS$BATCH, idle, on TEOSTR::
Printer queue _LPA0, idle, on TEOSTR::, mounted form DEFAULT
$ qshow
Batch queue SYS$BATCH, on TEOSTR::
Printer queue _LPA0, on TEOSTR::, mounted form DEFAULT
$ show logical dqs*
(LNM$PROCESS_TABLE)
(LNM$JOB_9FC906C0)
(LNM$GROUP_000001)
(LNM$SYSTEM_TABLE)
"DQS$ACCOUNTING_BY_SYSTEM" = "TRUE"
"DQS$CLIENT_DEFAULT_JOB_NOTE" = "Print Job transported by DQS V1.3-1 VAX "
"DQS$CONFIGURATION" = "SERVER"
"DQS$FORM_OVERRIDE" = "TRUE"
"DQS$IDLE_TIME" = "0 00:15:00.0"
"DQS$LOG_ACCESS" = "TRUE"
"DQS$MAX_PRIORITY" = "100"
"DQS$NOTIFY_CYCLE_TIME" = "0 00:05:00.0"
"DQS$NOTIFY_LOCK" = "DQS$NOTIFIER"
"DQS$PRIORITY" = "4"
"DQS$QUEUE_LPA0" = "* DQS Network Accessible Queue"
"DQS$SERVER_CONFIG_DAT_FILE" = "SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]DQS$SERVER_CONFIG.DAT"
"DQS$SERVER_CONFIG_TXT_FILE" = "SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]DQS$SERVER_CONFIG.TXT"
"DQS$SERVER_DEFAULT_JOB_NOTE" = "Print Job processed by DQS V1.3-1 VAX "
"DQS$VERSION" = "V1.3-1"
(LNM$SYSCLUSTER_TABLE)
(DECW$LOGICAL_NAMES)
$ ncp show object dqs
Object Volatile Summary as of 6-FEB-2026 16:38:39
Object Number File/PID User Id Password
DQS 66 DQS$SERVER.EXE DQS$SERVER X
$ dir sys$common:[dqs$server]
%DIRECT-W-NOFILES, no files found
TOPS-20 wants the name of the "printer", or so it claims. So, is the
name of the queue "LPA0", "_LPA0", "DQS$QUEUE_LPA", the name of the
street I grew up on? my favorite color shifted by ROT13? No matter what I
put, TOPS-20 won't take it.
OPR>show paraMETERS
OPR>
16:10:31 -- System Device Parameters --
Batch-Stream Parameters:
Strm Minutes Prio Opr-Intvn
---- ------------- ----- ---------
0 0:11000 1:63 Yes
1 0:11000 1:63 Yes
2 0:11000 1:63 Yes
3 0:11000 1:63 Yes
Printer Parameters:
Local/IBM/SNA printers
Unit Node Page Limits Form Prio Lim-Ex Chars Dev-Chars
---- ------ ----------- ------ ----- ------ ------ ---------
0 TEOSTR 1:500 NORMAL 1:63 Ask
1 TEOSTR 1:500 NORMAL 1:63 Ask
$set remote-printer printer teostr _LPA0 TEOSTR
?Does not match switch or keyword - "remote-printer"
$set remote-PRINTING prINTER (NAME) teostr _LPA0 TEOSTR
$
$print /remote-printer:teostr unix_time.pl
[Printer job UNIX_T queued, request #3, limit 3]
$opr
OPR>show queUES
OPR>
16:14:23 -- System Queues Listing --
Printer Queue:
Job Name Req# Limit User
-------- ------ ------- ------------------------
UNIX_T 3 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:_LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
There is 1 job in the queue (none in progress)
OPR>releASE ? one of the following:
BATCH-JOBS CARD-PUNCH-JOBS PAPER-TAPE-PUNCH-JOBS
PLOTTER-JOBS PRINTER-JOBS
OPR>releASE prINTER-JOBS 3
OPR>
16:15:22 -- No jobs Released --
OPR>contINUE (object) ? one of the following:
BATCH-STREAM CARD-PUNCH PAPER-TAPE-PUNCH PLOTTER
PRINTER READER
OPR>contINUE (object) printER (specify printer) 3
OPR>
16:15:35 Printer 3 -- Device Unknown --
OPR>contINUE (object) prINTER (specify printer) 0
OPR>
16:15:44 Printer 0 -- Device Unknown --
OPR>show ? one of the following:
ALIAS BROADCAST-MESSAGES
CLUSTER-GALAXY-LINK-STATUS CONFIGURATION
CONTROL-FILE MESSAGES
OPERATORS PARAMETERS
QUEUES ROUTE-TABLE
SCHEDULER STATUS
TIME
OPR>show queue
OPR>
16:15:51 -- System Queues Listing --
Printer Queue:
Job Name Req# Limit User
-------- ------ ------- ------------------------
UNIX_T 3 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:_LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
There is 1 job in the queue (none in progress)
OPR>start prinTER (specify printer) *
? First nonspace character is not a digit: ""
OPR>start (object) printER (specify printer) 0
OPR>set printer dqs ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>show printer dqs
? Does not match switch or keyword: "printer"
OPR>set prINTER (specify printer) dqs _LPA0
? Invalid character specified in name: "_LPA0"
OPR>set prinTER (specify printer) dqs LPA0
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set priNTER (specify printer) dqs dqs$queue_lpa0
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer (specify printer) ? number or range (n:m)(/NODE:)
or one of the following:
CLUSTER DQS LAT
OPR>set printer (specify printer) dqs ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>set printer (specify printer) dqs teostr
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) LPA0
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) teostr::LPA0
? Invalid character specified in name: "teostr::LPA0"
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) DQS$QUEUE_LPA0
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) teostr
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs (VMS printer queue name) teostr::
? Invalid character specified in name: "teostr::"
OPR>set printer dqs _LPA0:
? Invalid character specified in name: "_LPA0:"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0:
? Invalid character specified in name: "LPA0:"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0:
? Invalid character specified in name: "LPA0:"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0 ? NODE
OPR>set printer dqs _LPA0 TEOSTR
? Invalid character specified in name: "_LPA0"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0 TEOSTR
? Does not match switch or keyword: "TEOSTR"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0 ? NODE
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0 teostr::
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>set printer dqs DQS$QUEUE_LPA0 teostr
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs lpa teostr ?? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs LPA0 teostr::
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs
? VMS printer queue name has an invalid length: ""
OPR>set printer dqs lpa
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs lpa teostr
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs lpa0 teostr::
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs lpa0: teostr::
? Invalid character specified in name: "lpa0:"
OPR>set printer dqs _lpa0: teostr::
? Invalid character specified in name: "_lpa0:"
OPR>set printer dqs ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>set printer dqs /node:teostr
? VMS printer queue name has an invalid length: ""
OPR>set printer dqs teostr /node:teostr
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs _lpa0 /node:teostr
? Invalid character specified in name: "_lpa0"
OPR>set printer dqs _lpa0: /node:teostr
? Invalid character specified in name: "_lpa0:"
OPR>set printer ? number or range (n:m)(/NODE:)
or one of the following:
CLUSTER DQS LAT
OPR>set printer dqs ? VMS printer queue name
OPR>set printer dqs DQS$QUEUE_LPA0 ? NODE
OPR>set printer dqs DQS$QUEUE_LPA0 /node:teostr
? Null switch or keyword given: ""
OPR>set printer dqs DQS$QUEUE_LPA0 teostr
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>set printer dqs DQS$QUEUE_LPA0 teostr::
? Does not match switch or keyword: "teostr"
OPR>show queu
OPR>
16:32:49 -- System Queues Listing --
Printer Queue:
Job Name Req# Limit User
-------- ------ ------- ------------------------
UNIX_T 3 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:_LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
There is 1 job in the queue (none in progress)
OPR>exit
$print /remote-printer:LPA0 /destination-node:teostr unix_time.pl
[Printer job UNIX_T queued, request #4, limit 3]
$opr
OPR>show queue
OPR>
16:34:58 -- System Queues Listing --
Printer Queue:
Job Name Req# Limit User
-------- ------ ------- ------------------------
UNIX_T 4 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
There is 1 job in the queue (none in progress)
There is no connection issue. Both nodes can see each other:
OPR>ncp loop node teostr
OPR>
16:49:42 NCP
Request # 10 Accepted
OPR>
16:49:42 NCP
Request # 10; Loop Node Completed
How to make TOPS-20 print to this DQS printer because all they do now is
set in the queue?
Printer Queue:
Job Name Req# Limit User
-------- ------ ------- ------------------------
UNIX_T 4 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
FTP 5 3 JAYJWA /Remote-name:DQS$QUEUE_LPA0
/Dest:TEOSTR
LOGIN 6 3 JAYJWA /Dest:TEOSTR
There are 3 jobs in the queue (none in progress)
--
PGP Key ID: 781C A3E2 C6ED 70A6 B356 7AF5 B510 542E D460 5CAE
"The Internet should always be the Wild West!"
Back to alt.sys.pdp10 | Previous | Next — Next in thread | Find similar
TOPS-20 and DQS printers jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> - 2026-02-06 16:59 -0500
Re: TOPS-20 and DQS printers Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2026-02-06 21:06 -0500
Re: TOPS-20 and DQS printers jayjwa <jayjwa@atr2.ath.cx.invalid> - 2026-02-07 00:16 -0500
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