With much help from this list, I've almost got it. Goal: to capture a print job from a Windows PC, send a copy of the print job to an alpha pager via email, and then send the print job on to a network printer.
Problem: If I print to "beeper", I get the email message and the logfile, but I don't get the hardcopy. If I print to "bouncer" or "HPNimrod", I get the hardcopy ("bouncer" formats it; "HPNimrod" loses data/formatting). Here's my printcap: #send a page to campus security's beepers beeper:\ :if=/etc/magicfilter/beeper-filter:\ :lp=:\ :sd=/var/spool/lpd/beeper:\ :bq=bouncer: #send it through an intermediate queue so #it runs the if for filtering a remote printer bouncer:\ :sd=/var/spool/lpd/bouncer:\ :lp=:\ :if=/etc/magicfilter/ljet4m-filter:\ :bq=HPNimrod:\ :sh:pw#80:pl#72:px#1440:mx#0: #send it to the remote printer HPNimrod|lp|Nimrod|HP LaserJet 4SiMX:\ :lp=:sd=/var/spool/lpd/HPNimrod:\ :sh:pw#80:pl#72:px#1440:mx#0:\ :af=/var/log/lp-acct:lf=/var/log/lp-errs:\ :rm=150.252.128.29:\ :rp=nimrod_2: And here's my beeper-filter: #!/usr/bin/perl $recipient = "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"; $subject = "911 Alert!"; $mailprog = "mail"; $logfile = "/tmp/beeper.log"; open (MAIL, "|$mailprog -s \'$subject\' $recipient"); open (OUT, ">$logfile"); print MAIL "----------- 911 Alert\n\n"; print OUT "----------- 911 Alert\n\n"; while (<STDIN>) { print MAIL $_; print OUT $_; } print MAIL "\n----------- Be alert; we need more lerts!\n"; print OUT "\n----------- Be alert; we need more lerts!\n"; close MAIL; close OUT; Apparently the "beeper" entry in printcap isn't bouncing the print job on to "bouncer". I've tried to read the man pages on printcap, but I'm still too green to comprehend much of it. Can one of you help me figure out what's going wrong? Thanks!