Description: The ‘lpr’ command is a command-line tool that allows users to send files to a printer in Unix-like operating systems, including Unix and Linux. Its name comes from ‘line printer’, a term used to refer to printers that printed one line of text at a time. This command is part of BusyBox, a collection of utilities that provides simplified versions of common Unix tools. ‘lpr’ is used to manage print jobs, allowing users to send documents, images, and other types of files to locally or network-connected printers. Additionally, it offers options to specify print quality, number of copies, and other settings related to the print job. Its simplicity and effectiveness have made it an essential tool for printer management in server environments and embedded systems where efficient resource use is required. Through ‘lpr’, users can integrate printing into scripts and automate printing-related tasks, making it especially useful in work environments that handle large volumes of documents.
History: The ‘lpr’ command has its roots in Unix systems from the 1970s when line printers were common in computing environments. As printing technology evolved, ‘lpr’ became an integral part of printing systems in Unix-like systems, facilitating print job management. Over time, variants and extensions of this command have been developed, but its basic functionality has remained consistent.
Uses: The ‘lpr’ command is primarily used to send documents to printers in Unix-like operating systems. It is common in server environments where printing reports, invoices, and other documents is required. It is also used in automation scripts to efficiently manage print jobs.
Examples: An example of using ‘lpr’ would be: ‘lpr document.txt’, which would send the file ‘document.txt’ to the default printer. It can also be used with options, such as ‘lpr -# 2 document.txt’ to print two copies of the file.
