If the 370 has one or more printers, there would be a program per printer and a print queue server. Gates to the print queue server would be available to those with the right to use a queued printer. The printer programs would run in real time with the printer. If it is important to segregate the printers, one set of printers with one set of users, this may be done by providing one print queue server for each such set.

We currently think that we will print only thru printers attached to Tymnet. This will not involve kernel logic.

A Gnosis printer mechanism

A very simple and not very robust printer facility exists that can be used to print files or, when under VM, send files from Gnosis to CMS.

PRINTERF(0,sb,m,sb ==> c;PRINTER)

A printer driver that is given to the DEVALOC key.

PRINTER(0,DEVICE,PRINTQUE,LOGGER ==> c,(errorstring))
This call from the Device allocator (p2,devalloc) starts the printer driver. PRINTQUE is the "receptionist" and supplies keys to print.

Return codes

0 Device key no longer useful

3 Outboard error with standard error string as follows

TOD

CCW

CSW

VOLID

SENSE

4 Inboard error

>4 catastrophic error, do not return until intervention

PRINTQUEF(0;sb,m,sb ==> c;PRINT,PRINTQUE,PRINTEQCONTROL)
Build a Print Queue (a receptionist for the Printer driver).

PRINT(0,(distribution string);key ==>c)
Print KEY with NO carriage control information used from the file. 60 lines are printed on each page and then a page eject is issued.

"Distribution string" is what would be used to construct the banner. The first 8 characters of the distribution string are used as the parameters to a CP SPOOL 00E xxxxxxxx command. This will cause the print output to go into a VM reader if the first 8 characters identify a VM user and Gnosis is running under VM. The output will go to the real VM printer if the distribution string is not a valid VM userid.

Since there is no banner and since files spooled to readers lose carriage control information, files "printed" to a VM reader are transmitted "as is". This can be used to transfer text files from Gnosis to CMS.

This key is found as USER.PUB.PRINT

PRINT(1,(distribution string);key ==>c)
As in PRINT(0...) except that carriage control information will be taken from the first byte of each record. Either machine code or ASA carriage control is accepted.

PRINTQUE(0; ==>(distribution string);key)
Return a key to be printed.

Return codes

n<x'10000000' original ordercode of the caller of PRINT

x'10000000' suggest to try again

x'20000000' more than 16 waiters

PRINTQUE(x'10000000'+oc,(string;key) ==>c)
Put the key back on the queue such that it will be the first out on the next call.