In Unix, how do I designate my default printer?

In Unix, the steps you follow to designate your default printer vary depending on whether your Unix implementation understands BSD or System V printing commands. Many systems accommodate both. For more, see In Unix, how do I print files and list or remove print jobs?

In the examples that follow, replace printername with the name of the printer you want to designate as the default printer (e.g., lh026).

Note: If you want to set your default printer permanently, you will have to enter the commands described below in your .profile (for sh, ksh, and bash) or your .cshrc (for csh and tcsh) file.

BSD

For BSD printing, you must assign to the PRINTER variable the printer you want as the default. If you use one of the Bourne-like shells (e.g., sh, ksh, or bash), at the Unix shell prompt, enter:

If you use one of the C-shells (e.g., csh or tcsh), at the Unix shell prompt, enter:

System V

Using System V printing, you will need to define the LPDEST variable. If you use one of the Bourne-like shells (e.g., sh, ksh, or bash), at the Unix shell prompt, enter:

If you use one of the C-shells (e.g., csh or tcsh), enter:

At Indiana University, for personal or departmental Linux or Unix systems support, see At IU, how do I get support for Linux or Unix?

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