Checking Print Job Status (qchk Command)

Guide to Printers and Printing

Checking Print Job Status (qchk Command)

You can display the current status information for specified job numbers, queues, printers, or users with the Web-based System Manager fast path or with the qchk or smit commands.

Prerequisites

For local print jobs, the printer must be physically attached to your system or, in the case of a network printer, attached and configured on the network.
For remote print jobs, your system must be configured to communicate with the remote print server.

Web-based System Manager Fast Path

To check the status of a print job using the Web-based System Manager fast path, type:

wsm printers

In the Printer Queues container, select the print job, then use the menus to check its status.

qchk Command

The qchk command displays the current status information regarding specified print jobs, print queues, or users.

The basic format of the qchk command is:

qchk -P QueueName -# JobNumber -u OwnerName

See the qchk command in the AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference for the exact syntax.

For example, to display the default print queue, type:

qchk -q

For example, to display the long status of all queues until empty, while updating the screen every 5 seconds, type:

qchk -A -L -w 5

For example, to display the status for print queue lp0, type:

qchk -P lp0

For example, to display the status for job number 123, type:

qchk -# 123

For example, to check the status of all jobs in all queues, type:

qchk -A

Note: The AIX operating system also supports the BSD UNIX check print queue command (lpq) and the System V UNIX check print queue command (lpstat). See the lpq and lpstat commands in the AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference for the exact syntax.

smit Command

To check a print job's status using SMIT, type:

smit qchk

Printer Status Conditions

Some of the status conditions that a print queue can have are:

DEV_BUSY	Indicates that: More than one queue is defined to a printer device (lp0) and another queue is currently using the printer device. qdaemon attempted to use the printer port device (lp0), but another application is currently using that printer device To recover from a DEV_BUSY, wait until the queue or application has released the printer device or cancel the job or process that is using the printer port.
DEV_WAIT	Indicates that the queue is waiting on the printer because the printer is offline, out of paper, jammed, or the cable is loose, bad, or wired incorrectly. To recover from a DEV_WAIT, correct the problem that caused it to wait. It may be easier for diagnostic testing to use the enq command to move all queued jobs from the DEV_WAIT queue to another queue that is either printing or is DOWN. After the problem is corrected, you can move any unprinted job back to the original queue. A queue that is in DEV_WAIT for longer than a defined number of seconds will go into a DOWN state.
DOWN	A queue will usually go into a DOWN state after it has been in the DEV_WAIT state. This situation occurs when the printer device driver cannot tell if the printer is there due to absence of correct signalling. However, some printers may not have the capability to signal the queuing system that it is offline, and instead signals that it is off. If the printer device signals or appears to be off, the queue will go into the DOWN state. To recover from a DOWN state, correct the problem that has brought the queue down and have the system administrator bring the queue back up. The queue must be manually brought up before it can be used again.
HELD	Specifies that a print job is held. The print job will not be processed by the spooler until it is released.
QUEUED	Specifies that a print file is queued and is waiting in line to be printed.
READY	Specifies that everything involved with the queue is ready to queue and print a job.
RUNNING	Specifies that a print file is printing.