
grolbp Command in Linux
grolbp is a command used in Linux to convert the output of the groff text formatting system into a format suitable for LBP-8 and Canon LBP-4 printers. Essentially, the command translates the formatted text into Canons CaPSL and VDM formats.
The grolbp command is typically invoked by groff when the -T lbp option is used. It supports various options, such as setting the number of copies, paper size and orientation. If you dont specify a file, this command reads from the standard input and writes to the standard output.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the grolbp command in linux −
- How to Install grolbp Command in Linux?
- Syntax of grolbp Command
- grolbp Command Options
- Examples of grolbp Command in Linux
How to Install grolbp Command in Linux?
grolbp command is a part of the groff package that is not preinstalled on most Linux distributions. To use the grolbp command, you must install the groff package from your systems package manager.
On Ubuntu and other such systems that use the APT package manager, you can install the groff package by running the following command −
sudo apt install groff
For Red Hat-based systems like CentOS and Fedora, which use the YUM or DNF package managers, you can install the groff package with −
sudo yum install groff
Or,
sudo dnf install groff
On Arch Linux, which uses the Pacman package manager, you can install groff by running −
sudo pacman -S groff
For SUSE Linux systems, which use the Zypper package manager, you can install groff with −
sudo zypper install groff
Syntax of grolbp Command
Here is the basic syntax to use the grolbp command in Linux system −
grolbp [options] [file ...]
Where,
- [options] are additional parameters you can use to customize the behavior of the grolbp command.
- [file] are one or more files you want to process with grolbp.
grolbp Command Options
The following are few options you can use with the grolbp command in Linux system −
Option | Description |
---|---|
-l, --landscape | Sets the orientation to landscape. |
-c num-copies, --copies=num-copies | Specifies the number of copies to print. |
-F font-directory, --fontdir=font-directory | Sets the directory where fonts are located. |
-o orientation, --orientation=orientation | Sets the orientation to either portrait or landscape. |
-p paper-format, --papersize=paper-format | Specifies the paper size (e.g., A4, letter). |
-w width, --linewidth=width | Sets the line width for the printed output. |
Examples of grolbp Command in Linux
Lets discuss a few examples of grolbp commands in Linux systems. This will help you in learning how to get started with the command.
- Printing in Landscape Orientation
- Printing Multiple Copies
- Specifying Paper Size
- Using a Custom Font Directory
- Setting Line Width
- Printing in Portrait Orientation
Printing in Landscape Orientation
You can use the grolbp command to print your document in landscape orientation. To do this, use the -l option. For example −
grolbp -l myfile.roff
This command will print myfile.roff in landscape orientation.

Printing Multiple Copies
If you need to print multiple copies of a document, you can use the -c option followed by the number of copies you want. For example −
grolbp -c 3 myfile.roff
This command will print 3 copies of myfile.roff.

Specifying Paper Size
To print your document on a specific paper size, you can use the -p option followed by the paper size. For example −
grolbp -p A4 myfile.roff
This command will print myfile.roff on A4 paper.

Using a Custom Font Directory
If you have custom fonts stored in a specific directory, you can use the -F option to specify that directory. For example −
grolbp -F /path/to/fonts myfile.roff
This command will use the fonts located in /path/to/fonts to print myfile.roff.
Setting Line Width
To set the line width for the printed output, use the -w option followed by the desired width. For example −
grolbp -w 2 myfile.roff
This command will print myfile.roff with a line width of 2 units.

Printing in Portrait Orientation
By default, grolbp prints in portrait orientation, you can explicitly set this using the -o option −
grolbp -o portrait myfile.roff
This command will print myfile.roff in portrait orientation.

These examples should give you a better understanding of how to use the grolbp command with various options.
Conclusion
The grolbp command is a versatile tool used in Linux for converting groff output into formats suitable for Canon LBP-4 and LBP-8 printers. This guide has covered the installation process, syntax, and various options available for the grolbp command. Additionally, we have provided practical examples to help you effectively manage your printing tasks and enhance your productivity in a text-based environment.
By mastering this command, you can significantly improve your efficiency when working with formatted text and printing on Canon LBP printers.