Definition of Line Printer Daemon (LPD) in The Network Encyclopedia.

What is LPD (Line Printer Daemon)?

LPD stands for Line Printer Daemon, is a general TCP/IP daemon on UNIX networks that is used for receiving and spooling print jobs on a print server. The Line Printer Daemon (LPD) print server might be connected directly to the print device, or it might be a network print device that supports LPD. UNIX clients send their jobs to the printer by using the Line Printer Remote (LPR) utility; you can use another utility called Line Printer Queue (LPQ) to check the status of print jobs spooled on the server.

Microsoft Windows NT Server has an optional LPD service that you can install on the machine by installing the Microsoft TCP/IP Printing service, which enables computers running UNIX to send print jobs to the computer running Windows NT by using LPR. Computers running Windows NT can also use the LPR command to send print jobs to a Windows NT server running LPD. The Microsoft TCP/IP Printing service thus provides Microsoft Windows/UNIX printing interoperability for heterogeneous network environments.

Windows Server Family uses Microsoft Print Services for UNIX, which provides both LPD and LPR services through two Windows 2000 services:

• LPDSVC: Runs on the Windows 2000 print server and receives print jobs from native LPR utilities running on UNIX workstations. 
• LPRMON: Runs on the Windows 2000 print server and forwards print jobs to native LPD processes running on UNIX computers with attached printers.

Startup configuration for the LPD service

The startup configuration for the LPD service on Windows 2000 is set to Manual by default and should be changed to Automatic if this feature is used.