I have CUPS loaded on my test lab server. Trying to allow text only prints fro mainframe via port 515. The printer definition on the Linux server will be a virtual printer. I have added the printer definition and my interface script with just a few variables like job name, file name, etc. I have updated cupsd.conf showing allow from only the mainframe ip. Listen to port 515. And default encryption never. However, in the error log, I keep getting unable to encrypt connection to (mainframe ip). Is there anything else I need to do to "not encrypt" the connection from the mainframe to the Linux server running cups ? Any help is greatly appreciated!

I would try using cups-lpd daemon. The cups protocol is not the same as lpr and I would not expect printing to work by just changing port numbers.

http://www.cups.org/documentation.ph...-cups-lpd.html

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i already had a cups-lpd file under /etc/xinetd.d ; so copied it to cups.
# cat cups
service printer
port = 515
socket_type = stream
protocol = tcp
wait = no
user = lp
server = /usr/lib/cups/daemon/cups-lpd
passenv =
group = sys
server_args = -o /document-format=application/octet-stream

i then did

# /etc/rc.d/init.d/xinetd restart
Stopping xinetd: [ OK ]
Starting xinetd: [ OK ]
#

what is my next step ?

The firewall if running should allow incoming traffic on port 515 and I assume that you already have a printer configured on linux machine. So I assume that to print from the mainframe is:

lpd://server/printer

Yes, port 515 is open on mainframe, which adheres to rfc1179. Keep in mind, I need to emulate same lp process on the Linux server as currently on our sun and hp unix servers. I have a printer iD defined on the Linux server with a very basic interface script attached. There is no real printer. I want the data received to be saved as a flat text file on the server. In hp unix, I would have defined the printer as : lpadmin -p (printer ID) -v/dev/null -m(custom script name). Will lpd work same on Linux as lp/lpr on hp unix?

In a similar fashion.
lpadmin -p test -E -v file:/dev/null

You might have to set DeviceFile yes in the cupsd.conf file.

Your custom script would be a custom backend filter. There might be other ways to accomplish the same thing.