====== CUPS FAQ ======
===== Basics =====
==== In which **forum** should I ask CUPS related questions? ====
Forum: [[http://forums.openprinting.org/list.php?19|General Discussion]]
Better is to discuss on the [[http://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php|CUPS mailing list/newsgroups]] on the [[http://www.cups.org/|CUPS web site]].
==== I installed and configured CUPS, but my printer doesn't work. What next? ====
The next step is to [[:openprinting:database:errorlogfaq|enable debug logging]],
and read the [[:openprinting:database:errorlogfaq|error_log file]].
Try to find errors, and compare them to [[:openprinting:database:errorlogfaq|commonly found errors]].
==== How do I enable debugging? ====
1. Edit the file **''/etc/cups/cupsd.conf''**
2. Change the line **''LogLevel''** to **''debug''**.
3. Restart cupsd.**'' killall -HUP cupsd''**
It is usually **not** helpful to use **''debug2''** LogLevel, because this
reports errors not related to printing.
==== Why doesn't CUPS recognize the PPD I just added? ====
You must restart CUPS for new PPD's to be read.
killall -HUP cupsd
==== What is the maximum number of jobs that I can print? ====
It is limited by the variable **''MaxJobs''** in **''/etc/cups/cupsd.conf''**.
==== Why is the URI mangled? ====
The new URI format **''usb://make/model[[http://www.openprinting.org/?serial=foo|[1]]]''** is used to manage
changes in the port number, since port numbers are assigned more-or-
less randomly when the system boots. This won't be a problem if you
only have a single printer connected via USB.
==== How do I print pages always in reverse order? ====
In the PPD: **''*DefaultOutputOrder: "reverse"''**
See: [[http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/ps/index_specs.html|http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/ps/index_specs.html]], link [[http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/5003.PPD_Spec_v4.3.pdf|PostScript Printer Description (PPD) File Format Specification Version 4.3 #5003]].
==== How do I print to a Zoom Internet Gateway? ====
The gateway uses the lpd protocol. The queue name is lp. Enter**''lpd:%%//%%192.168.123.254/lp''** as the location to print to. Change the
IP address as needed.
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===== Using CUPS =====
==== Where do I file a bug report? ====
[[http://www.cups.org/str.php|http://www.cups.org/str.php]].
==== What version of CUPS am I using? ====
First try **''cups-config --version''**
If this does not work surf to [[http://localhost:631/printers|http://localhost:631/printers]]
and see the CUPS version in the title bar of your browser.
==== How come printing from Windows to GNU/Linux produces greyscale images? ====
Windows clients will automagically try to determine the features of the
printer. If "color" is not listed as a feature, they will convert images to
black and white.[[http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283277|http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283277]]
==== Why do images always print portrait, but not landscape? ====
changing the print command to either of following
should work as well as moving to CUPS 1.1.18
sed -e 's/Orientation: Landscape/Orientation: Portrait/' | lpr
sed -e 's/Orientation: Landscape/Orientation: Portrait/' | kprinter --stdin
[[http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/jsmeix_print-cups-landscape-81.html|http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/jsmeix_print-cups-landscape-81.html]]
==== How do I set landscape mode in the printer? ====
Printers do not necesarily have a landscape mode - the rotation is
handled in software before the print job reaches the printer.
See [[news://b23pd6$gen$1@dns.easysw.com|news://b23pd6$gen$1@dns.easysw.com]]
(which is an entry on "Landscape Printing" in the cups.general newsgroup on
the news.easysw.com newsgroup server.
==== What software can rotate images between **''landscape''** and **''portrait''** orientations? ====
* [[http://www.patoche.org/LTT/printer/00000139.html|GhostScript]]
* [[http://ou800doc.caldera.com/cgi-bin/man/man?postprint+1|PostPrint]]
* [[http://quasar.mathstat.uottawa.ca/~selinger/psdim|PSDim]]
* [[http://radawana.cg.tuwien.ac.at/mail-archives/lll/200204/msg00063.html|pstops]]
==== Why does my printer ignore the color type set in CUPS? ====
It is possible to override this setting from the invoking application.
For example, Mozilla has an **''Color/Greyscale''** option in the print dialogue.
==== How do I print PCL? ====
Assuming your printer supports PCL, setup a "raw" queue in CUPS.
Alternatively, you can try **''lpr -o raw file''**.
==== How do I setup a PCL queue? ====
Make an additional **''raw''** queue (without a PPD file) and send the PCL jobs
to there, or use **''-o raw''** on the **''lpr''** command line when you send a PCL
job to your normal print queue.
If that does not work, then uncomment the **''octet-stream''** lines in**''/etc/cups/mime.types''** and**''/etc/cups/mime.convs''**, then restart the CUPS daemon.
==== How do I set the IP of my LAN printer? ====
see [[http://localhost:631/sam.html#COMMON_NETWORK|http://localhost:631/sam.html#COMMON_NETWORK]].
==== How do I print to a file? ====
One needs a queue pointing to a file. For such a queue, edit**''/etc/cups/cupsd.conf''** activating the **''FileDevice''** directive
so that it reads **''FileDevice Yes''** (without the "#" in the beginning).
After re-starting the CUPS daemon, you can print to a file.
When the input data are text files, one simply use a raw queue:
lpadmin -p tofile -E -v file:/tmp/printout
If the input is also PostScript or images, you will need filters.
GhostScript can extract the text from PostScript or PDF files using the**''ps2ascii''** filter (part of the GhostScript package). For images you can
use [[http://dyne.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/jpeg2ascii/|http://dyne.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/jpeg2ascii/]]. You only need to put
these into an appropriate CUPS filter and make a PPD for this. See[[http://www.cups.org/spm.html|http://www.cups.org/spm.html]]
for how to do this.
==== How do I disable the **''-oraw''** option on the server side? ====
Comment out the **''application/vnd.cups-raw''** line in the mime.types
file.
==== How do I generate a report of CUPS statistics? ====
See [[http://amaru.ti6.tu-harburg.de/portal/Members/ti6ntm/Projekte/Printanalyzer|http://amaru.ti6.tu-harburg.de/portal/Members/ti6ntm/Projekte/Printanalyzer]].
==== How do I count pages printed? ====
While CUPS has a basic utility to do this,[[http://freshmeat.net/projects/pykota/?topic_id=861%2C253%2C148%2C136%2C154|PyKota]]
is recommended.
==== Where can I find a fax driver? ====
[[http://freshmeat.net/projects/fax4cups/?topic_id=36|http://freshmeat.net/projects/fax4cups/?topic_id=36]]
==== Why does a blank page print for every print job? ====
The exact cause is unknown. There is one possible workaround, if you
do not need the CUPS accounting information.
The accounting functionality can be disabled in the cupsomatic filter
by changing the line**''my $ps_accounting = 1;''** to
my $ps_accounting = 0;
in the filter script **''/usr/lib/cups/filter/cupsomatic''** as the user root.
If you use **''/etc/foomatic/filter.conf''**, disable ps_accounting there.
==== Why doesn't the PPD file work with Windows 2000? ====
Windows 2000 has a bug which limits it to reading
the options at a maximum of 40 characters per line. This limitation is not
included in the PPD Spec. It is possible to modify the PPD manually, so each line is limited
to 40 characters.
Please contact Microsoft regarding this bug, as we are looking
forward to them providing a speedy resolution to this error.
==== How do I cancel all print jobs at once? ====
cancel -a printername
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==== Why do the print jobs have the incorrect time? ====
CUPS reads the time information from the shell variable TZ.
You'll need to set this variable, for example, **''export TZ="America/Chicago"''**
in bash.
==== What happens if the printer name has a slash or space in the name? ====
Replace a slash with **''%2f''** and a space with **''%20''**.
anchor: which_ppd
==== Which PPD do I use with a PostScript printer? ====
Do not use the openprinting.org PPD's. Use the manufacturer PPD's
for Windows NT.
==== How do I use economode? ====
When you print with **''kprinter''** you can click the **''Properties''** button in
the dialog and in the options dialog you find the economy mode on the**''Driver Settings''** tab.
On the command line use the **''-o Economode=On''** option:
lpr -o Economode=On file.ps
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===== CUPS and Windows =====
==== Do Windows clients support ipp? ====
Win clients don't support the IPP:// or ipp:// syntax. You'll**have** to use **http**, like this:
[[http://server:631/printers/printer|http://server:631/printers/printer]]
===== CUPS Errors =====
====**''cupsd: Child exited with status 1!''**? ====
If running CUPS from the command line, cupsd must be started as root.
====**''cupsd: Child exited with status 98!''**? ====
Another process is using the port that cupsd listens to (default 631).
It might be the rpc.rquotad deamon. Either disable this deamon or make sure
cupsd starts before nfs.
==== %%**%%FAIL%%**%% Unable to open PPD file - Line longer than the maximum allowed (255 characters)? ====
To use the new CUPS v1.1.19 together with Foomatic you MUST upgrade to Foomatic 3.0.x.
====**''a2ps: cannot find file 'jpeg.ssh'''**? ====
====**''a2ps: cannot find file 'gif.ssh'''**? ====
**''a2ps''** has been compiled without ImageMagick support. Recomplie
cups after installing ImageMagick.
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===== CUPS Log Errors =====
==== Where is all the information about the CUPS error_log? ====
It has its own [[:openprinting:database:errorlogfaq|FAQ]].