cupsd.conf(5)

๐Ÿ“ฆ
version 2.4.19 ยท 7 versions
, in alpine 3.22, alpine 3.23, alpine 3.24, fedora 43, fedora 44, nixpkgs unstable, opensuse-leap 16.0, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

๐ŸŽ€ cupsd.conf(5) ๐ŸŽ€

the server configuration file for cups โ€” yes bestie, this is the manual page for cupsd.conf, and it's giving main character energy ๐Ÿ’…โœจ

๐ŸŒธ NAME ๐ŸŒธ

cupsd.conf โ€” server configuration file for cups ๐Ÿซถ

๐Ÿฆ‹ DESCRIPTION ๐Ÿฆ‹

okay so the cupsd.conf file configures the CUPS scheduler, cupsd(8). It's normally located in the /etc/cups directory. Each line in the file can be a configuration directive, a blank line, or a comment. Configuration directives typically consist of a name and zero or more values separated by whitespace. The configuration directive name and values are case-insensitive. Comment lines start with the # character. periodt ๐Ÿ’–

โœจ TOP-LEVEL DIRECTIVES โœจ

The following top-level directives are understood by cupsd(8), bestie:

  • AccessLogLevel config, AccessLogLevel actions, AccessLogLevel all โ€” specifies the logging level for the AccessLog file. The "config" level logs when printers and classes are added, deleted, or modified and when configuration files are accessed or updated. The "actions" level logs when print jobs are submitted, held, released, modified, or canceled, and any of the conditions for "config". The "all" level logs all requests. The default access log level is "actions". ๐Ÿ’–
  • AutoPurgeJobs Yes, AutoPurgeJobs No โ€” specifies whether to purge job history data automatically when it is no longer required for quotas. The default is "No". ๐Ÿงน
  • BrowseDNSSDSubTypes subtype[,...] โ€” specifies a list of Bonjour sub-types to advertise for each shared printer. For example, "BrowseDNSSDSubTypes _cups,_print" will tell network clients that both CUPS sharing and IPP Everywhere are supported. The default is "_cups" which is necessary for printer sharing to work between systems using CUPS. ๐Ÿฆ‹
  • BrowseLocalProtocols all, BrowseLocalProtocols dnssd, BrowseLocalProtocols none โ€” specifies which protocols to use for local printer sharing. The default is "dnssd" on systems that support Bonjour and "none" otherwise. ๐ŸŒˆ
  • BrowseWebIF Yes, BrowseWebIF No โ€” specifies whether the CUPS web interface is advertised. The default is "No". ๐ŸŒ
  • Browsing Yes, Browsing No โ€” specifies whether shared printers are advertised. The default is "No". ๐Ÿ‘€
  • DefaultAuthType Basic โ€” specifies the default type of authentication to use. The default is "Basic". ๐Ÿ”
  • DefaultEncryption Never, DefaultEncryption IfRequested, DefaultEncryption Required โ€” specifies whether encryption will be used for authenticated requests. The default is "Required". ๐Ÿ”’
  • DefaultLanguage locale โ€” specifies the default language to use for text and web content. The default is "en". ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ
  • DefaultPaperSize Auto, DefaultPaperSize None, DefaultPaperSize sizename โ€” specifies the default paper size for new print queues. "Auto" uses a locale-specific default, while "None" specifies there is no default paper size. Specific size names are typically "Letter" or "A4". The default is "Auto". Note: The default paper size must use a size name from the PPD file and not a PWG self-describing media size name. ๐Ÿ“„
  • DefaultPolicy policy-name โ€” specifies the default access policy to use. The default access policy is "default". ๐Ÿ‘‘
  • DefaultShared Yes, DefaultShared No โ€” specifies whether local printers are shared by default. The default is "Yes". ๐Ÿค
  • DirtyCleanInterval seconds โ€” specifies the delay for updating of configuration and state files. A value of 0 causes the update to happen as soon as possible, typically within a few milliseconds. The default value is "30". โฑ๏ธ
  • DNSSDHostName hostname.example.com โ€” specifies the fully-qualified domain name for the server that is used for Bonjour sharing. The default is typically the server's ".local" hostname. ๐Ÿ 
  • ErrorPolicy abort-job โ€” specifies that a failed print job should be aborted (discarded) unless otherwise specified for the printer.
  • ErrorPolicy retry-current-job โ€” specifies that a failed print job should be retried immediately unless otherwise specified for the printer.
  • ErrorPolicy retry-job โ€” specifies that a failed print job should be retried at a later time unless otherwise specified for the printer.
  • ErrorPolicy stop-printer โ€” specifies that a failed print job should stop the printer unless otherwise specified for the printer. The 'stop-printer' error policy is the default. ๐Ÿ›‘
  • FilterLimit limit โ€” specifies the maximum cost of filters that are run concurrently, which can be used to minimize disk, memory, and CPU resource problems. A limit of 0 disables filter limiting. An average print to a non-PostScript printer needs a filter limit of about 200. A PostScript printer needs about half that (100). Setting the limit below these thresholds will effectively limit the scheduler to printing a single job at any time. The default limit is "0". ๐Ÿ”ฅ
  • FilterNice nice-value โ€” specifies the scheduling priority (nice(8) value) of filters that are run to print a job. The nice value ranges from 0, the highest priority, to 19, the lowest priority. The default is 0. ๐Ÿง˜
  • HostNameLookups On, HostNameLookups Off, HostNameLookups Double โ€” specifies whether to do reverse lookups on connecting clients. The "Double" setting causes cupsd(8) to verify that the hostname resolved from the address matches one of the addresses returned for that hostname. Double lookups also prevent clients with unregistered addresses from connecting to your server. The default is "Off" to avoid the potential server performance problems with hostname lookups. Only set this option to "On" or "Double" if absolutely required. ๐Ÿ”
  • IdleExitTimeout seconds โ€” specifies the length of time to wait before shutting down due to inactivity. The default is "60" seconds. Note: Only applicable when cupsd(8) is run on-demand (e.g., with -l). ๐Ÿ’ค
  • JobKillDelay seconds โ€” specifies the number of seconds to wait before killing the filters and backend associated with a canceled or held job. The default is "300". ๐Ÿ’€
  • JobRetryInterval seconds โ€” specifies the interval between retries of jobs in seconds. This is typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print queues whose error policy is "retry-job". The default is "300". ๐Ÿ”
  • JobRetryLimit count โ€” specifies the number of retries that are done for jobs. This is typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print queues whose error policy is "retry-job". The default is "5". ๐Ÿ”ข
  • KeepAlive Yes, KeepAlive No โ€” specifies whether to support HTTP keep-alive connections. The default is "Yes". ๐Ÿ”„
  • <Limit operation ...> ... </Limit> โ€” specifies the IPP operations that are being limited inside a Policy section. IPP operation names are listed below in the section "IPP OPERATION NAMES". ๐Ÿ“‹
  • <Limit method ...> ... </Limit>, <LimitExcept method ...> ... </LimitExcept> โ€” specifies the HTTP methods that are being limited inside a Location section. HTTP method names are listed below in the section "HTTP METHOD NAMES". ๐ŸŒ
  • LimitRequestBody size โ€” specifies the maximum size of print files, IPP requests, and HTML form data. The default is "0" which disables the limit check. ๐Ÿ“ฆ
  • Listen ipv4-address:port / Listen [ipv6-address]:port / Listen *:port / Listen /path/to/domain/socket โ€” Listens to the specified address and port or domain socket path for connections. Multiple Listen directives can be provided to listen on multiple addresses. The Listen directive is similar to the Port directive but allows you to restrict access to specific interfaces or networks. Note: "Listen *:port" and "Port port" effectively listen on all IP addresses, so you cannot combine them with Listen directives for explicit IPv4 or IPv6 addresses on the same port. ๐Ÿ‘‚
  • <Location /path> ... </Location> โ€” specifies access control for the named location. Paths are documented below in the section "LOCATION PATHS". ๐Ÿ“
  • LogDebugHistory number โ€” specifies the number of debugging messages that are retained for logging if an error occurs in a print job. Debug messages are logged regardless of the LogLevel setting. ๐Ÿ›
  • LogLevel none, LogLevel emerg, LogLevel alert, LogLevel crit, LogLevel error, LogLevel warn, LogLevel notice, LogLevel info, LogLevel debug, LogLevel debug2 โ€” specifies the level of logging for the ErrorLog file. The value "none" stops all logging while "debug2" logs everything. The default is "warn". ๐Ÿ“
  • LogTimeFormat standard, LogTimeFormat usecs โ€” specifies the format of the date and time in the log files. The value "standard" is the default and logs whole seconds while "usecs" logs microseconds. โฐ
  • MaxClients number โ€” specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed by the scheduler. The default is "100". ๐Ÿ‘ฅ
  • MaxClientsPerHost number โ€” specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed from a single address. The default is the MaxClients value. ๐Ÿ 
  • MaxCopies number โ€” specifies the maximum number of copies that a user can print of each job. The default is "9999". ๐Ÿ“š
  • MaxHoldTime seconds โ€” specifies the maximum time a job may remain in the "indefinite" hold state before it is canceled. The default is "0" which disables cancellation of held jobs. โณ
  • MaxJobs number โ€” specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed. Set to "0" to allow an unlimited number of jobs. The default is "500". ๐Ÿ’ผ
  • MaxJobsPerPrinter number โ€” specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per printer. The default is "0" which allows up to MaxJobs jobs per printer. ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • MaxJobsPerUser number โ€” specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per user. The default is "0" which allows up to MaxJobs jobs per user. ๐Ÿ‘ค
  • MaxJobTime seconds โ€” specifies the maximum time a job may take to print before it is canceled. Set to "0" to disable cancellation of "stuck" jobs. The default is "10800" (3 hours). โฒ๏ธ
  • MaxLogSize size โ€” specifies the maximum size of the log files before they are rotated. The value "0" disables log rotation. The default is "1048576" (1MB). ๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ
  • MaxSubscriptions number โ€” Okay so this sets the max number of simultaneous event subscriptions allowed. Set it to "0" to allow unlimited subscriptions. Default is "100". โœจ
  • MaxSubscriptionsPerJob number โ€” Max simultaneous event subscriptions per job. Default is "0", which lowkey means up to MaxSubscriptions subscriptions per job. ๐Ÿ’–
  • MaxSubscriptionsPerPrinter number โ€” Max simultaneous event subscriptions per printer. Default is "0", which means up to MaxSubscriptions subscriptions per printer. ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • MaxSubscriptionsPerUser number โ€” Max simultaneous event subscriptions per user. Default is "0", which means up to MaxSubscriptions subscriptions per user. ๐Ÿ‘ค
  • MultipleOperationTimeout seconds โ€” Max time to allow between files in a multiple file print job. Default is "900" (15 minutes). โณ
  • <Policy name> ... </Policy> โ€” Specifies access control for the named policy. ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ
  • Port number โ€” Listens on the specified port number for connections. ๐Ÿ”Œ
  • PreserveJobFiles Yes
  • PreserveJobFiles No
  • PreserveJobFiles seconds โ€” Specifies whether job files (documents) are preserved after a job is printed. If a numeric value is specified, job files are preserved for the indicated number of seconds after printing. Default is "86400" (preserve 1 day). ๐Ÿ’พ
  • PreserveJobHistory Yes
  • PreserveJobHistory No
  • PreserveJobHistory seconds โ€” Specifies whether job history is preserved after a job is printed. If a numeric value is specified, job history is preserved for the indicated number of seconds after printing. If "Yes", job history is preserved until the MaxJobs limit is reached. Default is "Yes". ๐Ÿ“œ
  • ReadyPaperSizes sizename[,...] โ€” Specifies a list of potential paper sizes that are reported as "ready" (loaded). The actual list will only contain sizes that each printer supports. Default is "Letter,Legal,Tabloid,4x6,Env10" when the default paper size is "Letter" and "A3,A4,A5,A6,EnvDL" otherwise. > Note: Paper sizes must use the size names from the PPD file and not PWG self-describing media size names. ๐Ÿ“„
  • ReloadTimeout seconds โ€” Specifies the amount of time to wait for job completion before restarting the scheduler. Default is "30". ๐Ÿ”„
  • ServerAdmin email-address โ€” Specifies the email address of the server administrator. Default value is "root@ServerName". ๐Ÿ“ง
  • ServerAlias hostname [ ... hostname ]
  • ServerAlias * โ€” The ServerAlias directive is used for HTTP Host header validation when clients connect to the scheduler from external interfaces. Using the special name "*" can expose your system to known browser-based DNS rebinding attacks, even when accessing sites through a firewall. If the auto-discovery of alternate names does not work, we recommend listing each alternate name with a ServerAlias directive instead of using "*". ๐Ÿšจ
  • ServerName hostname โ€” Specifies the fully-qualified hostname of the server. Default is the value reported by the hostname(1) command. ๐Ÿ 
  • ServerTokens None, ServerTokens ProductOnly, ServerTokens Major, ServerTokens Minor, ServerTokens Minimal, ServerTokens OS, ServerTokens Full โ€” Specifies what information is included in the Server header of HTTP responses. "None" disables the Server header. "ProductOnly" reports "CUPS". "Major" reports "CUPS/major IPP/2". "Minor" reports "CUPS/major.minor IPP/2.1". "Minimal" reports "CUPS/major.minor.patch IPP/2.1". "OS" reports "CUPS/major.minor.path (osname osversion) IPP/2.1". "Full" reports "CUPS/major.minor.path (osname osversion; architecture) IPP/2.1". Default is "Minimal". ๐Ÿท๏ธ
  • SSLListen ipv4-address:port
  • SSLListen [ipv6-address]:port
  • SSLListen *:port โ€” Listens on the specified address and port for encrypted connections. ๐Ÿ”’
  • SSLOptions [AllowDH] [AllowRC4] [AllowSSL3] [DenyCBC] [DenyTLS1.0] [MaxTLS1.0] [MaxTLS1.1] [MaxTLS1.2] [MaxTLS1.3] [MinTLS1.0] [MinTLS1.1] [MinTLS1.2] [MinTLS1.3] [NoSystem] or SSLOptions None โ€” Sets encryption options (only in /etc/cups/client.conf). By default, CUPS only supports encryption using TLS v1.0 or higher using known secure cipher suites. Security is reduced when Allow options are used. Security is enhanced when Deny options are used. The AllowDH option enables cipher suites using plain Diffie-Hellman key negotiation (not supported on systems using GNU TLS). The AllowRC4 option enables the 128-bit RC4 cipher suites, which are required for some older clients. The AllowSSL3 option enables SSL v3.0, which is required for some older clients that do not support TLS v1.0. The DenyCBC option disables all CBC cipher suites. The DenyTLS1.0 option disables TLS v1.0 support - this sets the minimum protocol version to TLS v1.1. The MinTLS options set the minimum TLS version to support. The MaxTLS options set the maximum TLS version to support. The NoSystem option disables applying system cryptographic policy. Not all operating systems support TLS 1.3 at this time. ๐Ÿ”
  • SSLPort port โ€” Listens on the specified port for encrypted connections. ๐Ÿ”
  • StrictConformance Yes
  • StrictConformance No โ€” Specifies whether the scheduler requires clients to strictly adhere to the IPP specifications. Default is "No". ๐Ÿ“
  • Timeout seconds โ€” Specifies the HTTP request timeout. Default is "900" (15 minutes). โฐ
  • WebInterface yes
  • WebInterface no โ€” Specifies whether the web interface is enabled. Default is "No". ๐ŸŒ

๐ŸŒˆ HTTP METHOD NAMES ๐ŸŒˆ

The following HTTP methods are supported by cupsd(8):

  • GET โ€” Used by a client to download icons and other printer resources and to access the CUPS web interface. ๐Ÿ“ฅ
  • HEAD โ€” Used by a client to get the type, size, and modification date of resources. โ„น๏ธ
  • OPTIONS โ€” Used by a client to establish a secure (SSL/TLS) connection. ๐Ÿ”
  • POST โ€” Used by a client to submit IPP requests and HTML forms from the CUPS web interface. ๐Ÿ“ค
  • PUT โ€” Used by a client to upload configuration files. โฌ†๏ธ

๐Ÿ’… IPP OPERATION NAMES ๐Ÿ’…

The following IPP operations are supported by cupsd(8):

  • CUPS-Accept-Jobs โ€” Allows a printer to accept new jobs. ๐ŸŽ‰
  • CUPS-Add-Modify-Class โ€” Adds or modifies a printer class. ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer โ€” Adds or modifies a printer. ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • CUPS-Authenticate-Job โ€” Releases a job that is held for authentication. ๐Ÿ”“
  • CUPS-Delete-Class โ€” Deletes a printer class. ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ
  • CUPS-Delete-Printer โ€” Deletes a printer. ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ
  • CUPS-Get-Classes โ€” Gets a list of printer classes. ๐Ÿ“‹
  • CUPS-Get-Default โ€” Gets the server default printer or printer class. โญ
  • CUPS-Get-Devices โ€” Gets a list of devices that are currently available. ๐Ÿ”Œ
  • CUPS-Get-Document โ€” Gets a document file for a job. ๐Ÿ“„
  • CUPS-Get-PPD โ€” Gets a PPD file. ๐Ÿ“„
  • CUPS-Get-PPDs โ€” Gets a list of installed PPD files. ๐Ÿ“‹
  • CUPS-Get-Printers โ€” Gets a list of printers. ๐Ÿ“‹
  • CUPS-Move-Job โ€” Moves a job. ๐Ÿšš
  • CUPS-Reject-Jobs โ€” Prevents a printer from accepting new jobs. ๐Ÿšซ
  • CUPS-Set-Default โ€” Sets the server default printer or printer class. โญ
  • Cancel-Job โ€” Cancels a job. โŒ
  • Cancel-Jobs โ€” Cancels one or more jobs. โŒ
  • Cancel-My-Jobs โ€” Cancels one or more jobs creates by a user. โŒ
  • Cancel-Subscription โ€” Cancels a subscription. โŒ
  • Close-Job โ€” Closes a job that is waiting for more documents. ๐Ÿ”’
  • Create-Job โ€” Creates a new job with no documents. ๐Ÿ†•
  • Create-Job-Subscriptions โ€” Creates a subscription for job events. ๐Ÿ””
  • Create-Printer-Subscriptions โ€” Creates a subscription for printer events. ๐Ÿ””
  • Get-Job-Attributes โ€” Gets information about a job. โ„น๏ธ
  • Get-Jobs โ€” Gets a list of jobs. ๐Ÿ“‹
  • Get-Notifications โ€” Gets a list of event notifications for a subscription. ๐Ÿ””
  • Get-Printer-Attributes โ€” Gets information about a printer or printer class. โ„น๏ธ
  • Get-Subscription-Attributes โ€” Gets information about a subscription. โ„น๏ธ
  • Get-Subscriptions โ€” Gets a list of subscriptions. ๐Ÿ“‹
  • Hold-Job โ€” Holds a job from printing. โธ๏ธ
  • Hold-New-Jobs โ€” Holds all new jobs from printing. โธ๏ธ
  • Pause-Printer โ€” Stops processing of jobs by a printer or printer class. โธ๏ธ
  • Pause-Printer-After-Current-Job โ€” Stops processing of jobs by a printer or printer class after the current job is finished. โธ๏ธ
  • Print-Job โ€” Creates a new job with a single document. ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • Purge-Jobs โ€” Cancels one or more jobs and deletes the job history. ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ
  • Release-Held-New-Jobs โ€” Allows previously held jobs to print. โ–ถ๏ธ
  • Release-Job โ€” Allows a job to print. โ–ถ๏ธ
  • Renew-Subscription โ€” Renews a subscription. ๐Ÿ”„
  • Restart-Job โ€” Reprints a job, if possible. ๐Ÿ”„
  • Send-Document โ€” Adds a document to a job. ๐Ÿ“„
  • Set-Job-Attributes โ€” Changes job information. โœ๏ธ
  • Set-Printer-Attributes โ€” Changes printer or printer class information. โœ๏ธ
  • Validate-Job โ€” Validates options for a new job. โœ…

๐Ÿ“ LOCATION PATHS ๐Ÿ“

The following paths are commonly used when configuring cupsd(8):

  • / โ€” The path for all get operations (get-printers, get-jobs, etc.) ๐Ÿ“ฅ
  • /admin โ€” The path for all administration operations (add-printer, delete-printer, start-printer, etc.) โš™๏ธ
  • /admin/conf โ€” The path for access to the CUPS configuration files (cupsd.conf, client.conf, etc.) ๐Ÿ“
  • /admin/log โ€” The path for access to the CUPS log files (access_log, error_log, page_log) ๐Ÿ“‹
  • /classes โ€” The path for all printer classes ๐Ÿซ
  • /classes/name โ€” The resource for the named printer class ๐Ÿท๏ธ
  • /jobs โ€” The path for all jobs (hold-job, release-job, etc.) ๐Ÿ“‹
  • /jobs/id โ€” The path for the specified job ๐Ÿ†”
  • /printers โ€” The path for all printers ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ
  • /printers/name โ€” The path for the named printer ๐Ÿท๏ธ
  • /printers/name.png โ€” The icon file path for the named printer ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ
  • /printers/name.ppd โ€” The PPD file path for the named printer ๐Ÿ“„

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ DIRECTIVES VALID WITHIN LOCATION AND LIMIT SECTIONS ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ

The following directives may be placed inside Location and Limit sections in the cupsd.conf file:

  • Allow all
  • Allow none
  • Allow host.domain.com
  • Allow *.domain.com
  • Allow ipv4-address
  • Allow ipv4-address/netmask
  • Allow ipv4-address/mm
  • Allow [ipv6-address]
  • Allow [ipv6-address]/mm
  • Allow @IF(name)
  • Allow @LOCAL

okay so all four of these are the "come on in bestie ๐Ÿซถ" of access control โ€” they allow access from the hosts, domains, addresses, or interfaces you name. The @IF(name) flavour grabs the subnets that are currently configured for the interface you named. The @LOCAL flavour grabs the current subnets configured for all interfaces that are not point-to-point โ€” so Ethernet and Wi-Fi interfaces get used, but DSL and VPN interfaces do not. And the Order directive is the one calling the shots on whether your Allow lines get evaluated before or after your Deny lines. ๐Ÿ‘‘

  • AuthType None
  • AuthType Basic
  • AuthType Default โ€” sets the type of authentication required. The value "Default" maps to whatever your DefaultAuthType value is. ๐Ÿ’…
  • Deny all
  • Deny none
  • Deny host.domain.com
  • Deny *.domain.com
  • Deny ipv4-address
  • Deny ipv4-address/netmask
  • Deny ipv4-address/mm
  • Deny [ipv6-address]
  • Deny [ipv6-address]/mm
  • Deny @IF(name)
  • Deny @LOCAL

Same energy, opposite door ๐Ÿšช โ€” these deny access from the named hosts, domains, addresses, or interfaces. @IF(name) uses the current subnets configured for the named interface. @LOCAL uses the current subnets configured for all interfaces that are not point-to-point โ€” Ethernet and Wi-Fi interfaces are used, but DSL and VPN interfaces are not. And again, the Order directive controls whether Deny lines are evaluated before or after Allow lines. No cap. ๐Ÿงš

  • Encryption IfRequested
  • Encryption Never
  • Encryption Required โ€” specifies the level of encryption required for a particular location. The default value is "IfRequested". โœจ
  • Order allow,deny โ€” access is denied by default. Allow lines get processed first, then Deny lines, to figure out whether a client may access a particular resource.
  • Order deny,allow โ€” access is allowed by default. Deny lines get processed first, then Allow lines, to figure out whether a client may access a particular resource.
  • Require group group-name [ group-name ... ] โ€” says an authenticated user must be a member of one of the named groups. ๐Ÿ‘ฏ
  • Require user {user-name|@group-name} ... โ€” says an authenticated user must match one of the named users, or be a member of one of the named groups. The group name "@SYSTEM" corresponds to the list of groups defined by the SystemGroup directive in the cups-files.conf(5) file. The group name "@OWNER" corresponds to the owner of the resource โ€” for example, the person that submitted a print job. Note: the 'root' user is not special and must be granted privileges like any other user account. Periodt. ๐Ÿ’€
  • Require valid-user โ€” says any authenticated user is acceptable. Anyone with a login, come thru. ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ
  • Satisfy all โ€” says all Allow, AuthType, Deny, Order, and Require conditions must be satisfied to allow access. Every single box checked, no skipping. โœ…
  • Satisfy any โ€” says a client may access a resource if either the authentication (AuthType/Require) or the address (Allow/Deny/Order) conditions are satisfied. For example, this can be used to require authentication only for remote accesses. Very "pick a lane, either one works" of it. ๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ

๐ŸŽ€ DIRECTIVES VALID WITHIN POLICY SECTIONS ๐ŸŽ€

The following directives may be placed inside Policy sections in the cupsd.conf file:

  • JobPrivateAccess all
  • JobPrivateAccess default
  • JobPrivateAccess {user|@group|@ACL|@OWNER|@SYSTEM} ... โ€” sets an access list for a job's private values. The "default" access list is "@OWNER @SYSTEM". "@ACL" maps to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or requesting-user-name-denied values. "@OWNER" maps to the job's owner. "@SYSTEM" maps to the groups listed for the SystemGroup directive in the cups-files.conf(5) file. ๐Ÿ”
  • JobPrivateValues all
  • JobPrivateValues default
  • JobPrivateValues none
  • JobPrivateValues attribute-name [ ... attribute-name ] โ€” sets the list of job values to make private. The "default" values are "job-name", "job-originating-host-name", "job-originating-user-name", and "phone". ๐Ÿ™ˆ
  • SubscriptionPrivateAccess all
  • SubscriptionPrivateAccess default
  • SubscriptionPrivateAccess {user|@group|@ACL|@OWNER|@SYSTEM} ... โ€” sets an access list for a subscription's private values. The "default" access list is "@OWNER @SYSTEM". "@ACL" maps to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or requesting-user-name-denied values. "@OWNER" maps to the job's owner. "@SYSTEM" maps to the groups listed for the SystemGroup directive in the cups-files.conf(5) file. ๐Ÿฆ‹
  • SubscriptionPrivateValues all
  • SubscriptionPrivateValues default
  • SubscriptionPrivateValues none
  • SubscriptionPrivateValues attribute-name [ ... attribute-name ] โ€” sets the list of subscription values to make private. The "default" values are "notify-events", "notify-pull-method", "notify-recipient-uri", "notify-subscriber-user-name", and "notify-user-data". ๐ŸŒธ

๐Ÿ’€ DEPRECATED DIRECTIVES ๐Ÿ’€

The following directives are deprecated and will be removed in a future release of CUPS. Bestie, do not build your whole personality around these, they're leaving. ๐Ÿ˜ญ

  • AuthType Negotiate โ€” specifies Kerberos authentication is required.
  • Classification banner โ€” specifies the security classification of the server. Any valid banner name can be used, including "classified", "confidential", "secret", "topsecret", and "unclassified", or the banner can be omitted to disable secure printing functions. The default is no classification banner.
  • ClassifyOverride Yes
  • ClassifyOverride No โ€” specifies whether users may override the classification (cover page) of individual print jobs using the "job-sheets" option. The default is "No".
  • DefaultAuthType Negotiate โ€” specifies that Kerberos authentication is required by default.
  • GSSServiceName name โ€” specifies the service name when using Kerberos authentication. The default service name is "http.".
  • PageLogFormat format-string โ€” specifies the format of PageLog lines. Sequences beginning with percent (%) characters are replaced with the corresponding information, while all other characters are copied literally. The following percent sequences are recognized:
    • "%%" inserts a single percent character.
    • "%{name}" inserts the value of the specified IPP attribute.
    • "%C" inserts the number of copies for the current page.
    • "%P" inserts the current page number.
    • "%T" inserts the current date and time in common log format.
    • "%j" inserts the job ID.
    • "%p" inserts the printer name.
    • "%u" inserts the username.

The default is the empty string, which disables page logging. The string "%p %u %j %T %P %C %{job-billing} %{job-originating-host-name} %{job-name} %{media} %{sides}" creates a page log with the standard items. Use "%{job-impressions-completed}" to insert the number of pages (sides) that were printed, or "%{job-media-sheets-completed}" to insert the number of sheets that were printed. ๐Ÿ“„


๐Ÿ“ NOTES ๐Ÿ“

File, directory, and user configuration directives that used to be allowed in the cupsd.conf file are now stored in the cups-files.conf(5) file instead, in order to prevent certain types of privilege escalation attacks. (Not a vibe, but a necessary one. ๐Ÿ”’)

The scheduler MUST be restarted manually after making changes to the cupsd.conf file. On Linux this is typically done using the systemctl(8) command, while on macOS the launchctl(8) command is used instead. Like, it will not just notice on its own, bestie, you have to tell it. ๐Ÿซ 

The @LOCAL macro name can be confusing since the system running cupsd often belongs to a different set of subnets from its clients. iykyk. ๐Ÿ™ƒ


๐ŸŒˆ CONFORMING TO ๐ŸŒˆ

The cupsd.conf file format is based on the Apache HTTP Server configuration file format. It's giving legacy, it's giving homage. ๐Ÿ‘‘


โœจ EXAMPLES โœจ

Log everything with a maximum log file size of 32 megabytes:

AccessLogLevel all
LogLevel debug2
MaxLogSize 32m

Require authentication for accesses from outside the 10. network:

<Location />
Order allow,deny
Allow from 10./8
AuthType Basic
Require valid-user
Satisfy any
</Location>

๐Ÿ‘€ SEE ALSO ๐Ÿ‘€

classes.conf(5), cups-files.conf(5), cupsd(8), mime.convs(5), mime.types(5), printers.conf(5), subscriptions.conf(5), CUPS Online Help (http://localhost:631/help)


Copyright ยฉ 2020-2025 by OpenPrinting.


and that's a wrap on the whole page, bestie ๐ŸŽ€ this was cupsd.conf(5), straight from the CUPS girlies, dated 2025-03-12. Go forth and configure responsibly. Slay. ๐Ÿ’…โœจ๐Ÿฆ‹

๐Ÿ“ฆ where this page comes from