How to Use the Command 'cupsdisable' (with examples)
The cupsdisable command is a tool in the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) suite, allowing users to manage printing jobs by stopping the printers or classes of printers on a network. This command can be essential for administrative tasks, particularly in environments requiring the suspension of print jobs—whether due to maintenance, issue resolution, or making configuration changes. With cupsdisable, administrators have the ability to halt the operation of specified printers or classes, ensuring that no new jobs are accepted, or to cancel ongoing jobs entirely.
Use Case 1: Stop one or more destination(s)
Code:
cupsdisable printer1 printer2
Motivation:
In network environments with multiple printers, the need to perform maintenance, updates, or troubleshoot problems necessitates the temporary suspension of certain printers. By stopping specified destinations using cupsdisable, administrators prevent these printers from accepting further print jobs until the issues are resolved or the printers are brought back online. This ensures that users are not inconvenienced by sending print jobs to printers that aren’t functioning correctly, thereby maintaining print job quality and efficiency.
Explanation:
cupsdisable: This is the command used to suspend the operation of printers or printer classes.printer1 printer2: These are the arguments specifying the destinations (printers) that should be stopped. By listing multiple printers, you inform the command to halt their operation, thereby ensuring they do not take on new assignments.
Example Output:
Upon successful execution of this command, there might not be direct output on the terminal, but the specified printers will be in a “disabled” state within the CUPS interface. When querying with lpstat, these printers will be reported as being stopped.
Use Case 2: Cancel all jobs of the specified destination(s)
Code:
cupsdisable -c printer1 printer2
Motivation:
There are instances where a critical issue has led to a backlog of incorrect or erroneous print jobs needing urgent cancellation. Whether due to a paper jam resulting in mangled documents, or wrong settings leading to repeated unsuccessful print attempts, quickly stopping and clearing these print queues is important for resuming normal operations without further waste or frustration. By cancelling all jobs in the queue, this ensures no flawed or unwanted documents remain that can clutter the printer’s queue or lead to further errors once the device is up and running again.
Explanation:
cupsdisable: Calls the command for managing printer operations.-c: The option-ctells the command not only to stop the printers but also to cancel all queued jobs for these destinations. This is particularly useful in ensuring a fresh start.printer1 printer2: These refer to the specific printers for which all current print jobs are to be cancelled and shut down, ensuring those printers can restart operations with an empty queue.
Example Output:
No direct output might be visible, but when you run lpstat -o printer1 printer2, you would see that there are no queued jobs for these printers. The printers would also appear as disabled when checking their status.
Conclusion:
The cupsdisable command is indispensable for managing network printers in a CUPS environment. Utilizing this command can maintain the efficiency and orderliness of a printing setup by providing the option to stop and manage print destinations as needed. Whether stopping printers for maintenance or cancelling queued jobs to handle errors, cupsdisable demonstrates its essential role in maintaining a seamless administrative process.
