cupsaccept

Accept print jobs to the specified destinations

$ cupsaccept [destination1 destination2 ...]

$ cupsaccept -h [server] [destination1 destination2 ...]

cupsaccept [ -E ] [ -U username ] [ -h hostname[:port] ] printer(s)

-E
    Forces encryption when communicating with the CUPS server.

-U username
    Specifies the username to use for authentication with the CUPS server. This is often required for administrative tasks.

-h hostname[:port]
    Specifies an alternate CUPS server to connect to. If a port is not specified, the default CUPS port (631) is used.

printer(s)
    One or more names of printers or printer classes for which to accept jobs. Multiple names should be separated by spaces.

The cupsaccept command is a vital component of the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), designed to manage the status of print queues. Its primary function is to instruct the CUPS scheduler to begin accepting new print jobs for one or more specified printers or classes. When a printer queue is "accepted," any subsequent print requests directed to it will be successfully added to its queue for processing. This command effectively reverses the state set by cupsreject, which prevents a queue from taking in new jobs.

Administrators commonly use cupsaccept to bring a printer online after maintenance, initial setup, or after it has been temporarily stopped from accepting jobs. It is crucial to understand that cupsaccept only influences the acceptance of new jobs; it does not affect the processing or printing of jobs already present in the queue. For managing the processing of existing jobs, cupsenable and cupsdisable are used. This clear distinction is fundamental for effective CUPS administration.

The cupsaccept command requires administrative privileges to modify printer queue states. This typically means running as root or as a user who is a member of the lpadmin group, depending on the system's CUPS configuration.

It only affects the acceptance of new jobs; it does not start or stop the processing of jobs already in the queue. To control job processing, use cupsenable and cupsdisable.

It's important to differentiate cupsaccept from cupsenable. While both commands are used to manage printer status, they serve distinct purposes.

cupsaccept controls whether a printer accepts new jobs into its queue. If a printer is not 'accepted', new print requests will be rejected.

cupsenable controls whether a printer is processing jobs already in its queue. A printer can be 'accepted' (receiving new jobs) but 'disabled' (not processing them yet).

For a printer to be fully operational and processing jobs, it typically needs to be both 'accepted' and 'enabled'.

Administrators often use cupsaccept in conjunction with cupsenable when bringing a printer online after maintenance or troubleshooting. For example, after fixing a paper jam or replacing toner, an administrator might first use cupsaccept to allow new jobs to be spooled, and then cupsenable to resume printing of both new and existing jobs.

cupsaccept is an integral part of the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), which was originally developed by Easy Software Products and later acquired by Apple Inc. CUPS was first released in 1999 and quickly became the standard printing system for most Linux distributions and macOS. The cupsaccept utility has been a core command since early versions of CUPS, providing essential administrative control over printer queue status and job flow.

cupsreject(8), cupsenable(8), cupsdisable(8), lpadmin(8), cancel(1), lp(1)