inkview

Preview an SVG

$ inkview [path/to/file.svg]

$ inkview [path/to/file1.svg path/to/file2.svg ...]

inkview [OPTIONS] [printer_name]

-h, --help
    Displays a usage message and exits.

-t, --test
    Performs a test query for ink levels without updating the levels stored in CUPS.

-s, --status
    Queries and displays ink levels. This is the default behavior if no other action option is specified.

-u, --update
    Queries the printer for ink levels and updates the information within the CUPS system. This is useful for refreshing stored levels.

-v, --version
    Shows the version information for the cups-inkview utility.

printer_name
    The name of the specific printer to query. If omitted, the command attempts to query all configured printers.

The inkview command, typically implemented as cups-inkview, is a command-line utility designed to query and display the current ink levels of printers configured with the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). It can retrieve the ink status for a specific printer by name or iterate through all configured printers. This tool is often utilized by graphical user interfaces or system monitoring applications to present up-to-date printer status information. Beyond mere display, inkview can also update the stored ink levels within CUPS, which is particularly useful for printers that do not automatically report or refresh their status, ensuring CUPS has the most accurate information.

Limitations:
1. inkview (specifically cups-inkview) relies on the printer's CUPS backend to report ink levels. If the backend or the printer itself does not support this functionality, the command may not return accurate or any data.
2. The reported ink levels might not always be perfectly real-time or accurate for all printer models, depending on how frequently the printer updates its internal status or how the backend interprets it.
3. This command primarily focuses on CUPS-managed printers. For specific printer brands like HP, hp-inkview (part of HPLIP) might offer more detailed or reliable information, especially if the cups-inkview backend integration is limited.
4. Requires CUPS to be running and printers to be properly configured.

inkview MyPrinter
This command will display the ink levels for the printer named "MyPrinter".

inkview --update MyPrinter
This command will query the printer "MyPrinter" for its current ink levels and update the information stored in CUPS, refreshing its status.

The cups-inkview utility is part of the cups-filters project, which originated from a split from the main CUPS project. cups-filters provides various backends, filters, and utilities for CUPS, aiming to support a wider range of printers and functionalities. cups-inkview was developed to standardize and simplify the process of retrieving ink levels for printers managed by CUPS, leveraging common CUPS APIs and printer drivers. Its development is ongoing, adapting to new printer technologies and improving compatibility across diverse printer models.

lpstat(1), lpr(1), cupsd(8), hp-levels(1)