usb_printerid

usb_printerid [OPTIONS] <device>

<device>
    The path to the USB printer device node (e.g., /dev/usb/lp0, /dev/usb/lp1).

-r
    Output the raw IEEE 1284 Device ID string without parsing it into key-value pairs.

-c <n>
    Specify the printer configuration number. Defaults to 1 if not provided.

-i <n>
    Specify the printer interface number. Defaults to 0 if not provided.

-q
    Enable quiet mode. Suppresses most error messages, providing cleaner output.

-u
    Display usage information for the command.

-v
    Display version information for the command.

The usb_printerid command is a specialized utility used to retrieve the IEEE 1284 Device ID string from a connected USB printer. This unique string provides crucial identification information about the printer, including its manufacturer, model, and supported command sets (e.g., PCL, PostScript).

Printer drivers and print spooling systems (like CUPS) often utilize this ID to automatically detect, configure, and apply the correct driver for a specific printer, ensuring proper functionality and access to all features. By specifying the device path (e.g., /dev/usb/lp0), usb_printerid communicates directly with the printer to extract this valuable data, making it an essential tool for printer setup, troubleshooting, and low-level diagnostics on Linux systems.

1. Permissions: Requires appropriate permissions to access the USB device node (typically root privileges or membership in the 'lp' or 'usb' group).
2. ID Support: The command only works for USB printers that support querying for the IEEE 1284 Device ID. Some older or very simple printers might not.
3. Device Path: The device path (e.g., /dev/usb/lp0) might vary depending on the system and the order of USB device detection.

The IEEE 1284 Device ID string is a semicolon-separated list of key-value pairs. Common keys include:
MANUFACTURER: The printer's manufacturer.
MODEL: The printer's model name.
COMMAND SET: The printer's supported command languages (e.g., PCL, PostScript, ESC/P, GDI).
CLASS, DESCRIPTION, COMMENT: Additional descriptive information.
This structured data is crucial for automatic driver matching and printer configuration.

usb_printerid is part of the broader collection of utilities supporting USB device interaction on Linux, often bundled with packages like usbutils or printer-specific helper tools. Its development coincided with the increasing adoption of USB as the primary printer interface, providing a standardized way for the operating system and print drivers to identify and configure printers based on their inherent characteristics, rather than relying solely on vendor-specific drivers.

lpinfo(8), lsusb(8), dmesg(1), usblp(4)