Practical, command-line and web-driven workflows for installing, inspecting and controlling printers with CUPS. 16.11.2025 | reading time: 2 min When a Linux admin needs to connect, configure or debug a printer he reaches for CUPS tools that work from the command line and via the web interface so he can script installs, inspect queues and run test prints quickly. Real example: add and test a network printer Follow these exact commands to add a socket printer, enable it, make it default and send a test print; copy and run each line as root or with sudo. ```bash sudo lpadmin -p Office_Printer -E -v socket://192.0.2.45 -m everywhere sudo cupsenable Office_Printer sudo lpadmin -d Office_Printer echo Test_Page > /tmp/test.txt lp /tmp/test.txt lpstat -p -d ``` Expected output example: ```text printer Office_Printer now accepting requests since Tue 2025-11-16 10:00:00 system default destination: Office_Printer request id is Office_Printer-1 (1 file(s)) ``` Key controls and options Use `lpadmin` to add or remove printers, `lpstat` to inspect queues and defaults, `lp` to print and `cancel` to drop jobs; `cupsenable` and `cupsdisable` change availability and `lpoptions` configures per-user or system defaults, while PPD or driverless modes such as IPP Everywhere are selected with the `-m` option and main configs live in /etc/cups. Other tools and interfaces Besides the command line the CUPS web UI at http://localhost:631 is excellent for quick checks and uploads; use `systemctl` to manage the cups service, `avahi-browse` for mDNS printer discovery and `smbclient` when printers are shared over SMB. A clear finish and next step Mastering CUPS commands gives an admin fast, repeatable control over printers and queues; to expand this practical Linux skillset consider formal study and certification such as CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 and prepare intensively with bitsandbytes.academy. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. utilities network troubleshooting
