---
name: "cupsd-helper"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "cups"
version: "2:2.4.20-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cupsd-helper"
---

# cupsd-helper(8)

cupsd helper programs (deprecated)

## NAME

cupsd-helper - cupsd helper programs (deprecated)

## SYNOPSIS

**cups-deviced** *request-id* *limit* *user-id* *options*\
 **cups-driverd** **cat** *ppd-name*\
 **cups-driverd** **list** *request\_id* *limit* *options*\
 **cups-exec** *sandbox-profile* \[ *-g* *group-id* \] \[ *-n* *nice-value* \] \[ *-u* *user-id* \] */path/to/program* *argv0* *...* *argvN*

## DESCRIPTION

The **cupsd-helper** programs perform long-running operations on behalf of the scheduler, [**cupsd**(8)](/cupsd/8.md). The **cups-deviced** helper program runs each CUPS [**backend**(7)](/backend/7.md) with no arguments in order to discover the available printers.

The **cups-driverd** helper program lists all available printer drivers, a subset of "matching" printer drivers, or a copy of a specific driver PPD file.

The **cups-exec** helper program runs backends, filters, and other programs. On macOS these programs are run in a secure sandbox.

## FILES

The **cups-driverd** program looks for PPD and driver information files in the following directories:

```
    /Library/Printers
    /opt/share/ppd
    /System/Library/Printers
    /usr/local/share/ppd
    /usr/share/cups/drv
    /usr/share/cups/model
    /usr/share/ppd
```

PPD files can be compressed using the [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md) program or placed in compressed [**tar**(1)](/tar/1.md) archives to further reduce their size.

Driver information files must conform to the format defined in [**ppdcfile**(5)](/ppdcfile/5.md).

## NOTES

CUPS printer drivers, backends, and PPD files are deprecated and will no longer be supported in a future feature release of CUPS. Printers that do not support IPP can be supported using applications such as [**ippeveprinter**(1)](/ippeveprinter/1.md).

## SEE ALSO

[**backend**(7)](/backend/7.md), [**cups**(1)](/cups/1.md), [**cupsd**(8)](/cupsd/8.md), [**cupsd.conf**(5)](/cupsd.conf/5.md), [**filter**(7)](/filter/7.md), [**ppdcfile**(5)](/ppdcfile/5.md), CUPS Online Help (http://localhost:631/help)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2020-2024 by OpenPrinting.