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

# ippfind(1)

find internet printing protocol printers

## NAME

ippfind - find internet printing protocol printers

## SYNOPSIS

**ippfind** \[ *options* \] *regtype*\[**,***subtype*\]\[**.***domain***.**\] ... \[ *expression*\
  ... \]\
 **ippfind** \[ *options* \] *name*\[**.***regtype*\[**.***domain***.**\]\] ... \[ *expression*\
  ... \]\
 **ippfind** **--help**\
 **ippfind** **--version**

## DESCRIPTION

**ippfind** finds services registered with a DNS server or available through local devices. Its primary purpose is to find IPP printers and show their URIs, show their current status, or run commands.

### REGISTRATION TYPES

**ippfind** supports the following registration types:

- \_http.\_tcp

  HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP, RFC 2616)

- \_https.\_tcp

  Secure HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTPS, RFC 2818)

- \_ipp.\_tcp

  Internet Printing Protocol (IPP, RFC 2911)

- \_ipps.\_tcp

  Secure Internet Printing Protocol (IPPS, draft)

- \_printer.\_tcp

  Line Printer Daemon (LPD, RFC 1179)

### EXPRESSIONS

**ippfind** supports expressions much like the [**find**(1)](/find/1.md) utility. However, unlike [**find**(1)](/find/1.md), **ippfind** uses POSIX regular expressions instead of shell filename matching patterns. If *--exec*, *-l*, *--ls*, *-p*, *--print*, *--print-name*, *-q*, *--quiet*, *-s*, or *-x* is not specified, **ippfind** adds *--print* to print the service URI of anything it finds. The following expressions are supported:

- **-d** *regex*

  - **--domain** *regex*

  True if the domain matches the given regular expression.

- **--false**

  Always false.

- **-h** *regex*

  - **--host** *regex*

  True is the hostname matches the given regular expression.

- **-l**

  - **--ls**

  Lists attributes returned by Get-Printer-Attributes for IPP printers and traditional *find* "-ls" output for HTTP URLs. The result is true if the URI is accessible, false otherwise.

- **--local**

  True if the service is local to this computer.

- **-N** *name*

  - **--literal-name** *name*

  True if the service instance name matches the given name.

- **-n** *regex*

  - **--name** *regex*

  True if the service instance name matches the given regular expression.

- **--path** *regex*

  True if the URI resource path matches the given regular expression.

- **-P** *number*\[**-***number*\]

  - **--port** *number*\[**-***number*\]

  True if the port matches the given number or range.

- **-p**

  - **--print**

  Prints the URI if the result of previous expressions is true. The result is always true.

- **-q**

  - **--quiet**

  Quiet mode - just returns the exit codes below.

- **-r**

  - **--remote**

  True if the service is not local to this computer.

- **-s**

  - **--print-name**

  Prints the service instance name if the result of previous expressions is true. The result is always true.

- **--true**

  Always true.

- **-t** *key*

  - **--txt** *key*

  True if the TXT record contains the named key.

- **--txt-***key regex*

  True if the TXT record contains the named key and matches the given regular expression.

- **-u** *regex*

  - **--uri** *regex*

  True if the URI matches the given regular expression.

- **-x** *utility* \[ *argument* ... \] **;**

  - **--exec** *utility* \[ *argument* ... \] **;**

  Executes the specified program if the current result is true. "{foo}" arguments are replaced with the corresponding value - see SUBSTITUTIONS below.

Expressions may also contain modifiers:

- **(** *expression* **)**

  Group the result of expressions.

- **!** *expression*

  - **--not** *expression*

  Unary NOT of the expression.

- *expression expression*

  - *expression* **--and** *expression*

  Logical AND of expressions.

- *expression* **--or** *expression*

  Logical OR of expressions.

### SUBSTITUTIONS

The substitutions for "{foo}" in *-e* and *--exec* are:

- **{service\_domain}**

  Domain name, e.g., "example.com.", "local.", etc.

- **{service\_hostname}**

  Fully-qualified domain name, e.g., "printer.example.com.", "printer.local.", etc.

- **{service\_name}**

  Service instance name, e.g., "My Fine Printer".

- **{service\_port}**

  Port number for server, typically 631 for IPP and 80 for HTTP.

- **{service\_regtype}**

  DNS-SD registration type, e.g., "\_ipp.\_tcp", "\_http.\_tcp", etc.

- **{service\_scheme}**

  URI scheme for DNS-SD registration type, e.g., "ipp", "http", etc.

- **{}**

  - **{service\_uri}**

  URI for service, e.g., "ipp://printer.local./ipp/print", "http://printer.local./", etc.

- **{txt\_***key***}**

  Value of TXT record *key* (lowercase).

## OPTIONS

**ippfind** supports the following options:

- **--help**

  Show program help.

- **--version**

  Show program version.

- **-4**

  Use IPv4 when listing.

- **-6**

  Use IPv6 when listing.

- **-T** *seconds*

  Specify find timeout in seconds. If 1 or less, **ippfind** stops as soon as it thinks it has found everything. The default timeout is 1 second.

- **-V** *version*

  Specifies the IPP version when listing. Supported values are "1.1", "2.0", "2.1", and "2.2".

## EXIT STATUS

**ippfind** returns 0 if the result for all processed expressions is true, 1 if the result of any processed expression is false, 2 if browsing or any query or resolution failed, 3 if an undefined option or invalid expression was specified, and 4 if it ran out of memory.

## ENVIRONMENT

When executing a program, **ippfind** sets the following environment variables for the matching service registration:

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_DOMAIN**

  Domain name, e.g., "example.com.", "local.", etc.

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_HOSTNAME**

  Fully-qualified domain name, e.g., "printer.example.com.", "printer.local.", etc.

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_NAME**

  Service instance name, e.g., "My Fine Printer".

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_PORT**

  Port number for server, typically 631 for IPP and 80 for HTTP.

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_REGTYPE**

  DNS-SD registration type, e.g., "\_ipp.\_tcp", "\_http.\_tcp", etc.

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_SCHEME**

  URI scheme for DNS-SD registration type, e.g., "ipp", "http", etc.

- **IPPFIND\_SERVICE\_URI**

  URI for service, e.g., "ipp://printer.local./ipp/print", "http://printer.local./", etc.

- **IPPFIND\_TXT\_*KEY***

  Values of TXT record *KEY* (uppercase).

## EXAMPLES

To show the status of all registered IPP printers on your network, run:

```
    ippfind --ls
```

Similarly, to send a PostScript test page to every PostScript printer, run:

```
    ippfind --txt-pdl application/postscript --exec ipptool
      -f onepage-letter.ps '{}' print-job.test \;
```

## SEE ALSO

[**ipptool**(1)](/ipptool/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2020-2024 by OpenPrinting.