---
name: "lpc"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lpc/8"
---

# lpc(8)

line printer control program

## NAME

**lpc** – line printer control program

## SYNOPSIS

**lpc**\[ *command* \[*argument* *...*\]\]

## DESCRIPTION

**lpc** is used by the system administrator to control the operation of the line printer system. For each line printer configured in */etc/printcap*, **lpc** may be used to:

- disable or enable a printer,

- disable or enable a printer's spooling queue,

- rearrange the order of jobs in a spooling queue,

- find the status of printers, and their associated spooling queues and printer daemons.

Without any arguments, **lpc** will prompt for commands from the standard input. If arguments are supplied, **lpc** interprets the first argument as a command and the remaining arguments as parameters to the command. The standard input may be redirected causing **lpc** to read commands from file. Commands may be abbreviated; the following is the list of recognized commands.

- **?** \[*command* *...*\]

  - **help** \[*command* *...*\]

  Print a short description of each command specified in the argument list, or, if no argument is given, a list of the recognized commands.

- **abort** {all \| printer ...}

  Terminate an active spooling daemon on the local host immediately and then disable printing (preventing new daemons from being started by [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md)) for the specified printers.

- **clean** {all \| printer ...}

  Remove any temporary files, data files, and control files that cannot be printed (i.e., do not form a complete printer job) from the specified printer queue(s) on the local machine.

- **disable** {all \| printer ...}

  Turn the specified printer queues off. This prevents new printer jobs from being entered into the queue by [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md).

- **down** {all \| printer}

  \[*message* *...*\] Turn the specified printer queue off, disable printing and put *message* in the printer status file. The message doesn't need to be quoted, the remaining arguments are treated like [echo(1)](/echo/1.md). This is normally used to take a printer down and let users know why. [lpq(1)](/lpq/1.md) will indicate the printer is down and print the status message.

- **enable** {all \| printer ...}

  Enable spooling on the local queue for the listed printers. This will allow [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md) to put new jobs in the spool queue.

- **exit**

  - **quit**

  Exit from **lpc**.

- **restart** {all \| printer ...}

  Attempt to start a new printer daemon. This is useful when some abnormal condition causes the daemon to die unexpectedly, leaving jobs in the queue. [lpq(1)](/lpq/1.md) will report that there is no daemon present when this condition occurs. If the user is the superuser, try to abort the current daemon first (i.e., kill and restart a stuck daemon).

- **start** {all \| printer ...}

  Enable printing and start a spooling daemon for the listed printers.

- **status** {all \| printer ...}

  Display the status of daemons and queues on the local machine.

- **stop** {all \| printer ...}

  Stop a spooling daemon after the current job completes and disable printing.

- **topq** printer

  \[*jobnum* *...*\] \[*user* *...*\] Place the jobs in the order listed at the top of the printer queue.

- **up** {all \| printer ...}

  Enable everything and start a new printer daemon. Undoes the effects of **down**.

## FILES

- */etc/printcap*

  printer description file

- */var/spool/output/\**

  spool directories

- */var/spool/output/\*/lock*

  lock file for queue control

## DIAGNOSTICS

- **?Ambiguous command**

  Abbreviation matches more than one command.

- **?Invalid command**

  No match was found.

- **?Privileged command**

  You must be a member of group “operator” or user “root” to execute this command.

## SEE ALSO

[lpq(1)](/lpq/1.md), [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md), [lprm(1)](/lprm/1.md), [printcap(5)](/printcap/5.md), [lpd(8)](/lpd/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **lpc** command appeared in 4.2BSD.