---
name: "lptcontrol"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lptcontrol"
---

# lptcontrol(8)

a utility for manipulating the lpt printer driver

## NAME

**lptcontrol** – a utility for manipulating the lpt printer driver

## SYNOPSIS

**lptcontrol** **-e** \| **-i** \| **-p** \| **-s** \[**-d** *control\_device*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **lptcontrol** utility is used to set either the interrupt-driven, extended, standard, or polling mode of individual [lpt(4)](/lpt/4.md) devices. When a printer is switched from a mode to another, this change will only take effect the next time the device is opened.

Extended mode is anything the parallel port interface can support. For an ECP/ISA parallel port, it may be FIFO+DMA or ECP.

The following command line options are supported:

- **-e**

  Turn on extended mode.

- **-i**

  Turn on interrupt-driven mode.

- **-p**

  Turn on polled mode.

- **-s**

  Turn on standard mode, i.e., turn off extended mode.

- **-d** *control\_device*

  Set the mode of the printer control device specified by *control\_device*. The default value for *control\_device* is */dev/lpt0.ctl*.

One of **-e**, **-i**, **-p** or **-s** must be specified.

## FILES

- */dev/lpt?*

  printer devices

- */dev/lpt?.ctl*

  printer control devices

- */sys/i386/conf/GENERIC*

  kernel configuration file

- */boot/device.hints*

  device hints for the parallel port chipset driver, [ppc(4)](/ppc/4.md)

## SEE ALSO

[lpt(4)](/lpt/4.md), [ppc(4)](/ppc/4.md), [device.hints(5)](/device.hints/5.md)

## HISTORY

The **lptcontrol** utility first appeared in FreeBSD 1.1.5

## AUTHORS

Geoffrey M. Rehmet

## BUGS

The control device name should never have been an option, but should have been an optional argument. Because of this, a single argument is treated as a device name.