---
name: "printcap"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "lpr"
version: "1:2008.05.17.3+nmu3.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/printcap"
---

# printcap(5)

printer capability database

## NAME

**printcap** – printer capability database

## SYNOPSIS

**printcap**

## DESCRIPTION

The **printcap** file is a simplified version of the [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md) database used to describe line printers. The spooling system accesses the **printcap** file every time it is used, allowing dynamic addition and deletion of printers. Each entry in the database is used to describe one printer. This database may not be substituted for, as is possible for [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md), because it may allow accounting to be bypassed.

The default printer is normally “lp”, though the environment variable PRINTER may be used to override this. Each spooling utility supports an option, **-P***printer*, to allow explicit naming of a destination printer.

Refer to the for a complete discussion on how to set up the database for a given printer.

## CAPABILITIES

Refer to [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md) for a description of the file layout.

| | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| af | str | NULL | name of accounting file |
| br | num | none | if lp is a tty, set baud rate |
| cf | str | NULL | cifplot data filter |
| df | str | NULL | tex data filter |
| fc | num | 0 | if lp is a tty, clear flag bits |
| ff | str | ‘\\f’ | string to send for a form feed |
| fo | bool | false | print a form feed when device is opened |
| fs | num | 0 | if lp is a tty, set flag bits |
| gf | str | NULL | graph data filter |
| hl | bool | false | print the burst header page last |
| ic | bool | false | supports non-standard ioctl to indent printout |
| if | str | NULL | name of text filter which does accounting |
| lf | str | */dev/console* | error logging file name |
| lo | str | *lock* | name of lock file |
| lp | str | */dev/lp* | local printer device, or port@host for remote |
| ms | str | NULL | list of terminal modes to set or clear |
| mx | num | 1000 | max file size (in |
| nd | str | NULL | next directory for queues list (unimplemented) |
| nf | str | NULL | ditroff data filter (device independent troff) |
| of | str | NULL | name of output filtering program |
| pc | num | 200 | price per foot or page in hundredths of cents |
| pl | num | 66 | page length (in lines) |
| pw | num | 132 | page width (in characters) |
| px | num | 0 | page width in pixels (horizontal) |
| py | num | 0 | page length in pixels (vertical) |
| rf | str | NULL | filter for printing |
| rg | str | NULL | restricted group-only group members can access |
| rm | str | NULL | machine name for remote printer |
| rp | str | \`\`lp'' | remote printer name argument |
| rs | bool | false | remote users must have a local account |
| rw | bool | false | open printer device for reading and writing |
| sb | bool | false | short banner (one line only) |
| sc | bool | false | suppress multiple copies |
| sd | str | */var/spool/lpd* | spool directory |
| sf | bool | false | suppress form feeds |
| sh | bool | false | suppress printing of burst page header |
| st | str | *status* | status file name |
| tf | str | NULL | troff data filter (cat phototypesetter) |
| tr | str | NULL | trailer string to print when queue empties |
| vf | str | NULL | raster image filter |
| xc | num | 0 | if lp is a tty, clear local mode bits |
| xs | num | 0 | if lp is a tty, set local mode bits |

**Name** **Type** **Default** **Description**

If the local line printer driver supports indentation, the daemon must understand how to invoke it.

## FILTERS

If a printer is specified via **lp** (either local or remote), the [lpd(8)](/lpd/8.md) daemon creates a pipeline of “filters” to process files for various printer types. The pipeline is not set up for remote printers specified via **rm** unless the local host is the same as the remote printer host given. The filters selected depend on the flags passed to [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md). The pipeline set up is:

```
p	pr | if	regular text + pr(1)
none	if	regular text
c	cf	cifplot
d	df	DVI (tex)
g	gf	plot(3)
n	nf	ditroff
f	rf	Fortran
t	tf	troff
v	vf	raster image
```

The **if** filter is invoked with arguments:

**if** \[**-c**\] **-w***width* **-l***length* **-i***indent* **-n** *login* **-h** *host* *acct-file*

The **-c** flag is passed only if the **-l** flag (pass control characters literally) is specified to [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md). *width* and *length* specify the page width and length (from **pw** and **pl**, respectively) in characters. The **-n** and **-h** parameters specify the login name and host name of the owner of the job, respectively. The *acct-file* function is passed from the **af** **printcap** entry.

If no **if** is specified, **of** is used instead, with the distinction that **of** is opened only once, while **if** is opened for every individual job. Thus, **if** is better suited to performing accounting. The **of** is only given the *width* and *length* flags.

All other filters are called as:

**filter** **-x***width* **-y***length* **-n** *login* **-h** *host* *acct-file*

where *width* and *length* are represented in pixels, specified by the **px** and **py** entries, respectively. All filters take *stdin* as the file, *stdout* as the printer, may log either to *stderr* or using [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md), and must not ignore SIGINT.

## LOGGING

Error messages generated by the line printer programs themselves are logged by [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md) using the LPR facility. Messages printed on *stderr* of one of the filters are sent to the corresponding **lf** file. The filters may, of course, use [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md) themselves.

Error messages sent to the console have a carriage return and a line feed appended to them, rather than just a line feed.

## SEE ALSO

[lpq(1)](/lpq/1.md), [lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md), [lprm(1)](/lprm/1.md), [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md), [lpc(8)](/lpc/8.md), [lpd(8)](/lpd/8.md), [pac(8)](/pac/8.md) *4.3 BSD Line Printer Spooler Manual*.

## HISTORY

The **printcap** file format appeared in 4.2BSD.