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filter(7) Apple Inc. filter(7)

NAME
filter - cups file conversion filter interface

SYNOPSIS
filter job user title num-copies options [ filename ]

DESCRIPTION
The CUPS filter interface provides a standard method for adding support for new document types to CUPS. Each filter is
capable of converting from one or more input formats to another format that can either be printed directly or piped into
another filter to get it to a printable format.

Filters must be capable of reading from a filename on the command-line or from the standard input, copying the standard
input to a temporary file as required by the file format. All output must be sent to the standard output.

The command name (argv[0]) is set to the name of the destination printer but is also available in the PRINTER environment
variable.

OPTIONS
Options passed on the command-line typically do not include the default choices the printer's PPD file. In addition, some
options may be specified in multiple ways - "landscape" is a synonym for "orientation-requested=4", "media" is a synonym
for "PageSize", "PageRegion", "InputSlot", and "MediaType", and "sides" is a synonym for the various "Duplex" options.
Non-raster filters must support both explicit and implicit specification of PPD options - use the ppdMarkDefaults and
cupsMarkOptions functions in the CUPS library to use the correct mapping, and ppdFindMarkedChoice to get the user-
selected choice.

Raster filters should use option choices set through the raster page header, as those reflect the options in effect for a
given page. Options specified on the command-line determine the default values for the entire job, which can be overrid-
den on a per-page basis.

LOG MESSAGES
Messages sent to stderr are generally logged to printer-state-message attribute and the current ErrorLog. Each line
begins with a standard prefix:

ALERT: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "alert"
log level.

ATTR: attribute=value [attribute=value]
Sets the named job attribute(s). Typically this will be used to set the job-remote-id attribute.

CRIT: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "critical"
log level.

DEBUG: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "debug"
log level.

DEBUG2: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "debug2"
log level.

EMERG: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "emer-
gency" log level.

ERROR: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "error"
log level.

INFO: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute. If the current LogLevel is set to "debug2", also adds the specified mes-
sage to the current ErrorLog using the "info" log level.

NOTICE: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "notice"
log level.

PAGE: page-number #-copies

PAGE: total #-pages
Adds an entry to the current PageLog. The first form adds #-copies to the job-media-sheets-completed attribute. The
second form sets the job-media-sheets-completed attribute to #-pages.

PPD: Keyword=Value ... KeywordN=Value
Sets the named keywords in the printer's PPD file. This is typically used to update default option keywords such as
DefaultPageSize and the various installable options in the PPD file.

STATE: printer-state-reason [printer-state-reason ...]

STATE: + printer-state-reason [printer-state-reason ...]

STATE: - printer-state-reason [printer-state-reason ...]
Sets, adds, or removes printer-state-reason keywords to the current queue. Typically this is used to indicate media,
ink, and toner conditions on a printer.

WARNING: message
Sets the printer-state-message attribute and adds the specified message to the current ErrorLog using the "warning"
log level.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables are defined by the CUPS server when executing the filter:

CHARSET
The default text character set, typically utf-8.

CLASS
When a job is submitted to a printer class, contains the name of the destination printer class. Otherwise this envi-
ronment variable will not be set.

CONTENT_TYPE
The MIME type associated with the file (e.g. application/postscript).

CUPS_CACHEDIR
The directory for semi-persistent cache files can be found.

CUPS_DATADIR
The directory where data files can be found.

CUPS_FILETYPE
The type of file being printed: "job-sheet" for a banner page and "document" for a regular print file.

CUPS_SERVERROOT
The root directory of the server.

DEVICE_URI
The device-uri associated with the printer.

FINAL_CONTENT_TYPE
The MIME type associated with the printer (e.g. application/vnd.cups-postscript).

LANG
The default language locale (typically C or en).

PATH
The standard execution path for external programs that may be run by the filter.

PPD
The full pathname of the PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file for this printer.

PRINTER
The name of the printer.

RIP_CACHE
The recommended amount of memory to use for Raster Image Processors (RIPs).

SOFTWARE
The name and version number of the server (typically CUPS/1.2).

TZ
The timezone of the server.

USER
The user executing the filter, typically "lp" or "root"; consult the cupsd.conf(5) file for the current setting.

COMPATIBILITY
While the filter interface is compatible with System V interface scripts, it will only work with the System V interface
script as the only filter. Typically the interface script will be provided via the lpadmin(8) command using the -i
option.

SEE ALSO
backend(7), cupsd(8),
http://localhost:631/help

13 May 2009 CUPS filter(7)