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CUPS

CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is an open-source, standards-based print server for Linux and Unix-like operating systems.

  • Network Services
  • Tools & Utilities
CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is an open-source, standards-based print server for Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It supports AirPrint, IPP Everywhere, and PPD-based drivers for network and local USB printers, and provides a web-based administration interface along with lp and lpr command-line tools. Ideal for homelab environments seeking a self-hosted, cloud-independent printing solution.

Platform availability

Available on 1 of 9 platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS (not listed)
  • Umbrel (not listed)
  • ZimaOS (not listed)
  • Proxmox (not listed)
  • Helm (not listed)
  • Mac (not listed)
  • Windows (not listed)
  • Linux (not listed)

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

74/100 Good

Maintained
100last commit 8 days ago
Popular
651,770 GitHub stars
Easy to install
351 install platform, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 15 days ago

GitHub stars
1,770
Open issues
33
Last commit
2026-10-07
Latest release
v2.4.20
License
Apache-2.0
Activity
rising

Checked 7 days ago - source: GitHub (OpenPrinting/cups)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 16 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Install the server certificate if CUPS asks If CUPS asks for a server certificate, install the exact PEM (a common certificate file format) file with the cups-x509 install command. Skipping this can stop secure connections or printer authentication from working. source
  • Default Admin Access The CUPS web admin interface is at http://127.0.0.1:631. Default credentials are admin/admin. source
  • Adding Printers To add a printer, navigate to Administration > Printers > Add Printer in the CUPS web interface. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives

No alternatives collected yet.

Common questions

Why is the CUPS web interface disabled when I try to set up a printer?

The CUPS web interface can be disabled, which blocks printer setup. It can be enabled or diagnosed to restore web access.

What should I do if CUPS asks for a server certificate?

Install the exact PEM certificate file with the cups-x509 install command. Skipping this can stop secure connections or printer authentication from working.

How can I share one local printer with other devices?

Use CUPS with Avahi so the printer is discoverable via mDNS. A headless CUPS setup can also make a USB printer available as an AirPrint-capable network printer.

Why can CUPS print pages in reverse order after an upgrade?

A reversed page-order problem can appear after upgrading CUPS. The issue can be resolved, and follow-up upgrade concerns can be checked.

Answers sourced from forum.puppylinux.com, github.com, www.bigiron.cc, www.forum.puppylinux.com

Community

Collected 16 days ago - public community threads