macOS
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brew install cupsprovider-native install command
brew / rank 352
Install cups with Homebrew
Common UNIX Printing System. Version 2.4.19 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-14.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Common UNIX Printing System
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cups-config
- ippeveprinter
- ipptool
history
Project history and usage
CUPS is the standard open source printing stack for Linux and other Unix-like systems, exposing IPP printing, legacy lp/lpr command interfaces, a web administration interface, and a C API.
Project history
The OpenPrinting CUPS repository identifies CUPS as a standards-based printing system for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. Its legal notices preserve the main stewardship eras: Easy Software Products from 1997 to 2007, Apple from 2007 to 2020, and OpenPrinting from 2020 onward.
Adoption history
CUPS became distribution infrastructure rather than a niche end-user tool because it unified command-line printing, printer administration, filters, backends, and IPP support behind a common daemon and client tools. OpenPrinting now carries the current upstream version, while Apple maintains a separate repository for the CUPS shipped with macOS and iOS.
How it is used
Admins use CUPS through configuration files under /etc/cups, the localhost:631 web interface, and commands such as lpadmin, lp, lpr, lpstat, and ipptool. Developers use the C API and IPP-oriented tooling when integrating print workflows.
Why package nerds care
CUPS is package-manager significant because it is both a user-visible printing subsystem and a service dependency: packaging has to coordinate daemon files, config migration, filters, backends, IPP utilities, permissions, and platform service managers. It is one of the rare packages where command-line compatibility with both System V and Berkeley printing traditions still matters.
Timeline
- 1997: Easy Software Products copyright period begins in upstream legal notices.
- 2007: Apple copyright period begins in upstream legal notices.
- 2020: OpenPrinting copyright period begins in upstream legal notices.
- 2026: OpenPrinting repository lists active CUPS 2.4.x releases.
Related projects
- cups-filters supplies additional filters and drivers, while Apple's separate CUPS repository tracks the version shipped in macOS and iOS.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
/etc/cups/cupsd.conf/etc/cups/cups-files.conf/etc/cups/client.conf/etc/cups/printers.conf
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cups-config | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
ippeveprinter | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
ipptool | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version2.4.19
manager updated2026-05-14
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cups |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.4.19 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups |
| Repository | https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups |
| Last updated | 2026-05-14T01:09:24-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation