Open-source tool · OpenPrint

OpenPrint Server

A Docker-based CUPS print server with an admin dashboard.

OpenPrint Server packages CUPS, Avahi and a small admin dashboard into one Docker stack for a Raspberry Pi or Linux PC. The dashboard finds USB and network printers, creates shared queues and controls real CUPS jobs. Avahi then advertises the shared queues so computers on the local network can find them.

View on GitHub ↗Quick start

Runs on: Raspberry Pi and Linux PCs
Print system: CUPS 2.4 + Avahi
License: MIT
Dashboard: Flask + Gunicorn, HTTPS

Why it exists

Questions it answers

How do I share a USB printer with the whole network?

Plug it into the server, set up a shared queue from the dashboard, and Avahi advertises it on the LAN.

Do I need a Linux driver for my printer?

Often not. The default passthrough queue sends data rendered by the client's installed driver unchanged.

Can I manage jobs without the CUPS console?

Yes. Hold, release and cancel jobs, see recent history and filter by printer.

What about receipt or label printers?

Use a raw queue with an application that produces the printer's own language, or inject a matching PPD and filter.

Features

What it does

Printers and queues

Display name, queue name, model, location, device URI and status
Add, remove, pause and resume queues
Accept or reject jobs, share on the LAN, set a default printer
Advanced settings in the standard CUPS admin page

Discovery

CUPS-visible USB and network devices
Shows which queue already manages each device
Raw USB bus inventory
Rescans every 15 seconds while the dashboard is open

Jobs

Active jobs and recent history
Filter by printer
Hold and release pending jobs, cancel jobs
Queue view refreshes every 10 seconds

Security and storage

HTTPS dashboard with admin sessions
CSRF protection and login rate limiting
Persistent CUPS config, spool, cache and certificates
Admin password kept in a git-ignored secrets file

How it fits together

Architecture

01Client computer (print dialog, IPP or lp)
02CUPS queues
03Avahi / mDNS advertising
04USB or network printer
05Admin dashboard on port 8443

Quick start

Try it

Build and start on Linux or Raspberry Pi

git clone https://github.com/jahmed-cloud/OpenPrint-Server.git
cd OpenPrint-Server
bash scripts/setup.sh   # asks for a 12+ character admin password
docker compose ps
# dashboard at https://openprint-server.local:8443 (user: printadmin)

Print a test file to a raw queue from a client

lp -h openprint-server.local:631 -d receipt -o raw receipt.escpos

The full setup guide is in the README on GitHub.

Before you start

Requirements

Production host	Rootful Docker Engine on Linux, Docker Compose v2+
Architecture	ARM64 (64-bit Raspberry Pi OS / Debian) or x86_64; build on each architecture
Ports on the trusted LAN only	TCP 631 (IPP/CUPS), TCP 8443 (dashboard), UDP 5353 (mDNS)
Windows / macOS	Docker Desktop for local testing only, without USB or LAN discovery

Good to know

Keep ports 631, 8443 and 5353 on the trusted LAN and never forward them from the internet. Printer support depends on drivers and protocols: a raw queue passes printer-ready data through unchanged and does not turn an arbitrary device into a PDF-capable printer. No versioned container image is published yet, so build it from source.