CUPS PDF output file name changing

[sansal80]

Is there a way to change the CUPS PDF printer output file name? I use Ubuntu and most recent CUPS.
I tried a script, cups-pdf.conf file, lp options but I was not able to find a way. I always get the output like this. -rw------- 1 informix informix 15532 May 8 22:31 stdin___L-job_292.pdf but I want something like this: stdntrns_informix_legacysparc_ %Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S.pdf
If you have a solution for this please let me know.

[him610]

Are you attempting to print from the terminal? If so, please show us what you have tried so far between code blocks. Maybe someone can provide some direction.
The man pages are helpful.

 ...lp(1)                                    OpenPrinting                                   lp(1)

NAME
       lp - print files

SYNOPSIS
       lp  [ -E ] [ -U username ] [ -c ] [ -d destination[/instance] ] [ -h hostname[:port] ]
       [ -m ] [ -n num-copies ] [ -o option[=value] ] [ -q priority ] [ -s ] [ -t title  ]  [
       -H handling ] [ -P page-list ] [ -- ] [ file(s) ]
       lp  [ -E ] [ -U username ] [ -c ] [ -h hostname[:port] ] [ -i job-id ] [ -n num-copies
       ] [ -o option[=value] ] [ -q priority ] [ -t title ] [ -H handling ] [ -P page-list ]

[sansal80]

Hello,

I get PDF output from a program. But I need to change name the PDF outputs dynamically.

I always get like this: stdin___L-job_321.pdf

So I wrote a script: generate_pdf_filename.sh

#!/bin/bash

# PDF directory
PDF_DIR="${HOME}/PDF"

# Function to rename PDF files
rename_pdf_files() {
# Get current user login
USER=$(whoami)
# Get hostname
HOSTNAME=$(hostname)
# Generate timestamp
TIMESTAMP=$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S')
# Construct new filename
NEW_FILENAME="${PDF_DIR}/stdntrns_${USER}_${HOSTNAME}_${TIMESTAMP}.pdf"
# Rename the file
mv "$1" "$NEW_FILENAME"
}


I updated the cups-pdf.conf file for PostProcessing

PostProcessing /etc/cups/generate_pdf_filename.sh

My lpoptions

informix@legacysparc:/etc/cups$ lpoptions
copies=1 device-uri=cups-pdf:/ finishings=3 job-cancel-after=10800 job-hold-until=no-hold job-priority=50 job-sheets=none,none marker-change-time=0 name=PDF number-up=1 OutputFile=/home/informix/PDF OutputScript=/etc/cups/generate_pdf_filename.sh page-bottom=36 page-left=36 page-right=36 page-top=36 PDF=true pdftops-renderer=pdftocairo PDFVer=1.5 print-color-mode=color printer-commands=AutoConfigure,Clean,PrintSelfTestPage printer-info=PDF printer-is-accepting-jobs=true printer-is-shared=false printer-is-temporary=false printer-location printer-make-and-model='Generic CUPS-PDF Printer (w/ options)' printer-state=3 printer-state-change-time=1715973546 printer-state-reasons=none printer-type=10678348 printer-uri-supported=ipp://localhost/printers/PDF

So what is wrong? What should I do?

My PDF output file name should be like this:

stdntrns_informix_legacysparc_2024-05-16_16-33-31.pdf

[ajgreeny]

I have never had cups-pdf package installed but the print dialog that I see gives me a choice to print to my actual HP Envy printer or to "Print to file" and if I choose that it then offers pdf as the first filetype option and gives me a naming dialog.

I wonder if cups-pdf is the cause of your difficulty?

[him610]

I have never had cups-pdf package installed but the print dialog that I see gives me a choice to print to my actual HP Envy printer or to "Print to file" and if I choose that it then offers pdf as the first filetype option and gives me a naming dialog.

This is the way I normally print to file (PDF) also.
Just looked in Settings->Printers and discovered that I have a PDF printer listed along with my two physical printers.
I do not know how ithe PDF printer got there.
Did it just get auto-magically installed, or what?
Did I miss something in the release notes?
Screenshot_2024-05-18_21-10-36.pngScreenshot_2024-05-18_21-11-44.png

[ajgreeny]

Looking at the Printer Properties for the PDF Printer it would appear that it does indeed come from your install of cups-pdf package.
Just as a experiment try removing the cups-pdf package, then reboot and finally try to print a document and see if the print dialog offers you the "Save to File" option.