print-file

name	print-file
description	Use when the user wants to print a local file to a networked printer.

Print File

Submit a file to print on a networked CUPS printer. Validate file existence, confirm copy count, and submit via MCP.

When to use

• User has a file and wants to print it
• Printing to a specific printer or default
• Multiple copies requested

Inputs to gather

• path — absolute or relative path to the file (required)
• printer — printer name (optional; uses default if unset)
• copies — number of copies (optional; defaults to 1)

Procedure

1. Validate file. Check that path exists and is readable:

   test -r "$path" || { echo "File not readable: $path"; exit 1; }
   

   Stop if file not found or not readable.

2. Load defaults. If printer unset, read MCP_CUPS_DEFAULT_PRINTER from env or config.json. If still unset, run list-printers to show options and ask user to choose one.

3. Warn on copy limit. If copies exceeds MCP_CUPS_MAX_COPIES (from env or config), warn the user: "Copy count exceeds safety limit . Proceed?" and wait for confirmation before continuing.

4. Confirm with user: Show:

   Ready to print:
     File: <path>
     Printer: <name>
     Copies: <N>
   Proceed? (yes/no)
   

   Halt if user says no.

5. Call MCP tool print_file with path, printer, copies. The MCP server is network-cups (registered in .mcp.json).

6. Report result: On success, emit:

   Submitted to <printer>: <path> (<N> copies).
   

   On failure, show the MCP error and suggest diagnose-network-printing.

Output / side effects

• File queued on the CUPS server; physical print job submitted.
• No local files modified.

Safety / constraints

• Confirm before printing to avoid accidental submission.
• Warn if copies exceed the safety limit.
• Validate file exists before submitting to avoid cryptic server-side errors.