# check_print_queue

Shows all jobs currently in the print queue. Identifies stuck, paused, or error-state jobs. Use when prints are not completing.

## Metadata

#### Name

check_print_queue

#### Updated

3 weeks ago

#### Source

[GitHub source](https://github.com/idemeum/skills/blob/main/checkPrintQueue.ts)

#### Risk

Low

#### Requires consent

false

#### Affected scope

user

## Code

```typescript
/**
 * mcp/skills/checkPrintQueue.ts — check_print_queue skill
 *
 * Shows all jobs currently in the print queue.  Identifies stuck, paused,
 * or error-state jobs.  Use when prints are not completing.
 *
 * Platform strategy
 * -----------------
 * darwin  `lpstat -o [printerName]` — parses job-id, owner, size, date
 * win32   PowerShell Get-PrintJob — returns JSON via ConvertTo-Json
 *
 * Smoke test
 *   npx tsx -r dotenv/config mcp/skills/checkPrintQueue.ts
 */

import * as os from "os";
import { exec } from "child_process";
import { promisify } from "util";
import { z } from "zod";
import { formatBytes } from "./_shared/formatBytes";
import { parsePrinterStatuses, HALTED_STATUSES } from "./_shared/lpstatStatus";

const execAsync = promisify(exec);

// -- Meta ---------------------------------------------------------------------

export const meta = {
  name: "check_print_queue",
  description:
    "Shows all jobs currently in the print queue. " +
    "Identifies stuck, paused, or error-state jobs. " +
    "Use when prints are not completing.",
  riskLevel:       "low",
  destructive:     false,
  requiresConsent: false,
  supportsDryRun:  false,
  affectedScope:   ["user"],
  auditRequired:   false,
  schema: {
    printerName: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Printer name to check. Omit to check all printers"),
  },
} as const;

// -- Types --------------------------------------------------------------------

interface PrintJob {
  id:          string;
  printer:     string;
  owner:       string;
  document:    string;
  status:      string;
  sizeKb:      number;
  /** Pre-formatted size (decimal/SI — matches Finder + Explorer). */
  sizeHuman:   string;
  submittedAt: string;
}

// -- PowerShell helper --------------------------------------------------------

async function runPS(script: string): Promise<string> {
  const encoded = Buffer.from(script, "utf16le").toString("base64");
  const { stdout } = await execAsync(
    `powershell.exe -NoProfile -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand ${encoded}`,
    { maxBuffer: 20 * 1024 * 1024 },
  );
  return stdout.trim();
}

// -- darwin implementation ----------------------------------------------------

async function checkPrintQueueDarwin(printerName?: string): Promise<PrintJob[]> {
  const cmd = printerName
    ? `lpstat -o '${printerName.replace(/'/g, "'\\''")}'`
    : "lpstat -o";

let stdout = "";
  try {
    ({ stdout } = await execAsync(cmd));
  } catch (err) {
    // lpstat exits non-zero when no jobs — stdout may still have data
    stdout = (err as { stdout?: string }).stdout ?? "";
  }

const halted = new Set<string>();
  try {
    const { stdout: pOut } = await execAsync("lpstat -p 2>/dev/null", { maxBuffer: 1 * 1024 * 1024 });
    for (const [name, status] of parsePrinterStatuses(pOut)) {
      if (HALTED_STATUSES.has(status)) halted.add(name);
    }
  } catch { /* best-effort */ }

const lines = stdout.trim().split("\n").filter(Boolean);

return lines.map((line) => {
    const parts = line.trim().split(/\s+/);
    const jobId = parts[0] ?? "";
    const printerMatch = jobId.match(/^(.+)-(\d+)$/);
    const printer      = printerMatch ? printerMatch[1] : jobId;
    const id           = printerMatch ? printerMatch[2] : jobId;
    const owner       = parts[1] ?? "unknown";
    const sizeStr     = parts[2] ?? "0";
    const sizeBytes   = parseInt(sizeStr, 10) || 0;
    const sizeKb      = Math.round(sizeBytes / 1024);
    const dateStr     = parts.slice(3).join(" ");

return {
      id,
      printer,
      owner,
      document:  jobId,
      status:    halted.has(printer) ? "held" : "queued",
      sizeKb,
      sizeHuman: formatBytes(sizeBytes),
      submittedAt: dateStr,
    };
  });
}

// -- win32 implementation -----------------------------------------------------

async function checkPrintQueueWin32(printerName?: string): Promise<PrintJob[]> {
  const ps = printerName
    ? `
$ErrorActionPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
Get-PrintJob -PrinterName '${printerName.replace(/'/g, "''")}' |
  Select-Object Id,DocumentName,UserName,JobStatus,Size,SubmittedTime |
  ConvertTo-Json -Depth 2 -Compress`.trim()
    : `
$ErrorActionPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
$jobs = Get-Printer | ForEach-Object {
  $name = $_.Name
  Get-PrintJob -PrinterName $name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Select-Object Id,DocumentName,UserName,JobStatus,Size,SubmittedTime,
      @{Name='PrinterName';Expression={$name}}
}
$jobs | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 2 -Compress`.trim();

const raw = await runPS(ps);
  if (!raw) return [];

let parsed: any;
  try {
    parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
  } catch {
    return [];
  }

const items: any[] = Array.isArray(parsed) ? parsed : [parsed];
  return items.map((item) => {
    const sizeBytes = Number(item.Size) || 0;
    return {
      id:          String(item.Id ?? ""),
      printer:     String(item.PrinterName ?? printerName ?? ""),
      owner:       String(item.UserName ?? "unknown"),
      document:    String(item.DocumentName ?? ""),
      status:      String(item.JobStatus ?? "unknown"),
      sizeKb:      Math.round(sizeBytes / 1024),
      sizeHuman: formatBytes(sizeBytes),
      submittedAt: item.SubmittedTime ? String(item.SubmittedTime) : "",
    };
  });
}

// -- Exported run function ----------------------------------------------------

export async function run({
  printerName,
}: {
  printerName?: string;
} = {}) {
  const platform = os.platform();
  const jobs     = platform === "win32"
    ? await checkPrintQueueWin32(printerName)
    : await checkPrintQueueDarwin(printerName);

const stuckStatuses = ["error", "stuck", "paused", "blocked", "held"];
  const stuckCount    = jobs.filter((j) =>
    stuckStatuses.some((s) => j.status.toLowerCase().includes(s)),
  ).length;

return {
    jobs,
    stuckCount,
    total:    jobs.length,
    platform,
  };
}

// -- Smoke test ---------------------------------------------------------------

if (false) {
  run({})
    .then(r => console.log(JSON.stringify(r, null, 2)))
    .catch((err: Error) => { console.error(err.message); process.exit(1); });
}
```