[cups.general] Escputil --raw-device and CUPS

[Nick Croft]

Hello,

I've got the new Epson Color Stylus C83 printing OK with CUPS via the
router.

Everything available with CUPS admininstration seems to be working fine.
However, I want to check the ink level, and for this I need to use a command
line tool, escputil.

The output for

$ escuptil -i -r /dev/lp0  is
'Cannot parse output from printer'.

I've got the two-way option assigned in the kernel. Also quite liberal
permissions for access in the /etc/cups/cups.conf.

Strangely, 

$ escputil -d -r /dev/lp0   gives an answer:

        @BDC ST
        ST:04;

which I hope refers to STylus.

I suspect that there is something needed in the cups.conf file relating
to groups and possibly passwords, but I can't make head or tail of it.

Alternatively, I could get my wife's Windows Laptop to plug in to the
printer, install the Epson software, and check the ink-level there,
without any rigmarole. Defeatist though.

Is the access to the raw device deliberately difficult, or is this
something being worked on, or wished-for?

Thanks,
Nick