m08f-printer

Linux driver, CLI, and CUPS backend for the M08F A4 thermal printer — sold as the Phomemo M08F, COLORWING M08F, and AIMO M08F (all USB 0483:5740).

The printer enumerates as a USB serial port (/dev/ttyACM0) only in solid-red mode: hold power ~3s until the light is solid red before use.

Requirements

Python 3.9+, ghostscript, and CUPS.

sudo pacman -S ghostscript cups      # Arch
# sudo apt install ghostscript cups  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl enable --now cups

Install

Quick install (any distro) — sets up everything below in one step:

git clone https://github.com/M-Wham/m08f-printer && cd m08f-printer
sudo ./install.sh          # then: m08f probe && m08f calibrate

Removes cleanly with sudo ./uninstall.sh. Prefer to do it by hand? Manual steps:

git clone https://github.com/M-Wham/m08f-printer && cd m08f-printer
python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -e .

# udev rule: device access without sudo (re-login after usermod)
sudo cp udev/99-m08f.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo usermod -aG uucp $USER
sudo udevadm control --reload && sudo udevadm trigger
newgrp uucp

.venv/bin/m08f probe                 # detect baud; answer y when a clean bar prints
.venv/bin/m08f calibrate             # printable width; enter 1677 for A4 @ 203 DPI

# CUPS backend: __M08F_BIN__ is replaced with the absolute path to the m08f binary
sudo sed "s|__M08F_BIN__|$(pwd)/.venv/bin/m08f|" cups/m08f-backend \
    | sudo tee /usr/lib/cups/backend/m08f > /dev/null
sudo chmod 700 /usr/lib/cups/backend/m08f
sudo lpadmin -p M08F -E -v m08f:/dev/m08f -P cups/m08f.ppd
sudo cupsenable M08F && sudo cupsaccept M08F

For a system-wide install (e.g. pipx), use $(command -v m08f) in place of the sed path.

Usage

.venv/bin/m08f print file.pdf --density 6 --cut Full --feed 4
.venv/bin/m08f print image.png
.venv/bin/m08f status

Or print from any app: select M08F and adjust density/cut/feed in the print dialog.

Options

CLI / CUPS	Values	Default
--density / PrintDensity	1–8	5
--cut / PaperCut	None, Partial, Full	None
--feed / LineFeed	0–10 lines	3

Troubleshooting

• Not detected — printer not in solid-red mode, or you're not in uucp (newgrp uucp).
• Job stuck — check sudo tail /var/log/cups/error_log.
• Faint output — raise --density (7–8); dark/smeared — lower it (3–4).
• Text too small — print a PDF, not a PNG, so DPI scaling applies.

Hardware

USB 0483:5740 (STM32 VCP) · 203 DPI · A4, printable width 1677 dots. Solid red = USB data mode; flashing = no USB enumeration.

Packaging (AUR, .deb, install script) is planned.