How to keep cups printing working?

[joseppi]

While cups printing had worked fine for a long time, recently it has begun to quit working correctly and I can't figure out why.  I can get it restarted, but then it will just quit working again and I have to go through the exact same steps to get it restarted.

In the PCLinux Control Center >> System >> Manage system services by enabling etc.
it shows cups running and

• On boot is checked, but I have to click on [Start] and [OK]

again to get it to work.

Then I go to Hardware > Configure printing and scanning > Set up printers, etc.
Sometimes it shows the printer has vanished and I have to reset it again, other
times it is there.

I do 'lpstat' and it shows a document waiting to be printed, but it does not print.

How can I get this reset so it will not continually quit printing and have to get restarted again?

If 'lpstat' shows a document waiting to be printed and it shows the printer to be enabled, but "idle" ... what command could I issue to get the printer to restart?  I tried 'lpstat restart' but that doesn't work.  The only thing I've been able to do is to cancel the waiting document and resend the same document to print again after having gone through the printer configuration again.

[wedgetail]

joseppi

What desktop environment are you using, KDE, KDE-mini ...??

Post the result of

lpstat -t

Following in a root konsole may be able to get CUPS going again

service -f cups

or

service cups restart

[joseppi]

Thanks for your response.
My system is running KDE 4 (latest updates)

Here are the results of -- lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination: HPLaserJet4
device for HPLaserJet4: ///dev/null
device for HPPSC1200: ipp://192.168.0.73:631/printers/HPPSC1200
HPLaserJet4 accepting requests since Fri 02 Mar 2012 05:20:37 PM MST
HPPSC1200 accepting requests since Fri 02 Mar 2012 06:12:43 PM MST
printer HPLaserJet4 is idle.  enabled since Fri 02 Mar 2012 05:20:37 PM MST
printer HPPSC1200 is idle.  enabled since Fri 02 Mar 2012 06:12:43 PM MST
HPLaserJet4-47          joe              66560   Fri 02 Mar 2012 08:44:02 PM MST

As root: service -f cups -and- service cups restart ... same results:
Stopping CUPS printing system:                            [  OK  ]
Starting CUPS printing system:                             [  OK  ]
Re-enabling disabled print queues:

Then lpstat -t again ... same results as before.
The same print job remains hung in the spooler, not printed.

[wedgetail]

joseppi

When reporting details from konsole please include the command line prompt.

..... prompt??
scheduler is running
system default destination: HPLaserJet4  < ------------------- you have set default printer, fine
device for HPLaserJet4: ///dev/null         < ------------------- do not understand why this is the case, to me this is a black hole  

I would have expected following here,
device for HPLaserJet4: ipp://192.168.0.73:631/printers/HPLaserJet4

device for HPPSC1200: ipp://192.168.0.73:631/printers/HPPSC1200

HPLaserJet4 accepting requests since Fri 02 Mar 2012 05:20:37 PM MST
HPPSC1200 accepting requests since Fri 02 Mar 2012 06:12:43 PM MST
printer HPLaserJet4 is idle.  enabled since Fri 02 Mar 2012 05:20:37 PM MST < -------- printer waiting for the next job
printer HPPSC1200 is idle.  enabled since Fri 02 Mar 2012 06:12:43 PM MST

HPLaserJet4-47          joe              66560   Fri 02 Mar 2012 08:44:02 PM MST  < ------job 47 sitting in the queue, probably waiting on feed back from the printer.

As root: service -f cups -and- service cups restart ... same results:

... prompt ??
Stopping CUPS printing system:                            [  OK  ]
Starting CUPS printing system:                             [  OK  ]
Re-enabling disabled print queues:

This is fine the CUPS server is running at the moment, and resetting CUPS did not clear the queue.

device for HPLaserJet4: ///dev/null  this line beats my understanding at present, I interpret this as saying send output from CUPS to the null device, ie down the black hole, which I assume is not feeding back job completed . Having said that I seem to remember having seen a post with similar line and it worked fine, and only when that line was there.

Before going further I would like you to do a simple test print to the other printer and report if that is working fine or that is involved in the problem as well.

Code: [Select]

echo "This is a test" | lp -d HPPSC1200
You can copy paste to konsole and your other printer should print the words: This is a test and eject the page.


Need more information on your HPLaserJet4, post the result of this from konsole:

lpoptions -p HPLaserJet4

[joseppi]

Since I can send print jobs to my HPLaserJet4 from my other (older, more reliable PCLinux) computers on our local network without any problems, it seems clear that the problem is with my PCLinuxOS 2012 box. Today, I did all the latest updates, rebooted, reset the printer and still had the same printing problems.  Some documents will print, others will not.  I can print all the same documents from my other/older (more reliable) PCLinux systems.

When I go into the PCLinuxOS Control system and attempt to set my HPLaserJet4 as the default printer (and attempt to remove the other HPPSC1200 printer (which is no longer even hooked up on my network), after I exit setup and re-enter setup, the settings that I just specified vanish and the 1200 printer is back and the HPLaserJet4 is no longer the default printer. See the two screen shots here: http://upquick.com/temp/how2kill1200.jpg

How can I get rid of that 1200 printer so it will no longer show up at all?

And how can I get the default setting to stay set?

Incredibly frustrating.

PS: BTW after I did all the latest updates today, my system crashed, locked up, and the keyboard started blinking wildly.  I had a dickens of a time trying to get the system restarted.

[wedgetail]

joseppi
To me it seems you now have more than a printing problem. This brings in more unknown variables and I am not sure I can be of any help with those extra problems. Any installed program above what came on the ISO is now has potential for trouble. In many cases it is unlikely but when things go wrong it is back to square one.

From your description I believe your PCC is now unusable for handling the printer situation properly, how to fix that I don't know. I do very seldom use PCC to set up printers as it has let me down in the past for various reasons. This should however not discourage anybody from using PCC.   Since I have many HP printers and found a more reliable way of handling printer installs by using CUPS web interface.

If you think you have a runable system we can start from scratch on the printer problem. You have to repeat below, copy and paste:

lpstat -t

Then I can try and show how to handle most of the printer management via command line and the web interface. 

[joseppi]

Thank you for your efforts to assist, wedgetail.

I have not installed any programs other than what came on the ISO and what has been available via synaptic (and very little from there). 

Here are the latest and most current results from lpstat -t

$ lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination: HPLaserJet4
device for HPLaserJet4: ///dev/null
device for HPPSC1200: ipp://192.168.0.73:631/printers/HPPSC1200
HPLaserJet4 accepting requests since Tue 06 Mar 2012 05:57:57 PM MST
HPPSC1200 accepting requests since Tue 06 Mar 2012 08:35:30 PM MST
printer HPLaserJet4 is idle.  enabled since Tue 06 Mar 2012 05:57:57 PM MST
printer HPPSC1200 is idle.  enabled since Tue 06 Mar 2012 08:35:30 PM MST

For starters, how can I get rid of the device HPPSC1200 which is no longer even connected to anything on any of the systems on my network? 

I am able to print some things, but whenever I print from some .pdf files (but not all .pdf files) via acrobat reader, that seems to put some kind of 'lock' on printing and I cannot print anything else without going back into PCC and resetting HPLaserJet4 as the default printer again.

Second, how can I set HPLaserJet4 as the default printer and keep it that way, instead of having the system repeatedly undo that default setting?

Thanks again for your efforts to assist.

[wedgetail]

joseppi

Starting with the CUPS web interface: copy the following to the address line in your web browser, such as Firefox... whatever is your preference, you can copy and paste:

http://localhost:631

There is a very small chance this will not work, when it works however you will see CUPS management page with a menu line at the top. Like below, where I just give the TAB names. If it does not work you will not see following menu description, this would however be a big surprise as lpstat - t has already told me something.

CUPS -- Home -- Administration -- Classes -- Online Help -- Jobs -- Printers -- Search Help


Go -> Printers -> Select your HPPSC1200 -> Under the printer name select little grey drop down field -> Delete Printer
Edit:
If this is the first time you are using CUPS after turning on PC you will be asked for root and root's password when you try to delete.

Do not use the top Menu Line for this you may get lost if CUPS is new to you.

When done repeat and post the lpstat -t

I have not forgotten your other comments, I will use belts and braces to prevent surprises, for the time being it will be slow till I get grip on what is going on.  

[joseppi]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I tried this, but got a "Forbidden" response
as shown in this screen capture: http://www.upquick.com/temp/cups.jpg

[djohnston]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I tried this, but got a "Forbidden" response
as shown in this screen capture: http://www.upquick.com/temp/cups.jpg

Aren't you prompted for a username and password? If so, enter root and root's password.

[joseppi]

I did not find any prompts for login or password.

[djohnston]

You should be getting a popup window requiring authentication.



If CUPS isn't working properly, there's a high probability your printer won't either.

[wedgetail]

joseppi
One of the rare occasions where cruder address needed, try this:

http://127.0.0.1:631

You should have been asked automatically for root/password as shown by djhonston's pic when using FireFox.

Please post the result of

cat /etc/hosts

djohnston
thanks for pics, I am a bit reluctant using pic servers  

[joseppi]

I still get "403 Forbidden" for anything I try to do under "Administration"
The printer is working fine.  I can print some things, but other things remain hung.

Here is the result of: cat /etc/hosts
# generated by drakconnect
127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost

An hour ago, I sent an .odt document from Libre office to print and it did not print.
$ lpstat shows it still hung here:
HPLaserJet4-88          joe              29696   Wed 07 Mar 2012 03:13:48 PM MST

I repeated the exact same thing a few seconds ago and it printed fine.

Go figure?

[wedgetail]

joseppi
We will come to the intermittent printing problem when the mystery about your "Forbidden ..." is solved

Another attempt to remove the unwanted printer.  In a root konsole copy/paste this and run

lpadmin -x HPPSC1200

Then repeat the lpstat -t an post the result

The process should be two lines as below, I would like to see copy/paste of both lines  (or more lines if this happens)

[root@KDE-mini gert]# lpadmin -x meto-test <- this was a test printer on my system
[root@KDE-mini gert]#