Printer error message - HP Officejet v40 - somewhat solved

[wedgetail]

kah5683
Commendable effort, and I will work myway through this post.  Thanks for the groups explanation, sounds vaguely familiar from when I battled with this sort in command line.

I was having problems finding my printed cups-pdf files.  I went to /etc/cups/cups-pdf.conf and edited the file.  The default place to print to was /var/spool/cups-pdf/${USER}, but I didn't see anything there.  Changed line 45 to #Out /home/MYUSERNAME/Desktop/, instead of #Out /var/spool/cups-pdf/${USER}.  Did not have to reboot, worked right away to put on desktop.  No way that I know of right now to name file, though.

Above has me very intrigued because presently I am running a less than 24 hour new installation of a KDE64-test05 ISO (saves me changing system) The only customisation I have done is to install Opera and cups-pdf

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost gert]# lpstat -t
scheduler is running
no system default destination
device for Cups-PDF: cups-pdf:/
Cups-PDF accepting requests since Sun 26 Aug 2012 11:15:28 AM EST
printer Cups-PDF is idle.  enabled since Sun 26 Aug 2012 11:15:28 AM EST
[root@localhost gert]#

So with no physical printer installed I only have the cups-pdf option.  Then I have opened a text file in kwrite, made a few comment here about your post in the file.  Trying to print that un-named file, a small window, named Print - KWrite, opens with content such as Name: Cups-PDF and Type: Generic CUPS-PDF Printer there are buttons for Properties, Options, Print and Cancel.

Importantly a grayed out line showing:  Output file: /home/gert/Documents/Untitled.pdf and small button [...] , having slight trouble showing this, added square brackets for a bit of highlight. Clicking here on the ... dots activates the file naming option.

Note:  In Synaptic - highlighting the cups-pdf the description says  location is the Desktop, appears not true any longer it is going to Documents, only a minor thing.

Does this not ring a bell?  Perhaps I have better back out of this system and find an older KDE based on the KDE 2012.02 as we seem to far apart, in that it is a bit drastic having to customise the location, of course not that this is wrong.  

Edit:
Have started up on of my KDE-mini systems, this is a Platform Version 4.6.5 opening KWrite and finding my Print - KWrite window, on this system it is slightly different as I have about 15 printers installed (wild guess) but at the end of the list I have Print to File (PDF) and Print to File (Postscript) the window is very similar looking to what I have described already.

A difference is that the Output file: is no longer grayed out, with the default full path file name /home/gert/Documents/Untitled.pdf. 

I am not sure if we can just disregard your difference, I don't yet see it has any bearing but I am a bit uncomfortable with it because of your gstoraster error. I will however look closer at the rest of the post now, there are a lot of details needing a closer look.   

( to be continued)

[coffeetime]

>wedgetail

damn you're good! From now on you're DPD --> Da Printer Dude 

[wedgetail]

coffeetime
Thank you, I talk too much and get a bit inquisitive sometimes, jumping all over the place.  Ahhh Yes WiFi problems even more intriguing 

[wedgetail]

kah5683
I rather need an urgent biological memory upgrade, advanced years. I think I am blundering a bit much. Going back to the older KDE-mini system I discovered that I do not have the cups-pdf package installed. The penny dropped I think. Long ago I got confused about this same thing.

You have ghostscript installed, I will call this a front-end and if you look back in the topic I listed the description for cups-pdf package.  This package is a back-end program. this will do for now.

ghostscript on its own is able to do postscript and pdf files ( well it is on my KDE-mini system ). There may not be any need for the back-end cups-pdf.  I think it goes like this, printing from an application in linux natively end up giving you a Postscript file, broadly speeking you can always print to a file in PCLinuxOS, actually to two formats .ps and .pdf ie that is with no physical printer installed.  Getting a bit carried away here I think.

A quick test: Open KWrite, an empty file is fine, then print the empty file, and tell me exactly how many printer options do you have?  You should have the two -V40 queues, Cups-PDF and another two?

To be honest I am crossing my fingers as the ice I am skating on is thin    

Edit:
I have just made a quick re-boot to the new KDE64 ( no interference from dozens of installed printers ) where I had installed cups-pdf package and uninstalled this again. Now I have no printers installed, nice clean CUPS environment:

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost gert]# lpstat -t
scheduler is running
no system default destination
lpstat: No destinations added.
lpstat: No destinations added.
lpstat: No destinations added.
lpstat: No destinations added.
[root@localhost gert]#
When I open KWrite and print (empty document is fine for this purpose) I am given one option, print to file and default format is pdf, with format option to use .ps

This is ghostscript kindly flexing its muscle to reveal the mystery and magic of digital power to the world of us humans, in this case I am using following version of said program:  

[root@localhost gert]# gs
GPL Ghostscript 9.02 (2011-03-30)
Copyright (C) 2010 Artifex Software, Inc.  All rights reserved.
This software comes with NO WARRANTY: see the file PUBLIC for details.
GS>quit
[root@localhost gert]#

I think you will be using the same version or close.

As I am now rather confused, so out of curiosity why did you install cups-pdf ?  I have probably missed the answer in the thread somewhere.  


coffeetime
after your kind words I think the Da Printer Dude is premature, was starting to quite liking the title.  

[wedgetail]

kah5683
I think I have got myself sorted out again and I have read through the rest your description. My, my, I have been around it seems, those posts of mine I have almost forgotten, though a few ideas popped up as well.

I propose following, for the moment put aside your ods files. From now we will concentrate on a file you did not make/create, ie the pclinuxos home page is now the one.

1.. You probably use Firefox as your browser, is that correct. ?
2.. Usinf FF print the homepage to both a pdf and ps file.
3.. Check that there are a significant difference in file size, approx 3.2 MB pdf and 5.6 MB ps
4.. Inspect both files in okular, I get 10 pages, carefully note if there is any visual blemishes, they should be 'perfect'

.....I next tried a color webpage.  I went to pclinuxos.com like you suggested earlier, and I printed 1 page only on both drivers. ...

I just want to make very sure I understand, did you print from Okular, or directly from FF?  And the results are as you describe?  That is: Gutenprint almost complete but acceptable and Cups result not acceptable ?

The next step is to check what the file looks like just before the back-end  driver takes over (the rendering is in between here) , ie the last step before going to the physical printer. There are a number of my posts dealing with this procedure I will see what I can dig up.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,105163.msg900221.html#msg900221

I think this is ok, I will look later as I am in a real hurry and do not have time to check it is appropriate.  You should get the idea of how to inspect the file at the last stop before the printer takes the data stream.  

Edit:
I have read the content on the linked pages, the jump is into the topic and about the right start for our purpose. I think you will be ok, but just ask if not clear. I do check on a deep level as this is about the level where CUPS filters may need to be inspected and at this time I am also generally looking inside the ppd file being used.  Will wait for some feedback from you now.

[kah5683]

wedgetail:

Have started up on of my KDE-mini systems, this is a Platform Version 4.6.5 opening KWrite and finding my Print - KWrite window, on this system it is slightly different as I have about 15 printers installed (wild guess) but at the end of the list I have Print to File (PDF) and Print to File (Postscript) the window is very similar looking to what I have described already.

A difference is that the Output file: is no longer grayed out, with the default full path file name /home/gert/Documents/Untitled.pdf. 

When I open kwrite, all my printer options are listed, like yours, and I also have the output going to the same place - documents, however, mine IS grayed out.  This is so even after changing the default output location in the config file (prior post of mine).

ghostscript on its own is able to do postscript and pdf files ( well it is on my KDE-mini system ). There may not be any need for the back-end cups-pdf.  I think it goes like this, printing from an application in linux natively end up giving you a Postscript file, broadly speeking you can always print to a file in PCLinuxOS, actually to two formats .ps and .pdf ie that is with no physical printer installed.  Getting a bit carried away here I think.

A quick test: Open KWrite, an empty file is fine, then print the empty file, and tell me exactly how many printer options do you have?  You should have the two -V40 queues, Cups-PDF and another two?

I have v40 with 2 diff drivers, cups-pdf, fax (v40 I set up...not sure if needed to run fax?), print to pdf and print to ps.

I installed cups-pdf because I installed all the cups that looked like they were needed.  Do I need?  As I said previously, I lost my "print to file" option when printing, and got it back with:

Add the CUPS-PDF virtual printer:
Make sure cups-pdf is installed. (In Synaptic)

   1. Open Firefox an go to http://localhost:631/.
   2. Choose Administration. (add root and root password) when asked
   3. Choose Add Printer, Click Continue.
   4. Select Local Printer: CUPS-PDF (Virtual PDF Printer) and click Continue.
   5. Name the Printer and location and Click Continue.
   6. Select Generic as the Make and Click Continue.
   7. Select Generic CUPS-PDF-Printer (en) as the Model
   8. Click Add Printer
   9. The PDF files you create will go either on Desktop or in your home folder.

1.. You probably use Firefox as your browser, is that correct. ?  Yes, I use FF as my main browser.
2.. Usinf FF print the homepage to both a pdf and ps file.  If you meant cups-pdf, it only prints pdf.  I do have the printing option "print to file" where I the default is pdf, but I can change to ps.  I did the cups-pdf and "print to file" (both pdf and ps)
3.. Check that there are a significant difference in file size, approx 3.2 MB pdf and 5.6 MB ps  Yes, there is that same difference between pdf and ps
4.. Inspect both files in okular, I get 10 pages, carefully note if there is any visual blemishes, they should be 'perfect'  All of them are perfect.  One oddity:  I saw where you can check off as an option to add background color and/or images to printing.  I tested this out, also.  Did not work for any of them.  Never got that background blue color or background images.

 

Funny thing.  How come when I print out on computer with cups driver v40, I only get the grayscale option, but when I save to pdf in cups-pdf, I get color?

Quote
.....I next tried a color webpage.  I went to pclinuxos.com like you suggested earlier, and I printed 1 page only on both drivers. ...


I just want to make very sure I understand, did you print from Okular, or directly from FF?  And the results are as you describe?  That is: Gutenprint almost complete but acceptable and Cups result not acceptable ?

Directly from FF, with gutenprint almost complete and cups not acceptable.

The next part I separately did gutenprint driver and cups driver.  Went through the whole thing, then did the other.

Opened kwrite and wrote this:

I am going to make a simple text file that has more than 80 characters in length so that I can test landscape.

Saved as abxy.txt.  Turned off printer.  (with the following, of course using my HP Officejet v40 printer)

Keep power off printers

Open file abxy.txt in kwrite

Print the file abxy.txt to your Epson but first in properties just check it is set to portrait then print.

Print the file abxy.txt to your Epson but first in properties set to landscape then print.

I need to check on you here, so in konsole post result

Quote
ls -l /var/spool/cups/ |grep d

Results:

Gutenprint:

[root@localhost kevin]# ls -l /var/spool/cups/ |grep d
-rw-r----- 1 root sys 13856 Aug 26 08:32 d00133-001
-rw-r----- 1 root sys 13856 Aug 26 08:32 d00134-001
drwxrwx--T 2 root sys    40 Aug 26 08:23 tmp/

Cups:

[root@localhost kevin]# ls -l /var/spool/cups/ |grep d
-rw-r----- 1 root sys 13856 Aug 26 09:22 d00137-001
-rw-r----- 1 root sys 13856 Aug 26 09:22 d00138-001
drwxrwx--T 2 root sys    80 Aug 26 09:22 tmp/

To be very sure in konsole now do the head -3 xxxx, post result as safeguard in case something now goes wrong, I will not need to come back and ask for them.

Gutenprint:

[root@localhost kevin]# head -3 /var/spool/cups/d00133-001
%PDF-1.4
1 0 obj
<<
[root@localhost kevin]# head -3 /var/spool/cups/d00134-001
%PDF-1.4
1 0 obj
<<

Cups:

[root@localhost kevin]# head -3 /var/spool/cups/d00137-001
%PDF-1.4
1 0 obj
<<
[root@localhost kevin]# head -3 /var/spool/cups/d00138-001
%PDF-1.4
1 0 obj
<<

Opened all 4 files, ALL were fine.

Quote
cupsdisable Epson_Stylus_NX515

Now

Apply power to your Epson printer
 
I hope the printer just 'warms up' ready to print, if the CUPS queue is not disabled it will probably print or lock up.

I would really like the following from root konsole

Quote
/usr/lib/cups/backend/usb

Gutenprint:

[root@localhost kevin]# /usr/lib/cups/backend/usb
DEBUG: list_devices_libusb
DEBUG: usb_find_busses=6
DEBUG: usb_find_devices=17
direct usb://HP/OfficeJet%20V40?serial=MY24GD43HNWN "HP OfficeJet V40" "HP OfficeJet V40" "MFG:Hewlett-Packard;MDL:OfficeJet V40;CMD:MLC,PCL,PML;CLASS:PRINTER;DESCRIPTION:Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet V Series;1284.3M:f7f,f7f;1284.4DL:4d,4e,1;SERN:MY24GD43HNWN;VSTATUS:$HB0$NC0,ff,DN,IDLE,CUT,K1,C0,SM,NR,KP000,CP002;AiO:0;DW-PCL;" ""

Cups:

[root@localhost kevin]# /usr/lib/cups/backend/usb
DEBUG: list_devices_libusb
DEBUG: usb_find_busses=6
DEBUG: usb_find_devices=17
direct usb://HP/OfficeJet%20V40?serial=MY24GD43HNWN "HP OfficeJet V40" "HP OfficeJet V40" "MFG:Hewlett-Packard;MDL:OfficeJet V40;CMD:MLC,PCL,PML;CLASS:PRINTER;DESCRIPTION:Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet V Series;1284.3M:f7f,f7f;1284.4DL:4d,4e,1;SERN:MY24GD43HNWN;VSTATUS:$HB0$NC0,ff,DN,IDLE,CUT,K1,C0,SM,NR,KP000,CP002;AiO:0;DW-PCL;" ""

I then enabled Cups.

Results from printout on computer:

Gutenprint:

Portrait:  printed in a few seconds.  The "I" was missing on first line and the l in length on the second.  The footer was missing.
Landscape:  The words "so that I can test" were missing on the right side after length.  Top half of the header was missing.  Had a little of the footer.  Funny thing, took FOUR minutes to print. Was very slow...no hesitation.

Cups:

Portrait:  printed in a few seconds.  Same as gutenprint:  the "I" was missing on first line and the l in length on the second.  The footer was missing.
Landscape:  "...80 characters in length s              s in l
                     landscape"
That's what it looked like.  The ...was all okay up to the s after length.  The l was the right margin, and landscape was the second line to the left.  Unlike the gutenprint, this printed in 26 seconds.  This also had part of the foot just like gutenprint.

[kah5683]

wedgetail:

I don't know if I mentioned or not...

every once in the while, I get a pop-up in the bottom right on my screen, or when I turn on the printer:

Missing Printer Driver
It is not possible to install 'Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet V40' without the right driver

[wedgetail]

kah5683
The last message first, I think you did, and I had forgotten for the time being.  

The long message, you did well with using the link, to my surprise I am struggling with interpretation.  Thanks you cleared up about "another pdf emulator" I had totally overlooked that CUPS web has one too, despite seeing it everytime I make a queue    Honestly I don't think you need any of those 'extra' pdf makers but as usual if you are happy with what you have installed stick with it.

I am having trouble getting my head around the results. As I understand you made a text file with a very long line, this was an aid check the widths of portrait and landscape prints in the topic  used. Being a text file I would have expected the temp files at the last stop before printing to be ASCII text, but they are not.  According to the the header check it is clearly pdf files your are dealing with.  This has something to do with KWrite. I think it is coming back to me, look at the file size of those d0000x- files. OK I have it know. Wrong procedure, I know where it went "wrong" now.  

It is very late here and a work week ahead so I will be slowing down but not forgetting this.  I need to look at the printer specs too.    

[wedgetail]

kah5683
I have pondered the results you provided, the use of the long text line sidetracked me.  It was not intended I meant to use the PCLinuxOS home page for the test. The reason it is a complex printing problem and if something would go wrong in my opinion trying to print webpages it will show.

0.. Printer off, only few sheets of paper in tray
1.. FF print homepage as .ps and .pdf, your choice if you want to do both portrait and landscape (suggest only one choice for my poor brain  )
2.. Open in Okular and view (should be right, you have done so already)
3.. Then print one page from both files from within Okular.
4.. Find the temp files d000x.. open them in Okular and carefully inspect them to make sure they appear fault free at the moth of the backend handler.
5.. Whatever your method check the first 3 lines in each file, you can use the head -3 and post
6.. Turn the printer on and print

From the results of the text file I sorry to say I expect problems.  From what I could follow the the pdf formatted files were fine just before being sent to the printer.  When physically printed not ok.

I have checked your printer spec and it is PCL-3 capable, which is fine, it should work and does but not 100%.

Since we ended up with only pdf format in your previous exercise, this may be causing problems so we must try to print .ps

You do have the home page .ps file somewhere now and I would like to print that from the command line, I will give you an example, printing the colour picture that should be on all KDE systems, you can look at it with Okular first if you like, but I think it is safe to send it directly to the printer.

lp -d Hewlett-Packard-OfficeJet-V40 /usr/share/ghostscript/9.02/examples/colorcir.ps

I have highlighted the full path to the file, so whatever way replace the blue with the .ps you have from FF

Not sure if praying will help, but it would be nice if the colour picture wheel and a page from  PCLinuxOS homepage comes out right.  I think I am starting to get an idea that we are looking at the ppd problem. Well not the first time I have taken them to bits either.