Problem with gutenprint update TEMPORARY FIX

[bicol_willem]

I might have good news for some of you guys. A very recent update of a series of ghostscript packages did magically bring back all the colors in my life!    (Things works again as it should after this update).
Sure hope you,re mileage goes just that far if not farther 

[Howard]

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The two files are not byte identical but as far as I am concerned they are Operational Identical. so in my opinion they should both work exactly the same. 

Maybe Wedgetail, but they don't, I've re-checked them.  I've also sent you another ppd - the one from the 5.2.6 pinned installation.  (The long one wasn't "simplified")

I've already checked that bicol_willem, it didn't help in my case.  (see above about 10 posts)

[wedgetail]

Just18
Relief from me  

Howard
Have now looked at the NX200.old, 5.2.26, this is a ripper, turns your printer into a magic machine in your Photo Lab.  This is why the file is so big.  What sort of printing are you into? Proof printing for Commercial Advertising    Well there are much more fancy stuff for this of course but this driver is a real gorilla.  I will be looking closer at the specs for NX200, I did not think it was that fancy, I did however only scan the Specs cursory but now I am having another look.

I have been delaying sending this, waiting to see if your problem was solved with the update, in a way I was hopeful but at the same time I am now too seasoned, if there has been a significant problem and it goes away suddenly I like to convince myself with some extra work.

I have now installed your 3 printer drivers here on my MiniMe and can carry out some work. It is past 1 in the morning so I will go to bed.  If those two files, NX200 and TX200 behaves differently, that is new one on me, this needs some thinking.  Actually you mentioned the word "simplified", that is exactly what those two files are, a subset of the 5.2.26  

Can you mark a short test file for future keeps and send me a copy, the file to be used for reated test test work if needed.  A file that works OK with one but fails with the other driver (both 5.2.27 of course).    

[Howard]

Wedgetail: I think that large file was one that the automatic printer recognition routine had thought up, I always select the simplified version.  Another email on it's way for when you get up, not exactly what you asked for but I think it serves the same purpose.

[wedgetail]

Howard
I have explored LibreOffice a bit and got sidetracked into making some spreadsheet calculations for solar heating.

I understand how you came to find the high end driver, which I had to study a bit from within LO.  Fascinating facilities available in that printer, though I have not compared those yet with the Official Specs for the NX200.

To return to the TX/NX200_Simple drivers. No it is no good for me to create your scanned Image, I accept that this may seem simple but, I will need a file saved from LO, which will hold many of your system parameters set up for printing.  For example paper size A4 or Letter which is a very basic item but there are many more.  Many of these setting seen from within Libre Office I want to compare later with some printout from from CUPS, ie CUPS's view of the same.   

1.. Prepare your "Fred"  on the LO page, then make sure the printer settings are all set for the NX200 driver
2.. Save the file, keep it for future use, send it. 

3.. Repeat the exercise but change the printer to TX200 from within LO and make sure you are happy with the settings.

 

 

[Howard]

Sorry wedgetail,  but no can do.  I don't use LO I use the vanilla OOo, LO is not compatible with my old files.

I only know how to switch printer drivers from the PCC - or by simply copying and renaming the ppd files once they have been created.  I cannot see an option do do this from within OOo.

However, the problem has nothing to do with which version of Office I use, it occurs with ALL APPLICATIONS e.g. adobe acrobat, thunderbird and firefox. It's only colour that seems to be a problem everything else is OK.

What I can do is to use the "print to file" option with each driver installed and send you the output - would that do?

[wedgetail]

Howard
We will postpone the request for files at this stage, your comment about changing drivers requires investigation, because changing 'driver' or printers should be a 3 second job once they are installed.

Dropping back to use CUPS, from konsole post the result of the following, this should only be a few lines:

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[gert@localhost ~]$  lpstat -a -l

Back into CUPS language, I should have stayed there but I decided to break my own rules when I asked for the test files.   Serves me right too.   

[Howard]

OK Wedgetail, here's the result:

BROTHEHL1050 accepting requests since Tue 27 Sep 2011 08:06:29 PM NDT
EPSONStNX200 accepting requests since Tue 27 Sep 2011 08:05:28 PM NDT
Stylus-NX200 accepting requests since Tue 27 Sep 2011 07:22:08 PM NDT

The Brother is on my wife's machine downstairs and one of the NX200s is local and the other is via the local network - same machine of course.  (Actually the network is not set up properly and when I tried to print to the NX200 over the network it didn't!)  8.05 would have been when Leila switched on.

All I do to switch drivers is to rename the appropriate ppd file.

Does this help?

[wedgetail]

Howard
   please forgive me, but I am having a good old laugh here, as once again I did not stick to my intuition. Earlier on I did pick up that there seemed to be and odd description of changing drivers.

Start FireFox > Print > General

Do you not see the 3 printers you have just sent me details of?  Well you should as I have just checked on and LXDE system, using Firefox and I see the two NX200 and TX200 that I have installed in a rush.  

To switch 'driver' or 'printer' or 'printer que' is a better description but I have a nagging feeling that in general the que term is not understood, but what does it matter if the system works.  

Here you select your printer and then set up the parameters needed.

This I believe will be standard for Adobe Acrobat, OOo Thunderbird ... almost any application.  You ought to be able to to switch to any printer you have installed from within any application.

You also ought to be able to install any printer you don't physically have, this is how I have 3 of your printer drivers and 3 other printers installed here on this MiniMe system and on my workhorse KDE I have had about 18 at one time, and only two of thos did I have a physical printer for.

(Note: I have not made any mention on how I install the printers)

Naturally I am unable to do the very last step in the administration, ie print to paper, using any driver which does not physically have a printer attached.  

Ok, can you confirm the FireFox step?

[wedgetail]

Howard
Have received the 4 files via email. At this stage found nothing. I can open the .odt fine in Libre Office and it looks the same as my own test files except I had a different font an higher points size, same colour.

The *.ps files no problem opening with with Ocular, and you use Gimp that is fine. If you do a diff on the two files you should see they are operational the same.

Move a step forward leaving a number of problems behind.

Back to konsole, repeat:

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[gert@localhost ~]$ lpstat -a -l
I assume it will be similar to the last try above.  Immediately after above do following two:

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[gert@localhost ~]$ lpoptions -p Stylus-NX200

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lpoptions -p EPSONStNX200
You should be able to copy paste as I have consructed with your printer ques.  If the names have changed on the ques adjust konsole statement to suit.

Post the result here 

[Howard]

It seems we need to translate!  Here's what I mean:

Install a printer  This is what I do in the PCC; it sets up the system files needed to operate the printer.  This is independent of any application, but makes the printer available for them to use.

Select a printer  This is what I do in an application.  It enables me to choose which of the installed printers (real or imaginary) I want to use on a particular occasion.  It does not become part of the application's software.

Printer driver  The Postscript Printer Description (ppd) file that translates the instructions sent out by the application into a language the printer understands.  This seems to call on other files for some data, and I suspect that this is where our problem occurs.

--------
I have now installed (my interpretation) both versions - it certainly makes it easier to switch between them and I can confirm that the TX version is still OK and the NX one not.

Here are the results of your latest request:
(N.B. had to use quotes as the CLI doesn't like brackets!)

[xxx@xxx howard]# lpoptions -p "Epson-Stylus-NX200(TX)"
auth-info-required=none copies=1 device-uri=usb://EPSON/Stylus%20NX200 finishings=3 job-hold-until=no-hold job-priority=50 job-sheets=none,none marker-change-time=0 number-up=1 printer-commands=AutoConfigure,Clean,PrintSelfTestPage printer-info='Epson Stylus NX200' printer-is-accepting-jobs=true printer-is-shared=true printer-location=acis printer-make-and-model='Epson Stylus TX200 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.7 Simplified' printer-state=3 printer-state-change-time=1317209627 printer-state-reasons=none printer-type=8556556 printer-uri-supported=ipp://localhost:631/printers/Epson-Stylus-NX200(TX)

[xxx@xxx howard]# lpoptions -p Stylus-NX200
auth-info-required=none copies=1 device-uri=usb://EPSON/Stylus%20NX200 finishings=3 job-hold-until=no-hold job-priority=50 job-sheets=none,none marker-change-time=0 number-up=1 printer-commands=AutoConfigure,Clean,PrintSelfTestPage printer-info='EPSON Stylus NX200' printer-is-accepting-jobs=true printer-is-shared=true printer-location=acis printer-make-and-model='Epson Stylus NX200 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.7 Simplified' printer-state=3 printer-state-change-time=1317209573 printer-state-reasons=none printer-type=8425484 printer-uri-supported=ipp://localhost:631/printers/Stylus-NX200

[Howard]

By the way Robert Krawitz himself is looking at the problem on the Gutenprint bugs forum.

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=3411069&group_id=1537&atid=101537

[wedgetail]

Howard
Looks like there may be a solution if the programmers are on to it.  They seem to like verbal descriptions so it may take some time.   The picture confirm what I was starting to suspect, offset in the colorplanes reference. I have never worked on color before at this level, well I don't remember I should say.

Your description of your procedure has helped clarify, I generally do not touch PCC for printers this has let me down previous occasions when trouble shooting.  Though I did look on my LXDE system and decided I am still not going to use it. Too complicated for me as I do not understand the relationship to the ppd files.

Looks like you did change driver/que names.  Took me a little while to figure out what you meant by "quotes" I interpreted this to mean "Insert Quote", the next icon to the "Insert Code" Icon, you meant real quotes  

The result was fine, not as interesting as the next two.

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lpoptions -p Epson-Stylus-NX200(TX) -l

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lpoptions -p Stylus-NX200 -l
That last character in the statement is an l as lower case L in London.

From the results I can compare with the ppd files and see if there is any little difference that might give me a clue.

[Howard]

I meant the quotes here:- "Epson-Stylus-NX200(TX)" won't work without them.

[xxx@xxx howard]# lpoptions -p Stylus-NX200 -l
PageSize/Media Size: A4 *Letter Legal Executive Postcard CD5Inch CD3Inch CDCustom w288h432 w288h432J Statement Custom.WIDTHxHEIGHT
ColorModel/Color Model: Gray Black *RGB CMY CMYK KCMY
MediaType/Media Type: *Plain Postcard GlossyFilm Transparency Envelope BackFilm Matte MatteHeavy Inkjet Coated Photo GlossyPhoto Semigloss Luster GlossyPaper ColorLife Other
StpQuality/Print Quality: None Economy Draft *Standard High Photo HighPhoto UltraPhoto Best
OutputOrder/Output Order: Normal *Reverse
StpiShrinkOutput/Shrink Page If Necessary to Fit Borders: *Shrink Crop Expand
StpFullBleed/Borderless: *False True
StpColorCorrection/Color Correction: *None Accurate Bright Hue Uncorrected Desaturated Threshold Density Raw Predithered
StpBrightness/Brightness: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Custom.REAL
StpContrast/Contrast: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500 3600 3700 3800 3900 4000 Custom.REAL
StpSaturation/Saturation: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500 3600 3700 3800 3900 4000 4100 4200 4300 4400 4500 4600 4700 4800 4900 5000 5100 5200 5300 5400 5500 5600 5700 5800 5900 6000 6100 6200 6300 6400 6500 6600 6700 6800 6900 7000 7100 7200 7300 7400 7500 7600 7700 7800 7900 8000 8100 8200 8300 8400 8500 8600 8700 8800 8900 9000 Custom.REAL
StpImageType/Image Type: None Text Graphics *TextGraphics Photo LineArt

[xxx@xxx howard]# lpoptions -p "Epson-Stylus-NX200(TX)" -l
PageSize/Media Size: A4 *Letter Legal Executive Postcard CD5Inch CD3Inch CDCustom w288h432 w288h432J Statement Custom.WIDTHxHEIGHT
ColorModel/Color Model: Gray Black *RGB CMY CMYK KCMY
MediaType/Media Type: *Plain Postcard GlossyFilm Transparency Envelope BackFilm Matte MatteHeavy Inkjet Coated Photo GlossyPhoto Semigloss Luster GlossyPaper ColorLife Other
StpQuality/Print Quality: None Economy *Draft Standard High Photo HighPhoto UltraPhoto Best
OutputOrder/Output Order: Normal *Reverse
StpiShrinkOutput/Shrink Page If Necessary to Fit Borders: *Shrink Crop Expand
StpFullBleed/Borderless: *False True
StpColorCorrection/Color Correction: *None Accurate Bright Hue Uncorrected Desaturated Threshold Density Raw Predithered
StpBrightness/Brightness: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Custom.REAL
StpContrast/Contrast: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500 3600 3700 3800 3900 4000 Custom.REAL
StpSaturation/Saturation: 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 *None 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500 3600 3700 3800 3900 4000 4100 4200 4300 4400 4500 4600 4700 4800 4900 5000 5100 5200 5300 5400 5500 5600 5700 5800 5900 6000 6100 6200 6300 6400 6500 6600 6700 6800 6900 7000 7100 7200 7300 7400 7500 7600 7700 7800 7900 8000 8100 8200 8300 8400 8500 8600 8700 8800 8900 9000 Custom.REAL
StpImageType/Image Type: None Text Graphics *TextGraphics Photo LineArt

[wedgetail]

Howard
Studying some Gutenprint information about making Epson printer family drivers (not ppd stuff) to see if I can find any hints.

Just to humor me, what happen if you run your test using the "NX200" and set the printing to Draft