Printer Problems: Specific Causes in SuSE Linux 7.1

Support knowledgebase (jsmeix_print-71-spezialprobleme)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Version 7.1
This article refers to an older version of SuSE Linux. Therefore some of the informations given in this article may be outdated or the article may contain stale links.

Index

Print queue names
Photo printing with the stp driver
Settings in /etc/apsfilterrc... files
Incorrect access permissions of the file /etc/printcap
Parallel port and kernel version 2.4.0
Some USB printers require kernel 2.4
Additional parallel ports
The plp print spooler does not start automatically when the system is booted
Some Kyocera printers do not work properly
Following an update, YaST2 is not able to modify the printer configuration

Print queue names

When printers are set up with YaST2, the print queue names uniformly adhere to the following format:
QUEUENAME
QUEUENAME-ascii
QUEUENAME-raw
The QUEUENAME for the default print queue is lp or the name that was assigned for an additional print queue. Thus, the default print queues are now called lp, lp-ascii, and lp-raw, and no longer lp, ascii, and raw.
lpc status
displays the existing print queues.

Photo printing with the stp driver

Symptom

The Ghostscript driver stp, which is especially suitable for photo printing, does not produce acceptable results for all file types.

Cause

When using the Ghostscript driver stp, the preconfigured dithering algorithm "Adaptive Hybrid" does not work for files such as /usr/share/ghostscript/5.50/examples/colorcir.ps or when printing ASCII text files or the YaST2 test pages.

Solution

Since the dithering algorithm "Ordered" also works for these files, please append the following line in the respective /etc/apsfilterrc... file:

GS_FEATURES="-sDither=Ordered"
(See "man gs-stp".)

The corresponding /etc/apsfilterrc... file is
/etc/apsfilterrc.y2prn_QUEUENAME.upp
The QUEUENAME for the default print queue is lp or the name that was assigned to an additional print queue - e.g. "photo" for a special photo print queue. See the Support Database article on installing printers.

Settings in /etc/apsfilterrc... files

Symptom

You had added entries in a /etc/apsfilterrc... file (e.g. according to the above section "Photo printing with the stp Driver"). However, after using YaST2 to make changes in the printer configuration, the entries in the /etc/apsfilterrc... file are gone.

Cause

Whenever the print system is modified, YaST2 overwrites all /etc/apsfilterrc... files with the settings preconfigured in YaST2.

Solution

The former state is saved under /etc/apsfilterrc.y2prn_QUEUENAME.upp.y2save and simply needs to be copied back.

Incorrect access permissions of the file /etc/printcap

Symptom

When you try to print something, you get the following error message:
lpr: cannot open printer description file

Cause

The YaST2 printer configuration does not determine the permissions of the file /etc/printcap independently from the umask of the user who started the YaST2 printer configuration. For example, if the umask is set in such a way that only the owner can read a file, the above-mentioned error message will appear.

Solution

Use the root identity to set the correct access permissions with
chmod u=rw,g=r,o=r /etc/printcap

Parallel port and kernel version 2.4.0

Symptom

You use the SuSE default kernel version 2.4.0; YaST2 is not able to detect any parallel port or any printer connected to the parallel port automatically. (USB printers are not affected.)

Cause

Kernel version 2.4 does not include a kernel module called parport_probe. Therefore, a command such as cat /proc/parport/0/autoprobe would only produce the message file or directory not found.
However,
grep parport /var/log/messages
produces sufficient information. For example,
parport0: PC-style at 0x278 [PCSPP(,...)]
lp0: using parport0 (polling).
implies that the I/O port 278 (hexadecimal) is being used together with the unproblematic polling mode (i.e. no interrupt). The I/O port must match the parallel port setting in the BIOS.

Solution

In the YaST2 printer configuration, select "Parallel printer", ignore the error message indicating that no parallel ports were found, and select "First parallel port (/dev/lp0)". When you press Test, the word Hello should be printed, provided your printer is able to print ASCII text directly. Proceed as usual with the subsequent steps of the YaST2 printer configuration; make sure the test pages are printed properly.

Some USB printers require kernel 2.4

Some USB printers require kernel 2.4 or above to operate properly.
This applies especially to HP DeskJet 8xx printers, e.g. HP DeskJet 895Cxi. HP DeskJet 9xx printers should also work with kernel 2.2.
For more information, check the Support Database article on known problems and specific issues in SuSE Linux 7.1 regarding difficulties with kernel 2.4 and the Support Database article on setting up USB printers, which presents general information on USB printers.

Additional parallel ports

Symptom

You have configured additional parallel ports according to the instructions in the manual chapter dealing with printers or the Support Database article on setting up additional parallel ports. However, YaST2 does not recognize the additional parallel ports, and YaST2 only allows you to select the first parallel port.

Cause

Starting with SuSE Linux 7.1, YaST2 automatically detects the first parallel port at the default I/O ports 378, 278, and 2bc (hexadecimal), but this mechanism is not yet able to handle additional parallel ports. Furthermore, YaST2 loads the kernel modules of the parallel port in such a way that only the first parallel port is functional.

Solution

To configure printers connected to additional parallel ports, use lprsetup instead of YaST2. If you have already launched YaST2, you need to reboot the system or reload the kernel modules for the parallel ports. For more information, check the manual chapter dealing with printers or the Support Database article on setting up additional parallel ports.

The plp print spooler does not start automatically when the system is booted

Cause

When the package plp is installed, the links required for starting the plp print spooler are not created.

Solution

As the user root, use
/sbin/insserv /etc/init.d/lpd
to create suitable links after the installation of plp.

Some Kyocera printers do not work properly

Symptom

The printer prints meaningless character strings.

Cause

Error in the YaST2 printer database.
Background information:
In SuSE Linux 7.1, the Ghostscript drivers for Kyocera printers were entered according to the information provided directly by Kyocera. Thus, the Ghostscript driver lj5gray was assigned to the PCL5e models FS-600, FS-680, and FS-800, but at least model FS-600 only works with the Ghostscript driver ljet4.

Solution

When configuring with YaST2, directly select the Ghostscript driver ljet4:
Configure the printer manually; under "Select manufacturer", select Ghostscript devices, and under "Select model", select ljet4.
If you have already attempted to configure the printer, you should first move the file /etc/printcap away by entering the following command as root:
mv /etc/printcap /etc/printcap.save
Now configure the printer once more.

Following an update, YaST2 is not able to modify the printer configuration

Symptom

Following an update from SuSE Linux 7.0 to SuSE Linux 7.1, you try to modify an existing printer configuration, but YaST2 stops with an error message such as the following:
I have no information on how to manage your printer. Broken database?

Cause

YaST2 is not able to retrieve the old YaST2 configuration data from the directory /etc/gs.upp/ correctly.

Solution

You can't modify the previous configuration; instead, delete it and create a new configuration.


See also:
o Installing a Printer
o Installing a printer since SuSE Linux 6.4 and up to 7.3
o Printing photographs from SuSE Linux 7.1 on up

Keywords: PRINT, PRINTER, SPECIFIC, 71, 7.1, PHOTOPRINTER, 24, KERNEL2.4, PARALLELPORT, LP, ASCII, RAW, USB, KYOCERA

Categories: Frequently asked Questions , Documentation , Printer

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SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 04. Jan 2002 by glazzar (sdb_gen 1.40.0)