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j.drake
07-15-2003, 03:41 PM
How do I get Knoppix to recognize my printers? I have an Epson Stylus C40UX inkjet and a Brother MFC-6800 all-in-one connected via USB cables. Neither Epson nor Brother websites list a Linux version of their drivers. Am I missing something silly here? :?:

Stephen
07-15-2003, 06:21 PM
How do I get Knoppix to recognize my printers? I have an Epson Stylus C40UX inkjet and a Brother MFC-6800 all-in-one connected via USB cables. Neither Epson nor Brother websites list a Linux version of their drivers. Am I missing something silly here? :?:

According to the TLDP printer (http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/printers.html) how-to your Epson works perfectly I see no mention of the Brother though. Have you actually tried to configure the printer through the Control Center -> Pheripherals -> Printers and adding a new printer you can also do this by using the URL http://localhost:631/ in your favorite browser.

j.drake
07-15-2003, 11:45 PM
Yes, I tried the print manager. I started the add printer wizard, and was confronted with two options. The first is "Add Printer/Class", the second is "Add Special (pseudo) printer". I'm not sure whether anyone else thinks my printers are special or not, but they seem pretty ordinary to me, so I chose Option 1. Then I clicked the Next button. Then I got to a Back Section menu, but all the choices were grayed out. So, I went back to Option 2, and this appeared to be addressed to the idea of network printers.

BTW, when I got into the print manager via Control Center -> peripherals -> printers, an error box popped up, saying that it was unable to retrieve the printer list, that the connection to the CUPS server failed, and advising me to make sure that the CUPS server was correctly installed and running. ********** I have no idea what they are talking about *********** I did notice that there was a drop box in the lower right corner of the print manager screen, set to CUPS. I read through the alternatives, and saw nothing that made sense to me.

What is a CUPS server, and how do I get one, or do I even need it? It may well be that my Epson works fine, but I just need to know how to configure Knoppix to recognize it. Being a Windows person, I assumed that this involved installing a printer driver.

*******

OK, so I tried again, looking for something that involves setting up a CUPS server. The only thing I found was one of the centermost buttons of the print manager (sorry, I'm back in Windows XP, so I'm going by memory). Anyway, it said I needed Administrative privileges, so I clicked the Administrator mode button, and it said I needed root level privileges, and asked for my root level password. Does anyone know what I need to type in? I haven't set up any passwords. Isn't all of this supposed to be built in?

j.drake
07-16-2003, 08:14 PM
So, can anyone tell me how to set up CUPS?

Stephen
07-17-2003, 01:28 AM
You are trying to set this up from the CD then you will have to set the password for root by opening a console and sudo passwd then enter the password you want then you should be able to go through the configuration. Sorry for the late reply I was having trouble with accessing the site through the view posts since last visit yesterday and just noticed your post to this in my e-mail.

j.drake
07-17-2003, 05:01 PM
OK, I got that far. But the choices are still grayed out in the printer setup wizard. I've gotten as far as being able to get to an administrator screen with my root password (Thank you, BTW), but I can't get any further. Any ideas?

Edwin
07-17-2003, 05:43 PM
OK, I got that far. But the choices are still grayed out in the printer setup wizard. I've gotten as far as being able to get to an administrator screen with my root password (Thank you, BTW), but I can't get any further. Any ideas?

You probably will have to start the printserver (cups) manually. It's a reported bug in the CD-version. Just type 'cupsd' in the console after changing your root-password. Go to the printer setup and see what happens now.

- - Edwin

j.drake
07-18-2003, 04:07 PM
The result is that the console comes back with something about "child" and, I think, "result 1!" or "error 1!", or something like that. But no progress.

So, if I have an inkjet and a laser, and both are connected to USB ports, and if I ever get this to work right, will Knoppix figure out which printer is which (like plug n play)?

Stephen
07-18-2003, 05:25 PM
The result is that the console comes back with something about "child" and, I think, "result 1!" or "error 1!", or something like that. But no progress.

So, if I have an inkjet and a laser, and both are connected to USB ports, and if I ever get this to work right, will Knoppix figure out which printer is which (like plug n play)?

Try sudo /etc/init.d/cupsys restart to restart the daemon also the printers will show up on their seperate usb buses if you would like to check then in a console window dmesg | grep usb which should give you a list of lines with usb in them in the boot messages.

j.drake
07-19-2003, 03:39 AM
Well, Stephen, it looked really promising for a while. The restart command worked and I was able to get it to start accepting information on the printer. It found the Epson on the USB port, and recognized the model. I gave the printer a name and clicked test page when it presented the opportunity. An error box came up: Error KDE Control Module - Unable to create temporary printer.

Then, I kept plowing through the wizard until I got another error box: Error KDE Control Module - Unable to create printer.
Error message received from manager: server - error - internal - error

This is the closest I've gotten yet. Any other ideas?

BTW, I got nowhere with the Brother laser MFC.

Stephen
07-20-2003, 06:43 AM
I noticed a couple of threads KDE seems to be having problems with CUPS it looks like printing is broken. I think I am out of ideas at this time I recently got a new to me printer and set it up and it is happening on the HD install also, if I get it worked out I will definetly post the solution.

A. Jorge Garcia
07-23-2003, 05:02 PM
Hi Stephen,

You wouldn't be refering to the following thread, would you???

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3592

ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Frustrated,

Stephen
07-23-2003, 06:55 PM
Hi Stephen,

You wouldn't be refering to the following thread, would you???

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3592

ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Frustrated,

Yes I would there seems to be some strange CUPS/KDE behavior going on. I did an install of Bonzai linux (https://developer.berlios.de/projects/bonzai/) the other night but have yet to setup CUPS hopefully I get to it today and see if this happens with it or if this is just specific to knoppix I'll post back and let you know.

Stephen
07-24-2003, 04:38 AM
I got a chance to set up CUPS on the Bonzai linux and it works even was going to print in color if the cartridge wasn't nearly dead it would have given me full color so I would say there is a problem with knoppix KDE/CUPS going on somewhere in the setup. The printing works from Kate and Kword no problem except for the ugly default font since changed have not had the chance to play with it anymore than that yet so CUPS will work with KDE applications as long as it is setup properly.

A. Jorge Garcia
07-25-2003, 03:08 PM
Hi J:

I thought you were having at least some success setting up CUPS after seeing all the trash I went through in my thread: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3592

I've been rereading this thread and am surprised by your needing a root passwd. I never needed a root passwd ever! I never set one up in KNOPPIX! I either used http://localhost:631 from KONQUEROR or <K><KNOPPIX><CONFIGURE><CONFIGURE PRINTER(S)> to set up CUPS.

Edwin
07-25-2003, 04:29 PM
I got a chance to set up CUPS on the Bonzai linux and it works even was going to print in color if the cartridge wasn't nearly dead it would have given me full color so I would say there is a problem with knoppix KDE/CUPS going on somewhere in the setup.


I wonder: can you print, on _that_ machine, on _that_ printer from Knoppix?

- - Edwin

j.drake
07-25-2003, 05:10 PM
I never needed a root passwd ever! I never set one up in KNOPPIX! I either used http://localhost:631 from KONQUEROR or <K><KNOPPIX><CONFIGURE><CONFIGURE PRINTER(S)> to set up CUPS.

I tried that early on with no success. I see no reason why I would need a root password either. Please bear in mind that I am really, really new to Knoppix and Linux. So, it is entirely possible that I am missing something stupid. Basically, these are the same printers I use with WinXP, hooked onto an HP Pavilion Athlon-equipped machine via USB cables. Knoppix is the 06-06-03 release.

Stephen
07-25-2003, 07:17 PM
I wonder: can you print, on _that_ machine, on _that_ printer from Knoppix?

- - Edwin

Have not tried that yet but I am going to give it a try from the CD and I may throw a spare HD in and do an install to check that as well I will post back when I get the chance to give it a try.

j.drake
07-28-2003, 02:37 PM
I never needed a root passwd ever! I never set one up in KNOPPIX! I either used http://localhost:631 from KONQUEROR or <K><KNOPPIX><CONFIGURE><CONFIGURE PRINTER(S)> to set up CUPS.

I tried that early on with no success. I see no reason why I would need a root password either. Please bear in mind that I am really, really new to Knoppix and Linux. So, it is entirely possible that I am missing something stupid. Basically, these are the same printers I use with WinXP, hooked onto an HP Pavilion Athlon-equipped machine via USB cables. Knoppix is the 06-06-03 release.

Gotta' eat my words. It worked this time, and I got my test page on the Epson. Actually, before I was going from the shell -> peripherals -> printers -> printer setup, when I was having problems. I was still having problems last night, so I printed out both of the printer problem threads (this one and Jorge's), and noticed that this method was slightly different. Apparently, going through the K menu made all the difference. Don't know why, but it was easy.

Thanks to all for your help.

A. Jorge Garcia
07-28-2003, 03:55 PM
Alleluia, Alleluia, etc (to the tune of harps and Beethoven).

Thank God, I knew we had to be missing something simple!

Happy printing,

Edwin
07-28-2003, 08:35 PM
Great news!

As to your Brother, you could ask at http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/thread.php3?name=linuxprinting.brother.general if someone knows what driver to use. There is also a KDE-printing mailinglist. You can subscribe at http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-print/. Or just try one of the other MFC-models from the list. Could just work.

Happy printing.

- - Edwin

A. Jorge Garcia
07-28-2003, 11:21 PM
arrggghhhh!!!!

EDIT: OOPS, I thought you were referring to my Brother typewritter....

j.drake
07-29-2003, 03:35 PM
As to your Brother, you could ask at http://www.linuxprinting.org/newsportal/thread.php3?name=linuxprinting.brother.general if someone knows what driver to use.

Wow! Thanks, Edwin. There's nothing good for this all-in-one, I'm afraid. The page you linked to reported some success with printing, using the hl7x0 driver, which I downloaded, but apparently there is no known way to exploit the multifunction capabilities of the device, and it does not appear to be an issue of concern to Brother, either. Worse yet, it appears that they are unwilling to share information which would allow someone else to create it.

This isn't surprising to me. Brother took its sweet time releasing WinXP drivers, and gave very patchy support to the idea of adapting Win2K drivers for XP - the fix involved several pages of documentation, a goodly amount of registry editing, and a whole lot of other user-unfriendly manipulation, just to get the d*mn thing to print. Once they finally released XP drivers, I had to undo all of the Win2K patches and reinstall, only to find out that the bundled software and utilities packages wouldn't work. This, despite the fact that Brother was still selling the device in mainstream office supply stores, but now had the temerity to slap big, loud, WinXP Compatible stickers on the outside. It did not impress me.

It's really a shame, because the unit itself has a lot of potential, and really seemed to pack a lot of value into a small package. IOW, the mechanical design and concept were good, but the software support sucked, IMO. Anyway, my point is that if they don't care enough to deliver full functionality to the OS that's bundled with 90-something percent of new PC's, I really shouldn't expect them to move two inches towards supporting Linux. Sad. :cry:

Edwin
07-29-2003, 10:12 PM
This isn't surprising to me. Brother took its sweet time releasing WinXP drivers, and gave very patchy support to the idea of adapting Win2K drivers for XP


Brother wasn't the only one, if that is any comfort to you. What is bugging me is that they can get away with this attitude.

"We said it would work. You bought the device. If it doesn't work it's your problem.". "OK, to stop the flood of emails and phone-calls that disturb our lunch we have a fix. Our parrot just finished translating it from Japanese into English. Here it is. Now it is your problem again." "And oh do you want to recieve updates on future product-releases? Have a nice day"

Slightly related: a Dutch consumer-organisation did a test of several inkjet-printers recently. All inkjets display a warning if the cartridge is nearly empty. On most printers you can ignore that message and print a few more pages. Not on Epson printers. The techies discovered a chip that simply disables printing after that warning. They then bypassed that chip and discovered that you could get another 10 to 15 percent more pages from a cartridge.

An Espson spokesperson said it was not true. A day later they said it was to protect the printnozzels. Another day later they issued a statement that they were talking with the consumer-organisation and were "declining any further comment'

If your Dutch is up to par, let me know and I'll post the link. The testreport is not available in English.

Regards,

- - Edwin

j.drake
07-30-2003, 12:03 AM
If your Dutch is up to par, let me know and I'll post the link. The testreport is not available in English.

I am hopelessly inadequate to the task of translating Dutch. :oops: I am from Texas (USA), but wife is of Dutch heritage, and remembers the elders speaking it in her home (her grandparents emigrated from Friesland). Much as we try to preserve the heritage for our daughter (e.g., we celebrate Sinterklaasdag, and bake speculaas and boterkoek), neither of us speak the language. In fact, offhand, all I can remember from the beginning language tape is "Waar kon ik een viets vinden?", which isn't of great assistance to me in diagnosing a printer problem. :wink: Maybe - Waar kon ik een druker instellen???

alangeev
11-21-2003, 10:50 AM
I know this is an old post but I have a similar problem in knoppix 3.3 using a epson stylus c43ux printer. It works almost perfectly in 3.2 when configured as a cx41ux but there apears to be no foomatic driver in 3.3.Otherwise the printer wizard in 3.3 is very easy to use Its just that my range of printers isnt there