Brother HL-2040

DragonM15 · 03-06-2007, 02:12 AM

Ok, firstoff I know I posted this subject before, but I didnt come to any kind of conclusion. I am using Slackware 11.0 and am trying to get my Brother HL-2040 to work. I downloaded the lpr and wrapper drivers from Brothers site. I was told in the previous post that I must install both of them. Starting with the lpr driver and then the wrapper. However when I try to install the lpr driver I get this error:

Code:

        /bin/sh   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        /bin/sh   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        /bin/sh   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        /bin/sh   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        ghostscript is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        libc.so.6   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        libc.so.6(GLIBC_2.0)   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        libc.so.6(GLIBC_2.1)   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        libc.so.6(GLIBC_2.1.3)   is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        rpmlib(CompressedFileNames) <= 3.0.4-1 is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1
        rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) <= 4.0-1 is needed by brhl2040lpr-2.0.0-1

Ok, first off. I have /bin/sh (I don't know why it came up at all, let alone 4 times!
Second, ghostscript. I have this installed as well.
Third, glibc_2.0, 2.1, 2.1.3. I have glibc-2.3.6 so I shouldn't be getting any of these errors.
Finally the last 2 rpmlibs. I have no idea what this means.

If somebody could please shed some light on this issue I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks,
DragonM15

J.W. · 03-07-2007, 10:03 PM

Have you been to the LinuxPrinting.org page for that printer? LinuxPrinting is hands down the best one-stop-shop for all things related to printers under Linux. Good luck with it

DragonM15 · 03-09-2007, 02:24 PM

Ok, that site helped ALOT. So here is what I did. downloaded the ppd into the directory i was told. Then configured CUPS with that file, told it what device to listen to (/dev/usblp0)

HOWEVER. When I go to print, my printer power light flashes once, like it thinking, and then doesnt print anything. So I looked up the Jobs section of the CUPS server it states:

Code:

client-error-not-possible

I looked up on google and ended up with this site:
http://www.cups.org/articles.php?L291+I0+TFAQ+P1+Q

1. I havent dont anything with class names
2. I dont have a class, so i dont have a printer with the same name as the class
3. I set FileDevice Yes in my cupsd.conf so that is not the problem
4. Im not sure what an unknown device URI is
5. Not trying to cancel, restart, or exceed my quota, I am just trying to print a test page
6. I have tried it with root, normal user, still to no avail

Any Ideas?

Thanks,
DragonM15

DragonM15 · 03-09-2007, 04:16 PM

Ok, this is just a little update on the situation. I am going to post my /etc/cups/printers.conf file for you to see. That way you know how I configured it using CUPS.

Code:

<DefaultPrinter BrotherHL2040>
Info Brother
Location /dev/usblp0
DeviceURI usb://Brother/HL-2040%20series
State Idle
Accepting Yes
JobSheets none none
QuotaPeriod 0
PageLimit 0
KLimit 0
</Printer>

I am also currently running CUPS 1.1.23 and am thinking about updating it. Would that possibly fix the issue?

Lemme know what you think. Also, I know my printer is /dev/usblp0 due to dmesg showing:

Code:

usb 2-2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4
usb 2-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 4 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0028

DragonM15

DragonM15 · 03-09-2007, 04:25 PM

Yet Another Update.
I upgraded CUPS to the current stable 1.2.8, however that did not help the problem whatsoever.

gloinson · 03-10-2007, 03:07 PM

I too, was there last night and searched the web, found a blurb that the reason a certain RPM package didn't work with slackware was that it had to be converted first. So I tried it and it worked. I can now print on the brother hl-2040. However, I am now stuck at the next hurdle. When I do a test print the dimensions that print out are A4 not letter, so I'm losing the line or two on a print out.

BTW: this is my first post. I was coming here to ask .... not answer ... strange world.

DragonM15 · 03-10-2007, 06:18 PM

alrighty, I tried rpm2tgz and now when I go to install it with CUPS how do i find the driver for it? I am still only picking up my ppd drivers. Do I have to remove these? How do I get it to pick up the drivers that I just converted from rpm2tgz so that I can use those?

gloinson · 03-11-2007, 12:26 AM

I don't know if this will help as last night is a little hazy right now because during my fiasco I did a cat <textfile> > /dev/usblp0 and I had to reboot and start all over again.
But here is what I remember

1.Of the two packages to install I installed the lpr first then the cups wrapper second.
2.I rebooted and the cups wrapper came up in the localhost:631 screen when I recreated the printer.
3. I never tried going the PPD route.

I eventually just put the printer on the /dev/lp0 port just to make sure I wasn't going crazy. As for the A4 size, I just ordered two reams from staples. If you need snippits of any files let me know.

DragonM15 · 03-11-2007, 04:53 AM

Ok, thanks. I will try that and see how it goes. You are running Slackware correct? I have restarted cups, but I didnt restart the whole computer. Is that completely necessary?

Thanks,
DragonM15

heroineworshipper · 03-20-2007, 10:47 PM

I don't believe the HL2040 can be used under CUPS. A better solution might be to try to drive it from the old, simple lpr service. Then try to build a CUPS configuration tree above that if you really need it.

There was a way to control a printer with a driver under lpr that involved a single file: printcap. The CUPS tree gets confused with the HL2040. Almost like a branch of the configuration files dealing with security is conflicting with another branch of the configuration files dealing with the drivers and you just get client-error-not-authorized below a certain level of the security tree.

gloinson · 03-21-2007, 01:58 PM

I took the printer off the USB since I needed the port for other stuff. I have it connected via the primary parallel port. I have to make case modifications to install my additional USB and I'm a might to lazy right now.

I obtained A4 paper from the STAPLES online store. I am working pretty well except I can't write to the printer from the command line but I have no issues from KDE.

So if you guys want to check any of my settings just tell me what files to post.

Jerry

nafan · 03-21-2007, 06:21 PM

Your best bet would be to forget about the Brother ppd's and filters and use the cups supplied ones. I have one of these printers and it works just fine using the following selection --> Brother HL-2060 Foomatic/hl1250 (recommended)

DragonM15 · 03-21-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nafan

Your best bet would be to forget about the Brother ppd's and filters and use the cups supplied ones. I have one of these printers and it works just fine using the following selection --> Brother HL-2060 Foomatic/hl1250 (recommended)

Ok, how about this.... you give me your cups configuration directory... maybe via ftp.... i get a foomatic error every time I try to print. it activeates the printer just enough to take it out of standby, or to flash the power light once. Then it gives me the foomatic error.

Thanks,
dragonM15

yvesvanbelle · 04-04-2007, 03:58 AM

Hello DragonM15,

The tip to use the hl1250 driver is a good one. I think the problem you have has got to do with a BIOS setting. If your printer is connected by parallel cable, you need to enter your BIOS and search parallelportmode. This you need to change to standard, no ECP, no EPP, the rest is OK. Do not put anything except the parallel cable between your Brother HL-2040 and your PC, no switchbox, no scanner, no zipdrive, nothing.

Best regards,

Yves

DragonM15 · 04-04-2007, 02:15 PM

A news update:
I was recommended to a different operating system (PCLinuxOS) by a friend of mine that had used Slackware for years. He said it was a great operating system, and that if I liked Slackware I would like PCLinuxOS. I went along with his advise and gave it a shot. With PCLinuxOS all I had to do was install the two RPM's in the order given above, and it worked fine. I didn't have a problem with it printing off the page either. Everything works great! Thank all of you for your help and advice!

DragonM15

P.S. I use my HL-2040 via USB, sorry I didn't mention that fact earlier.