[SOLVED] Get printer going again

Pedroski · 11-05-2017, 12:31 AM

When I am printing, if the print job is interrupted for some reason, or like now, just does not start, how can I get the printer going again? Lately this is happening a lot.

I have 2 printers at home, an Epson L350 and an HP cp1025. I can see the job in the print queue. It says 'pending'. For some reason the printer is not starting.

The only method I have found to get it going again is to reboot the computer. Then the print job starts even before I have a log in screen.

Short of rebooting, how can I get a print job going again? Soemthing from the command line maybe?

ferrari · 11-05-2017, 01:39 AM

Get the printer status from

Code:

lpstat -t

then using the applicable printer name do

Code:

sudo cupsenable <printer_name>

Pedroski · 11-05-2017, 01:45 AM

Thanks, but that did not work.

To force the issue, I started a 40 page print job, switched the printer off halfway through the first page. It chucks the page it is printing out and stops. I turn it on again, the print job is still there in the queue, 'pending', but nothing gets printed.

Quote:

sudo cupsenable EPSON-L350-Series

does not get it going.

Also, if I now delete that print job from the queue and send it another job, like my name written in Libre Office, that next job does not get printed. The printer needs to be reset somehow. A reboot does that.

Do you have any other commands short of sudo shutdown -r now?

Shadow_7 · 11-05-2017, 03:20 AM

$ sudo systemctl stop cups
$ sudo systemctl stop cups-browsed
$ sudo systemctl stop exim4

then

$ sudo systemctl start exim4
$ sudo systemctl start cups
$ sudo systemctl start cups-browsed

Cups uses email for "job" management. Although mostly only needed if you have a print server thing going on. Otherwise check your cables if it's wired to the computer somehow. Or check the printer for blinky lights. Paper jam, low ink, or other I'm ignoring you status things for printers these days. Is the drive full or > 90% full? That could prevent jobs or emails from generating, and it works on reboot because /tmp/ clears out enough space for a short bit of life.

Pedroski · 11-05-2017, 05:29 AM

Thank you very much. After sudo systemctl start cups the printer printed the job in the queue!! Next time, I will just try stop cups/ start cups see how that goes. Must be quicker than a reboot!

Quote:

pedro@pedro-school:~$ sudo systemctl stop cups
[sudo] password for pedro:
Warning: Stopping cups.service, but it can still be activated by:
cups.path
cups.socket
pedro@pedro-school:~$ sudo systemctl stop cups-browsed
pedro@pedro-school:~$ sudo systemctl stop exim4
Failed to stop exim4.service: Unit exim4.service not loaded.
pedro@pedro-school:~$ sudo systemctl start exim4
Failed to start exim4.service: Unit exim4.service not found.
pedro@pedro-school:~$ sudo systemctl start cups
pedro@pedro-school:~$

DavidMcCann · 11-05-2017, 12:21 PM

Don't forget that you can talk to CUPS without using the command line: just start your browser and enter the url
http://127.0.0.1:631/

Pedroski · 11-05-2017, 04:47 PM

I could restart a stopped printer there?

ferrari · 11-06-2017, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Thanks, but that did not work.

To force the issue, I started a 40 page print job, switched the printer off halfway through the first page. It chucks the page it is printing out and stops. I turn it on again, the print job is still there in the queue, 'pending', but nothing gets printed.

That's likely because you didn't cancel the print job(s). That can be done from the CUPS web interface, or from a terminal with

Code:

cancel -a