I've managed to configure my Linux system to print on an HP Laserjet 6L. I've tried a couple of approaches - using the Printconf-GUI and CUPS. Both methods work for me, but my problem is that I am getting a blank page and a job trailer after each print job.

My first attempt was using Printconf. After setup I looked in the printcap file and made sure there was a "sh:" entry. Test pages print fine, but the blank page and trailer follow each job.

I removed the printer from Printconf and tried CUPS. I made sure the starting and ending banners were set to None, yet I still have the same problem.

My printer is connected to my SMC router which has a print spooler. None of my print jobs from Windoze have this problem, which makes me believe that the problem originates with my Linux configuration.

Any suggestions?

lpr -h instead of lpr?????

I hate to offer another print setup tool, but I've had no problems with printtool if my first suggestion doesn't work.


HTH,
Robert

If you have used CUPS then you have the CUPS configuration server listening on port 631. Point your browers there, select the printer you want, and then in the printer configuration you can disable banner printing.


Regard

I've already tried editing the CUPS printer configuration (port 631). In the printer configuration I've made sure the Starting and Ending banners are set to "none", but these have no effect.

I guess I'm not sure if my problem is a banner - rather it is a trailer that is causing me grief. For example, consider the following scenarios:

I tried turning ON the banners - Starting and Ending, then printing a test page. I get the following pages:

1. A page with a box indicating Job ID, Title, Requesting User, Billing Info and a CUPS logo in bottom left corner: (this is the Starting banner)
2. A blank page
3. A page with LARGE localhost drawn out with a series of small letters, neat the bottom it says lpd:Job trailer and Date:
4. The Printer Test Page
5. A blank page
6. A page (just like page 3) with LARGE localhost drawn out with a series of small letters, neat the bottom it says lpd:Job trailer and Date:
7. A page with a box indicating Job ID, Title, Requesting User, Billing Info and a CUPS logo in bottom left corner: (this is the Ending banner)
8. A blank page
9. A page (just like pages 3 & 6) with LARGE localhost drawn out with a series of small letters, neat the bottom it says lpd:Job trailer and Date:

When I go back to edit the CUPS printer configuration, set the Starting and Ending banners to None, then print a test page I get:

1. Printer test page
2. A blank page
3. A page with LARGE localhost drawn out with a series of small letters, neat the bottom it says lpd:Job trailer and Date:


It is the blank page and job trailer (with LARGE localhost)I am trying to get rid of.

Thanks for any suggestions!

I have exactly the same problem with my SMC Barricade router. The same printcap set up works fine at school (HP LJ/PS) without the annoying trailer. I can also use the printer via the router in Windows without the trailer.

Without the router (direct connect to the computer), the same printcap with only changes to the printer does not print any trailer.

I tried to put in the `sh' option in printcap, but that didn't do anything. I think it has something to do with the SMC router interpreting options sent from lpd incorrectly. I sent an email to SMC a long time ago about this, but have yet to receive any response.

BTW, lprng does not help, either. I guess the next step is to find the sourcecode of lpd and find out exactly what is sent to the router.

--Tak

The problem is not with your distribution. The problem is not with your printing setup utility. The problem is not with your printcap file. So where is the problem?

It is with your SMC Barricade FIRMWARE.

I have had the same problem and I have spent hours with SMC tech support on the 'phone. To no avail. So how do I know? One thing tech support tells you to do is to update your firmware. The latest version (as of today) is V1.41.004 dated 3-18-2002. Accompanying the update is a file "release notes." I have cut and pasted this from it:

2. Pinter server bug fixed
- Change to polling mode from interrupt mode
- To disable CPP_init_printer function
- To add one watchdog at LPR printer function due
to H/W dependency. This will allow
code to be more stable.
- To disable cover page printing setting in
Barricade and allow PC(client) to setup if
user want to print the cover page or not.
- To disable rm_alarm_inti() in printer
configuration module and replaced by watchdog.
barricadebu
..........................

This shows clearly that SMC has been aware of problems with the print server. They claim to have fixed one here. BUT THEY HAVEN'T. and the problem is greater since we get not one extra page, but two even for a one page file. When I cut and pasted this to SMC, I got back a boilerplate email about how to configure printing. It had no relevance to a very detailed email that I sent to them.
In my opinion the excerpt from the release notes clearly shows that printing problems can originate in the firmware of the SMC Barricade Broadband Router SMC7004ABR, and that SMC has been aware of such problems. I, too, have an HP Laserjet 6L. I run Debian 3.0. I have found the same problem in all distributions I have run.

I am interested in everyone's comments. How can we get SMC to accept responsibility for a defect in their product? At this point they do not even admit that the problem could lie in their firmware, at least, not to me.

I've got a LaserJet 4100 hooked up to the Barricade router/print server, and am having the exact same issues. I've used about 5 different linux distributions, and none of them seeme to work. I was slightly relieved to know it wasn't my fault I was wasting 2 sheets of paper every time I print, but it's rather annoying knowing that it is not fixed. I will most likely send an e-mail to SMC in hopes that they will eventually get annoyed and decide to fix the problem. Unfortuetly, however, I am probably of no use to you in terms of fixing the problem, but I have used a Canon S600 with my computer and connected it directly (via USB) to the computer, which prints fine, but the laserjet running through the barricade always prints that extra page. One very roundabout way I got around it (although it didn't work consistantly) was that I setup a Samba print server with my windows machine, and told my windows machine to share the LaserJet printer (it prints fine w/ windows, by the way). So, when i printed to the laserjet through my windows machine, it did work (just not consistantly). Anyway, anyone else who has anything useful to say on this matter, please post something!

A Bay Area Wireless group has started an OpenAP project in which they reflash some access point products with a full Linux installation. This seems to work for all products based on a particular OEM ARM-based board. The Barricade probably doesn't use the same OEM board because it also has the printer port and serial port.

Has anyone opened the case and identify the OEM part in it? Perhaps we can contact the OpenAP people to help port Linux to the Barricade products.

I have finally given up and just connect the printer to my notebook whenever I need it...

After compiling several different printing options (lpqng, pdq, and cups) and spending over a week on this I am gald to see I am not the only one. I really don't know what to do other than to be vocal. I sent an email tonight to SMC and I will keep following up on it. (I am also going to try and get several people from the office to submit an email to gain extra voice). If anyone else can think of something else that would be more helpful let me know; I'm in. Until then I guess I just waste a sheet of paper and print on the backs.

In this thread I've seen some suggestions on what to do to make the trailing pages stop, but they have not worked for me.

I'm very curious as to whether ANYONE has gotten the trailing pages to stop appearing using any setup. So far it sounds like every single user who is printing through lpr to an SMC Barricade is wasting two pages per printout with the blank page and the "job trailer" page.

I've written to SMC tech support, and they suggested the following, which did not work for me. I've tested on Mac OS X 10.2.1 as well as Linux (Red Hat 7.1).

--- from SMC tech support ---
For eg: On a SunOS box you would use the following:
lpr -P<printername> -h <filename>

Enter -o nobanner with the command line for printing lpr -P<printername>

-o nobanner <filename> note: -o is the letter "O"
--- end snippet ---


Perhaps all of the satisfied users who got it to work properly have stopped reading this thread, or maybe we all gave up and started using our Linux boxes to do the print serving. I'd just like to hear from anyone who has seen it do the right thing so that we can know if it is possible at all to do with the existing firmware. If that is the case, then we can figure out the right combination of printcap and/or lpr params.

I don't know if you have seen my post or not, but it seems to me that this will not be satisfactorily resolved until SMC fixes the firmware. The question is: how do we get SMC to do that? How can we apply pressure?. Don't take my word for the origin of the bug. Update your firmware then look in the included files. You'll see a reference to the printing of unwanted pages. It says that it has been fixed, but it hasn't. They have been unresponsive to my emails.

Like the other posters to this thread, I had racked my brain trying to find out what I did wrong to keep getting the extra pages. I am relieved and irritated to find that it was SMC's fault all along. I wrote them a letter explaining my difficulties and giving this thread's address, so let's hope they pay attention. I urge the other posters (and any lurkers) to this forum to write as well since that is likely the only way to get any action.

Let's play hardball.
first, here is a url of the smc site that asks for your feedback about their technical support.
http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=tech_support_info
Let's all go to this site and tell them of our dissatisfaction with their technical support AND our disapproval of the fact that they do not accept responsibiliy for an imperfection in their firmwarel Make sure you have the latest edition of the firmware,
That won't do any good, but it needs to be documented that we tried.
NOW
I live in San Diego. Does anyone of us live in Orange County? or nearer Irvine, CA? If not, this coming week I shall drive up to 38 Tesla, Irvine, CA 92618 and, unannounced, ask to see the president of the company. I have ascertained that this is where their offices are. Their telephone is 949-679-800. Enter just that number into Google and see what comes up.I plan to take with me a cd of a linux distribution that takes less than ten munutes to install. It should be quite easy tgo demonstrate the problem. If anyone of you lives closer than I and is willing to go, fine. I'd just as soon not make the hour and a half drive. If no volunteers, I'll do it and report my experience here. Please let me know what you think of the idea.

I too just want to announce that i have the SMC7004ABRW with latest firmware and spent the last 4 hours trying to figure out why this happens on my unix/mac boxes and not windoze.

Finally got cups to print from jaguar to my non-postscript printer, and while being excited realized i was wasting 2 sheets of paper per print job.

I will most certainly write complaints on the SMC tech site. Good luck going to the SMC Headquarters, i hope that works out.

So whats the best way to apply pressure for an unexcusable bug that they lied about fixing ?

Update
On 11/13/02 I drove up to SMC and spoke with the Technical Support Supervisor. She listened attentively and told me that she saw the problem and would speak with the parties who could address it. She pointed out that the section in the release notes whiich referred to an unwanted banner page may have referred to one of the windozes after 98. Apparently one or more of them uses the term LPR. Nevertheless she agreed that the firmware was the most likely origin of the problem, and she agreed that there was a problem which required attention from SMC. I expect to hear from her. When I do, I shall report that here.