how can I install a printer on the parallel port? the printer is a Epson LX-2170.

atvidal · 05-14-2010, 11:15 AM

My Operating system is Ubuntu 10-4 that I have just installed. any help is appreciated. I do not know the first thing about linux.
regards, Andres

pixellany · 05-14-2010, 11:31 AM

welcome to LQ!!

Ubuntu will have a printing manager somewhere, but I always recommend using the CUPS interface directly----simply enter "localhost:631" in a browser.

Plug in the printer an turn it on.

Select "Add Printer" and your printer should be detected automatically. Some quick checking suggests you will want the driver called "epson 9-pin series".

If the driver is not there, then check the Epson "avasys" site, or check here: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/colla...s/openprinting

HasC · 05-14-2010, 11:48 AM

I have the same model of printer at work.

The IBM PrinterProII PPD works best for it. You can get it here.

fruttenboel · 05-14-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atvidal

My Operating system is Ubuntu 10-4 that I have just installed. any help is appreciated. I do not know the first thing about linux.
regards, Andres

First consult http://www.openprinting.org/printers and find your printer. To find out that it is not listed....

That's a bad start. But if the IBM ProPrinter II works in the same way: http://www.openprinting.org/printer/...M-ProPrinterII tells that there are no problems whatsoever.

Anyway: to install ANY printer, just use CUPS. Open a webbrowser with the URL: http://localhost:631/ and follow the instructions for 'Add printer'. Works great for me.

atvidal · 05-15-2010, 06:12 PM

First, thank you all for such a quick response. used the system, administration, printers and there selected the IBM then the PrinterProII as per above instructions. this installed the printer as parallel:/dev/lp0. Tried to print a test page, and nada, Zip.
what next?
I thank you all in advance, Andres

fruttenboel · 05-16-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atvidal

First, thank you all for such a quick response. used the system, administration, printers and there selected the IBM then the PrinterProII as per above instructions. this installed the printer as parallel:/dev/lp0. Tried to print a test page, and nada, Zip.
what next?
I thank you all in advance, Andres

Just snap yourself a cheap print server like this one http://fruttenboel.verhoeven272.nl/net/printsrv.html and you're home free.

Other options:

- is your printer connected to lp0?
- is the address of lp0 standard?

Read this http://fruttenboel.verhoeven272.nl/mocka/findport.html to get some clues for finding the I/O address. Perhaps I should make the findPort command available for download.

Is your cable connected?
Is the printer online?
Is the cartridge full?
Does the printer print the stand alone printer test page?

in a terminal try this:

cat /proc/ioports | grep lp

and see which ports are active and at what address.

atvidal · 05-25-2010, 02:01 AM

The print server did the trick. Thank you all for the quick response.
Do not go too far away, As I might need your help again. Now on to the quest... To check this system out...
Regards, Andres