CUPS stopped working after update; PPD file not compatible, cannot update

twoprop · 03-11-2017, 09:06 PM

A few months ago, after updating a machine running Arch Linux, I found I can no longer print to my Epson Workforce 1100 printer (print jobs hang indefinitely). Digging through the logs yields this:

"The PPD version (5.2.11) is not compatible with Gutenprint 5.2.12. Please run `/usr/bin/cups-genppdupdate\' as administrator."

Cool, except that running /usr/bin/cups-genppdupdate (as root) just says:

"Unable to retrieve PPD file for /etc/cups/ppd/WorkForce1100.ppd!"

I've tried many searches and haven't found an appropriate .ppd file. There are a lot of posts from 6-8 years ago with the same problem, but the solutions don't apply. Mostly they suggest copying /etc/cups/cupsd.conf.default to /etc/cups/cupsd.conf, but the two files are already identical. Or they suggest downloading the latest .ppd file, but with no suggestion as to where that might be found. The Gutenprint site lists the Workforce 1100 as compatible, but doesn't offer any new PPD file. I even tried a working .ppd file from a Darwin install, but that failed with file/path errors.

Is there some way to get the appropriate PPD file? Or a way to back out the Gutenprint update so my existing PPD file will work?

Many thanks...

--2p

Edit: lpinfo -m yields (among many others):
gutenprint.5.2://escp2-wf1100/expert Epson WorkForce 1100 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.12

Edit #2: I've worked around the problem by simply editing the version number where it appears in the .ppd file. This isn't really a solution, though, as it will break with each new Gutenprint update and otherwise seems risky, at best.

ferrari · 03-11-2017, 09:43 PM

Just to ask the obvious question - Do you have the appropriate version 'foomatic-db-gutenprint-ppds' package installed?

https://www.archlinux.org/packages/e...nt-ppds/files/

Code:

man cups-genppdupdate

mentions

Code:

 cups-genppdupdate   regenerates   the   Gutenprint   PPD  files  in  use  by  CUPS,  using  the  PPD  files  under
       /usr/share/cups/model/gutenprint as templates.  The new PPD file replaces the old PPD  file  under  /etc/cups/ppd,
       but  all the options set in the old PPD will be merged into the new PPD, provided that they are still valid in the
       new file.

       If no files or queue names are specified, cups-genppdupdate updates all Gutenprint  PPD  files  in  /etc/cups/ppd.
       Otherwise, cups-genppdupdate updates all files or queues listed on the command line.

       cups-genppdupdate does not update PPD files from Gimp-Print 4.2 or earlier.

       cups-genppdupdate does not restart cupsd.  cupsd will need manually reloading (or send SIGHUP) once cups-genppdup-
       date has completed.

ferrari · 03-11-2017, 10:24 PM

I missed your edits....

Quote:

Edit: lpinfo -m yields (among many others):
gutenprint.5.2://escp2-wf1100/expert Epson WorkForce 1100 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.12

Edit #2: I've worked around the problem by simply editing the version number where it appears in the .ppd file. This isn't really a solution, though, as it will break with each new Gutenprint update and otherwise seems risky, at best.

That sounds like a mistake with the PPD packaging then. You should report it to the appropriate package maintainers for your distro. FWIW, I'm using gutenprint-5.2.12 (openSUSE Leap 42.2), and the included stp-escp2-wf1100.5.2.ppd.gz contains

Code:

*FileVersion:	"5.2.12"

twoprop · 03-12-2017, 12:50 AM

Thanks. I'll triple-check the foomatic-db-gutenprint-ppds install, but it does look as though it's just missing from the package.

I appreciate the help.