Printer Configuration
 

Well I had made a post about how I could not get my HP DeskJet3820 to work. People assumed that I wanted to use CUPS but I don't care what I use as long as it works. I've tried using the Red Hat Printer Config tool but it does not work. Here is what I am doing through the setup:

1. I click on NewPrinter and it asks for a queue name. I type in "HP" for the Queue Name and select "Local Printer" for queue type.

2. The next screen, which is the "Configure A Local Printer" screen, does not show any Devices or Models in the list so I click on "Custom Device" and specify the device to use as "HP".

3. The next screen asks for the printer driver, which I have installed, so I scroll down and select the "hpijs-rss(*)" driver which is the correct driver for the HP3820.

4. Then I click apply.

5. At the next screen I click on the "Test" option and try to print an ASCII Test Page. It prompts me to save changes so I accept the changes and then it says "lpd restarted". Then it gives a message saying "There was an error trying to print the test page."

This message is a little vague so it doesn't point me in a direction to do some troubleshooting.

I've read page after page at linuxprinting.org and it hasn't helped a bit. Anybody know what I am doing wrong or how I can troubleshoot this?

I still haven't found a solution for this. Anybody had the same problem?

Tried CUPS?
 

All I can offer is that you should try CUPS. Works great for me. I can help you with CUPS but not lpd

Well I don't know the first thing about CUPS. Point me in a direction.

when i run the red hat printer configuration, it always shows /dev/lp0 as the device (that's the number zero). i don't know why it doesn't show some kind of device for you though. try putting that in for custom device as i'm pretty sure, that linux doesn't not know what device an hp is. and are you sure, that it's a local printer you want? you're not trying to share the printer that's hooked into a windows box, are you?

I used /dev/lp0 as a custom device and I still get an error message. And yes, I'm sure the pritner is not hooked up to a windoze box. I don't care how it works I just want to be able to print from Linux.

Run Packages from your KDE or Gnome start menu. Go to System, Printing Support, and check the box for CUPS. Install should be pretty straight forward from there. Once that is installed, go to http://localhost:631 in your favorite browser. Install once again, should be pretty easy from there. I haven't figured out how to install my printer in Mozilla but anything in KDE or Konqueror prints perfectly. I have an unanswered post on this site asking that question but no one here prints from Mozilla I guess. Sorry it took so long to answer but keep me posted and we'll muddle through this. You are sure this printer is supported in Linux?

http://localhost:631 gets a Forbidden error message

Try running /etc/init.d/cups restart If that doesn't work, try going to the KDE Printing Manager.

This is what I get when I restart cups and go to http://localhost:631

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access the resource on this server.

Do I have to edit cupsd.conf. I just took a look at this file and there are a bunch of options that I can quite figure out so rather then screw everything up, I'll just leave them at the default settings for now. Why do I get a Forbidden error when I try to access CUPS? Must be something in the conf file right?

Okay I've finally gotten access to http://localhost:631. Where can I find a tutorial on how to set this thing up. My printer is hooked up with the standard printer connection. (I'm pretty sure its called the parrallel port: I'm drawing a complete blank) Where to go from here?

If it's connected via a standard printer port, I would use parallel port. Click Manage Printers, Add Printers. Googling at this point would be very fruitful. I always use the KDE printing manager or http://localhost:631

I got to Manage Printers, Add Printers. It asks for
Name:
Location:
Description:

What do I put in for Name and Location?

Name: anything you want to name the printer. I named my Laserjet "Laserjet"
Location: I usually leave it blank
Description: I usually leave it blank

Don't forget if you get stuck to Google for something like "setup cups".
Here's one of the results from that search:
http://www.cups.org/links.php?P3

Bax, I appreciate all your help. Now it asks for Device. What now?

Hi,
I had loads of problems getting my 3820 to work as well, I have it connected on the usb port.
/dev/usb/lp0

if your printer connected to the usb port?

No. Connected through parallel port.

Oh,
I'm new to linux, but would the list of modules that my computer is loading be any use to you? Or the driver settings that I picked? I used linuxprinting.org to generate a ppd file (I think its a ppd file). Or anything else?

Where did you put the ppd file?

Hi,
Thats a good question, I used YaST2 which is the SuSE installer. So it was an option, use ppd file. I don't know what it did with it.

I know you tried http://localhost:631, but I thought it had /admin on the end (http://localhost:631/admin), does that make a difference?

One thing I will say is that I endded up reinstaling SuSE because the install was nackard by acpi being enabled while it was being installed. This nackard usb, SCSI and loads of other stuff (probably my printer as well). So I reinstalled with acpi=off as a kernel-parameter and it all works properly now.

Sniff

just tried it, the only link that worked was:
http://localhost:631/
odd....

http://localhost:631/ works and it brings up the CUPS page. I go through the "Add a Printer" process but it does not work. What did you put when it asks you for a "Device" eg. SerialPort#1,SerialPort#2...

Er... My device was:
/dev/usb/lp0

I gues that if yours is the only printer on the computer and is on the parallel port then is will probably be:
/dev/lp0

Sniff

hmm... Well it gives you a bunch of options like

AppSocket/HP JetDirect
Internet Printing Protocol (http)
Internet Printing Protocol (ipp)
etc.

If I just choose AppSocket/HP JetDirect and type in /dev/lp0 it doesn't work. I've been hearing all this talk about a ppd file. Am I missing something with this?

You should have an option for parallel port 1. I believe I mentioned earlier to check and see if you printer is supported in Linux/CUPS. If CUPs doesn't have the printer listed, do a little Googling. See if ANYBODY has gotten this printer to work in Linux. A .ppd file is somehwat like a Windows driver. Seriously, if you Google a bit, good things will happen. I'm not trying to tell you to RTFM but Googling should solve your problem.

Well I don't have an option for a parallel port 1 so I guess this is a hardware issue. I'll google a little bit for an explanation.

CUPS has the printer driver listed but I don't get the option for parallel port 1.

Okay I've made a significant accomplishment towards getting my printer working. I found a post, while Googling(Thanks bax), that said this problem could be in the BIOS. I rebooted and changed the BIOS settings from Let OS detect Peripherals to Define Parallel Port as LPT1. I reboot and KUDZU comes up and says new hardware found HPDeskJet 3820. WoooHoooo! Everythings cool right? Wrong. It still doesn't work. CUPS know has the option to use Parallel Port #1 so I use that but it still doesn't print anything. I also used the Printing tool and it detected the printer as well but when I go to print a test page it says:

There was an error printing the test page

Arggggg....

Crashed_Again:
you said that you solved your problem with http://localhost:631
you got forbidden access or something and then you fixed it and got into CUPS. What did you do to fix this problem?

I , too cannot configure CUPS because I can't access port 631 on the local host. I think it is a network problem but my network settings seem okay when I check them (ifconfig eth0 and such ) but I am not sure if I would really know if a setting was wrong with my network.

I figured it out for future people reading this thread here is a long summary:
a) edit the first line of /etc/hosts to contain:
>127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
b) restart the network services type at a prompt
>service network restart
c) go to your KDE kicker (or your gnome point and click stuff) and choose CUPS printer configuration or open a browser and type
http://localhost:631/

Redhat 7.3 and 8.0 did not ship CUPS in the latest form and it may not be running and/or installed on your machine. So, you may need to update some stuff - but that's okay because there is a great point and click way to do this open a shell and type up2date. you may first need to register with redhat up2date service which is easy to do. Then run up2date and make sure you check to include the latest cups stuff. as an aside it is good to run up2date occasionally anyway.

1. Install cups (by rpm, up2date, or point and clicking)
2. Start cups server (point and clicking, or check for cupsd running
type: "service --status-all" at a prompt)
3. Open browser, http://127.0.0.1:631/
4. Select "Administration" & enter root and root password
5. Select "Add printer" entering info in Name (the only important one on this screen ... other 2 are just text) to distinguish the printer on the hub from the others. Select "Continue"
6. At the next screen select "Device" as "AppSocket/HP JetDirect" and select "Continue"
7. At the next screen select "URI" as "socket://ip.ip.ip.ip:9100" and select "Continue"
8. At the next screen select "Make" and select "Continue"
9. At the next screen select "Model/Driver" and select "Continue". I'll admit to being a bit baffled here as there are drivers with gimp, foomatic (or similar) so I just selected CUPS and gimp and (en) english and it worked.
10. At the next screen you will get a message "Printer xxxxx has been successfully added", click on printer name, click "Print Test Page"
hope it helps!