I have two systems running Slackware64 14.2 and KDE. I just installed Brother printer as a network printer on one of them (host A) using http://localhost:631. Since doing so, after logging in, I get the message, "HPLIP Status Service, No system tray detected on this system."

I've found various posts on removing hplip in order to get the message to go away (e.g. https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ade-4175511995), but I'm not sure the best cure for a broken leg is to cut it off. I have numerous questions on hplip as I'd like to understand this better.

I've found that hplip is "HP Linux Imaging and Printing", which "aims to ease Linux systems' ability to interact with HP's inkjet and laser printers with full printing, scanning, and faxing support." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Lin...g_and_Printing.

So, what exactly does hplip do on my Linux systems?

As mentioned, I have a Brother installed on host A and I get this hplip "no system tray detected" message. This is the only printer installed on this computer and it's not HP. Why am I getting this message?

I have another computer, host B, with an HP 8710 installed. I get no such message. Furthermore, when I click the HP icon on the system tray (HP Device Manager) I get the message, "No Installed HP Devices Found" and 3 methods for setting up a new HP device. Method #2 is "CUPS web interface http://localhost:631." This is exactly how I set up this HP printer, so why is the HP Device Manager saying "No Installed HP Devices Found"?

I have lots more questions on this, but that's enough to start.

hplip is only for the hp printers, just remove the package if you don't have a hp printer, i have one hp 8715 here it's similar model than the your, you can use the 'hp-setup' command in one 'root xterm' for configuring your printer, this requires activating the 'cups' service.

if it's just the hp-systray that is embarrassing you, you can rename or delete the file,

/etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop

you can use also this option in this file 'NoShowIn=KDE;' 'for exemple'

1 members found this post helpful.

No, host B has an HP printer and host A will have a newly purchased HP in addition to the Brother. Both have scanners, so I am interested in figuring out how hplip works.

OK, just activating the 'cups' service and using 'hp-setup', if you use one usb cable.

So, should I remove the already CUPS configured HP printer first?

I take it from your comments that http://localhost:631 and hp-setup are competing printer setup mechanisms, despite the HP Device Manager listing http://localhost:631 as one of the configuration options (see image).

Later ...

Without waiting for a response, I went ahead and deleted the http://localhost:631 configured printer, and added it using the HP tray icon which ran the hp-setup program ('Setup Device ...' button in attached image). I successfully printed a test page from the HP Device Manager. When I check http://localhost:631, it showed the printer using the same driver as it did before.

So, my conclusion is that the hplip/HP Device Manager/hp-setup mechanism is a different path than http://localhost:631, despite the latter being shown as a option on the HP Device Manager setup method list (image). The HP tool saves its configured printer information in its own config or database somewhere, but also does the normal CUPS configuration as well. The HP suite is apparently an alternative CUPS front-end, with its own additional config.

The HP tool does provide more functionality including scanning, but the scanning (SANE) is inferior to HP's Windows tool that ships with the printer. For example, I get scan options of LineArt, grayscale and color. No B&W which is how I scan most of my stuff; no 'searchable PDF' option, no page editing (i.e. remove pages), but I've only done a single scan, so I need to play with this more. In any case, scanning and using SANE is a separate issue.

So, I think I'll use hplip for configuring HP printers/scanners. Unless some LQ experts tells me otherwise, I'll assume there is a disconnect between the CUPS web setup and the hp-setup mechanisms (hp-setup installed printers are are visible in CUPS Web, but CUPS Web installed printers are not visible in hplip).

Related, important: I apparently deleted the hplip icon from the KDE tray on host A. How can I get it back? It does not appear in the panel setup when clicking on cashew > Add widgets

Attached Thumbnails

 

I have used HPLIP on window managers with no system tray. The existence of a system tray is not, as we used to say on the railroad. a fatal defect.

HPLIP will still manage printers very nicely without being able to place an annoying little icon in the corner of your screen.

Except at each login I get the even more annoying, "HPLIP Status Service, No system tray detected on this system."

Furthermore, the host in question (host A) is owned/managed by a non-Linux-savvy ordinary user, so an icon to setup and configure his printer would be more friendly than having to type hp-setup into the KDE search bar.

Being able to ignore irrelevancies is a valuable skill.

frankbell: Not particularly helpful.

I found the answer at https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8017. Launcher > Applications > Utilities > HP Printer Management Applications, right-click > Add to Panel. Done.

1 members found this post helpful.

I thought that it may something like that. Needed confirmations. And by the there is no panic. I'm Okay Honest....