[SOLVED] hplip release - Debian releases

garyg007 · 10-26-2009, 01:31 PM

I have just obtained an HP Photosmart_plus B209a. The problem is that I am getting very confused by all that I have read about making it work. The printer is on the hplip list here of supported printers. Elswhere it says

Quote:

Debian lenny supplies HPLIP 2.8.6 and it does not support your printer.

Then if one continues, to here, it says

Quote:

the Step 1: Download the Automatic Installer (.run file) Download HPLIP 3.9.8:

If one does this, a number of dependencies show up; some based on the item missing and others based on the version of the item being wrong (for example the hplip version required is 2.8.6 but 3.9.8 is installed).

But, Wait!, I managed to get hplip3.9.8 installed into Lenny; The problem there is that the configure options used when the package was built, had some errors that cause the error

Code:

"/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip-hplip failed"

. Well, OK, get the tar-ball so that I can change the options; the problem here is that the tar-ball is not the same version as the package - the tar-ball is hplip-2.8.6b and the package is hplip_2.8.6b-4 (I seriously damaged the OS on my lap top trying to get around this problem and am going to try and install "squeeze" on the lap top; but I can't do that on the desktop, because if I damage the desktop I am going to do a swan dive into the toilet and pull the handle on the way past it

Any words of wisdom?

The frustration level is getting rather high.

Gary

pljvaldez · 10-26-2009, 01:42 PM

You can try apt pinning the hplip package from squeeze. Try installing it in simulation mode to see what all it wants to change. Once you get your sources.list file and apt preferences setup, the command should be something like aptitude -t squeeze install -s hplip. If it looks like it will work okay, then just drop the "-s".

craigevil · 10-26-2009, 06:17 PM

sid has hplip 3.9.8 you can build and install a backported package from sid pretty easily.

First: See if the package has already been backported. Ask me about <backports>. If it hasn't, 1) Add ONLY a "deb-src ..." line for sid to your sources.list. 2) apt-get update 3) apt-get install build-essential; apt-get build-dep packagename;apt-get -b source packagename; 4) install the resultant debs.

garyg007 · 10-26-2009, 09:55 PM

Thankyou both for the information. I need to do some reading about "backports" and some of the apt options suggested. As soon as I have at least a basic understanding of what will be going on, I'll give it a try (after backing up the filesystems).

Thanks again,

Gary

garyg007 · 10-26-2009, 10:13 PM

Got a question already; If I am looking at "http://www.backports.org/debian/dists/lenny-backports" does this contain backports of "lenny" packages to "etch" or backports from "sid" to "Lenny"?

Gary

the trooper · 10-27-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyg007

Got a question already; If I am looking at "http://www.backports.org/debian/dists/lenny-backports" does this contain backports of "lenny" packages to "etch" or backports from "sid" to "Lenny"?

Gary

Generally Backports supports the current stable release,so packages are ported to Stable/Lenny from Testing/Unstable.
The oldstable release,i.e Etch is also still supported by Backports,here's a quote from their site:

Quote:

But that does not mean etch-backports is dead, we will continue support for
etch-backports as long as there is security support for oldstable (aka etch).
But remember that contributors are now allowed to add packages to etch-bpo which
have a higher version than in lenny (because they are allowed to add versions
from squeeze). So it is possible that there is no clean upgrade path from
etch + backports to lenny. If you don't want this please upgrade to lenny
or stop installing new package versions from etch-backports

So as long as your sources.list entry for Backports points to Lenny you'll be fine.

garyg007 · 10-28-2009, 03:26 PM

I Chose to go the "backport" route rather than "apt-pinning"

With "apt-pinning" I was 'scared off' by the longlist of packages that were going to be removed.

I do need to ask about Backports; The scenario suggested 4 packages and messages I don't quite grok. Here is about a 1/2 page of output from the
"apt-get -b source packagename" command

Code:

dpkg-gencontrol: warning: unknown substitution variable ${misc:Depends}
dpkg-gencontrol: warning: unknown substitution variable ${python:Depends}
dpkg-gencontrol: warning: unknown substitution variable ${python:Versions}
dpkg-gencontrol: warning: unknown substitution variable ${misc:Depends}
dpkg-gencontrol: warning: unknown substitution variable ${misc:Depends}
dh_md5sums -a
dh_builddeb -a
dpkg-deb: building package `hplip' in `../hplip_3.9.4b-1_i386.deb'.
dpkg-deb: building package `hplip-dbg' in `../hplip-dbg_3.9.4b-1_i386.deb'.
dpkg-deb: building package `hpijs' in `../hpijs_3.9.4b-1_i386.deb'.
dpkg-deb: building package `hplip-cups' in `../hplip-cups_3.9.4b-1_i386.deb'.
 dpkg-genchanges -b >../hplip_3.9.4b-1_i386.changes
dpkg-genchanges: binary-only upload - not including any source code
dpkg-buildpackage: binary only upload (no source included)
Debian:/home/gary#

man pages for dh_md5sums and dh_builddeb do not indicate what the option "-a" does.

And what are the last 3 lines trying to tell me?

I have not yet installed the packages that were built so I do not know if the problem is resolved;

If I don't post the status soon, you will know I broke my only remaining linux system

Gary

garyg007 · 10-28-2009, 10:02 PM

Following craigevil's suggestion, two things happened - I learned something about "aptitude"
and I got the printer working without breaking my OS.

I first tried pljvaldez's suggestion, but there was just too much for my "old-geezer" to keep track of.

So, the printer works with cups but not hplip (???)
Cups finds it on the lan, but hplip does not.
I ran:

Code:

 tail -f /var/log/syslog

and then started hp-setup; the only thing the log showed was

Code:

Oct 28 23:01:21 Debian python: hp-setup[6093]: error: No devices found on bus: net

So, the original problem I started this thead with has been solved.

Now I guess I'll take it to the hp project people

Thank