parallel:/dev/usb/lp0

pci-e parallel port problem


I have an old parallel matrix printer that i had connected to my pc by a usb to parallel adaptor because my pc does not have a parallel port. This worked intermitently (as most seem to do) so i bought a pci-e parallel port card.
Pclinuxos seems to detect the card but i cant get the printer to work.
The computer is dual boot with windoze 7 that runs the printer perfectly.

I also tried some old live linux CD`s.

OpenSuse 11 does not detect parallel port.
ubuntu 9.04 works perfectly
ubuntu 10.4 wont print
Pclos detects parallel port but not printer



03:00.0 Parallel controller: Oxford Semiconductor Ltd Device c100 (prog-ECP])
Subsystem: Oxford Semiconductor Ltd Device c100
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
I/O ports at dc00 [size=8]
I/O ports at d880 [size=4]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: parport_pc
Kernel modules: parport_pc




Any ideas?

Why dose ubuntu 9 work and ubuntu 10 and other linux does not?

I really don`t want to boot w7 just to print and i dont want a new printer cos i like old dot matrix printers! Mega cheap to run and far more reliable than an ink jet.

Run (and post) the o/p of 'lsmod |grep parport_pc' Here's what I see (usb printer attached)
Also check your startup logs for what is said about the pcie card when it's found by the kernel.

j@localhost ~]$ lsmod |grep parport_pc
parport_pc 28023 1
parport 25179 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
[j@localhost ~]$

What's in the logs? (/var/log/messages or syslog)

syslog is empty

what happens when you try something like

cat <text-file> > /dev/usb/lp0

cat t > /dev/usb/lp0
bash: /dev/usb/lp0: Permission denied

We're at 7 posts here. I'm guessing, and you seem to be making very little effort to solve this.

you may need to be root, you may need to join the lp group, or you may need to do something else.
try
sudo cat <text-file> > /dev/usb/lp0
Join lp group (man usermod)
Search the logd for any mention of /dev/usb/lp0 and let's discuss what the kernel sees.

Thanks for all the advice.
however i have no more time to mess with this problem as i have found that a lot of users are having similar problems on the more recent versions of cups. They seem to bee getting nowhere with their problems as well.
I will boot up w7 when i need to print.
Thanks again!

After this, I went and recompiled 2.6.37.6. The parallel port came up all over the place. I'll bet you need a kernel recompile.