lsub in Ubuntu server 9.10 does not see my Brother HL-2140 printer

supremedalek · 12-05-2009, 10:05 AM

Here is a truly newbie question that has been baffling me for the last few days: I bought a Brother HL-2140 usb laserprinter and am trying to add to my ubuntu 9.10 server. So, the first step is to physically connect it to one of the usb ports and use lsusb to see if the printer is being seen:

Code:

raub@keg:~$ lsusb
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
raub@keg:~$

As you can see, lsusb does not recognize it no matter which usb port I use. That does confuse me since everything else I connect to this computer's usb ports shows up when I type lsusb. As an example, let me slap a MN510 wireless device to a randomly picked usb port:

Code:

raub@keg:~$ lsusb 
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 006: ID 045e:006e Microsoft Corp. MN510 802.11b Adapter
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
raub@keg:~$

Interestingly enough, dmesg seems to report a printer there:

Code:

[45141.016030] usb 5-2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3
[45141.188491] usb 5-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[45141.196484] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 3 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid
0x04F9 pid 0x0033

So, I tried the same printer in my laptop, which runs ubuntu 9.04 desktop, and it sees the printer fine (and even tries to add it):

Code:

raub@monaco:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 003: ID 04f9:0033 Brother Industries, Ltd 
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
raub@monaco:~$

So, I do not think I can blame the printer itself... or printer drives since all I am trying to do right now is to see the stupid printer as a usb device in the usb chain. Am I missing something here?

paulsm4 · 12-05-2009, 11:53 AM

Hi -

The reason Ubuntu desktop works fine and Ubuntu server doesn't is simply that the desktop DVD has "everything and the kitchen sink" thrown in, the Ubuntu server is stripped down to "just what you need".

Anyway, this should help:
http://welcome.solutions.brother.com.../en/index.html

... and this ...

Quote:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1306997

Installing Brother printer in Ubuntu 9.10
This isn't a support request, it seems to be working, I'm just posting to help others!

My printer is a Brother DCP-330C, it wasn't autodetected after my 9.10 install this morning, so started looking at it...

turned out to be very simple. Brother have pretty good support on their site at http://solutions.brother.com/linux/en_us/index.html

Summarised here:

1) run 'sudo aa-complain cupsd'

2) run 'sudo mkdir /usr/share/cups/model'

3) From this page - http://solutions.brother.com/linux/e...nload_prn.html
.. find your particular model and download the *.deb files (should be 2)

4) go to the folder and run 'sudo dpkg -i --force-all *'

To verify it worked:

1) Run 'dpkg -l | grep Brother'
Mine gave the output:
ii dcp330ccupswrapper 1.0.1-1 Brother CUPS Inkjet Printer Definitions
ii dcp330clpr 1.0.1-1 Brother lpr Inkjet Printer Definitions

2) Check the contents of '/etc/printcap'
Mine was:
DCP330C:\
:mx=0:\
:sd=/var/spool/lpd/dcp330c:\
:sh:\
:lp=/dev/usb/lp0:\
:if=/usr/local/Brother/Printer/dcp330c/lpd/filterdcp330c:

3) Check the CUPS web interface at:
http://localhost:631/printers

I haven't tested it fully beyond a test page, and I also haven't set up scanning yet, but that's for another day!

Feel free to use this thread for additional support but this is the first time I've set up a printer in Linux (in 10+ years of on-and-off use) so I personally may not be much use!

supremedalek · 12-05-2009, 12:27 PM

First of all I do appreciate the link on how to add the printer under ubuntu. I will try it out shortly.

That said, my question was really not how to install the printer but why lsub is not seeing it. I thought that it being detected in the usb chain would have nothing to do with whether cups had drivers for it or not. Or even whether cups was installed in the machine to begin with. After all, I can slap my iphone to one of the usb ports and lsusb will dutifully report something is there:

Code:

raub@keg:~$ lsusb
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 005: ID 05ac:1290 Apple, Inc. iPhone
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 006: ID 045e:006e Microsoft Corp. MN510 802.11b Adapter
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
raub@keg:~$

But, I have been wrong many times; this will not be the first.