I've installed ubuntu, which seems like a great distro, like if debian unstable became its own distro with good docs and tutuorials.

However, my stylus c80 printer is all configured, and seems to work without error, but won't print.
I ran an apt-get install cupsys-driver-gimpprint to get the right driver following the ubuntu wiki instructions, and configured it with the gui interface. I used the gimpprint driver, it auto detected the printer, and it shows up, but when I try to print a test page, it just says printing and nothing comes out of the printer.

Thanks in advance for any help

if you have kde you can use kcontrol centre to check if
ALL USERS is allowed for the print server

if you don't know how to do that.....use your normal web browser and type in
localhost:631 ....press enter
if cups is running and printer on......your last config stuff should appear

if cups is not running you need to go into /etc/rc.d/ for your runlevel which maybe 5 on your distro and see if any command tries to start cups.

in mdk there is an entry for cups and its permission is RWX

HOWever I have a sneaky feeling your printer is not defaulted to cups but to LPR which you can check with kcontrol centre don't know howto with gnome

ok, if I run cupsd from the command line as root, it returns to the prompt without error and the server is running,but when I hit restart from within the KDE controll center, it gives me an error saying it can't connect to the server. when the server is running, I can browse to it, and when I look at the printer it says "printer fault"

The printer is out of ink in one of its cartridges, but the black is full and I'm trying to use it to print text. Could being out of yellow ink cause it to not print?

also, as far as defaulting to lp instead of cups, how do I check that?
thx

Is the printer showing up in the printers section of Control Center? You can try the lp option with a command like date > /dev/lp0 (as root probably). In the control center make sure it is seeing cups as the printing system and the printer is listed. If it isn't you need to add it.

I have the same problem with a HP DeskJet 840C. Like TigerOC said, it appears in ControlCenter and the printing system is CUPS. Yet nothing comes out of it. I can see that the page (a test page) is queued but not even the printer's led won't flash, it stays on just like nothing happened. No errors otherwise.

One thing that looks strange to me is: "Devicearallel:/dev/unknown-parallel0" even if I configured it on the parallel port.

Any solutions?

I have had two oldish hp's (670 and 930) working fine. You need to configure through Konqueror by entering the address http://localhost:631 You'll need to set the printer up and it will run all the diagnostics for you. If there are errors it will report them.

Harken do modprobe parport and see what output you get. If mod not present do insmod parport.

Here's what modprobe and insmod says:Then I remembered that I compiled my kernel with built-in parallel support. Here's from .config:Should this be the problem? Should I have compiled it as a module?

It doesn't matter as long as there is parallel support.Look in your /var/log/syslog and look for lines like this;

Feb 20 07:42:42 kt3 kernel: parport0: irq 7 detected
Feb 20 07:42:42 kt3 kernel: parport0: cpp_daisy: aa5500ff(98)
Feb 20 07:42:42 kt3 kernel: parport0: assign_addrs: aa5500ff(98)
Feb 20 07:42:42 kt3 kernel: parport0: Printer, HEWLETT-PACKARD DESKJET 930C

If you have lines like this do as root date > /dev/lp0 and the printer should print out the date. If you don't have lines like this then check that there isn't a problem with the connections and the cable.

Two days ago I uninstalled and reinstalled CUPS and whatelse needed (at least it think I did) so I'll show you the logs before:and after:The physical connection is 100% OK as I can print using XP (actually printing is mostly the reason I keep Win on my machine).
After issuing 'date > /dev/lp0', it pulls in a sheet from the tray, it moves the printing head for a while and suddendly stops, whitout spitting out the sheet. Instead the second button's led on the printer, the one for manual feed, starts blinking and if I press it the sheet comes out with the date printed on it.

Yet, when I tried printing a test text file (just some text organized in lines like "Line 1 Line2", etc.), again, I have to press the manual feed button but the text comes out messed up, with white spaces where they don't belong. And the test page sent from Printing Manager...does nothing. No head movement, nothing.

What could be wrong? Too old printer?

That's fine, as mine does the same thing because there is no method to format the text. It means there is no problem with the driver and the actual connection with the printer is good. What happens when you open a browser and enter http://localhost:631 ?

That looks fine, no errors. Yet, before sending a test page the printer's status is "Idle, accepting jobs". Afterwards, it says:I don't get the part with "not connected". What happens on the course?
Obviously, nothing happens, no led flashing, no sounds, nothing.

Are you sure you are specifying /dev/lp0 in the setup. On the very first dialog box where you add a new printer and the second item "where" are you entering /dev/lp0?

Yes, I specified /dev/lp0 everywhere I could (I was thinking to even name it that way!). I reinstalled it...nothing.
Something yet stroke me. From Printing Manager I sent a test page. The IPP job report says:Printer stopped? Why? The job is queued alright but it stays there, in the queue.
Looks like something happens at the driver's level. I can print the date (some text let's say) from command line (I still have to press the feed button) but can't get it to do anything otherwise.

i have just done a dummy run on mine and you need to confirm that you done the same. After setting the device, port and its name on the first page you then move to the location and select parallel#1 on the next dialog it will then come up with the the manufacturer then list of printers and you select the printer model from the list and then it tells you the driver it has used and then it goes on to say it has been installed. If you now click printers at the top it should list the printer and have something like this;

HP DeskJet 670C Foomatic/hpijs (recommended)
Description: hp670C
Location: /dev/lp0
Printer State: idle, accepting jobs.
Device URI: parallel:/dev/lp0

Are you seeing this?

I should mention that my epson stylus c80 is connected via usb. It shows up in the controll center, I can even send jobs to it and it says that was successful except they never get printed. wtf?