SuSe Linux 8.0 printing on HP 5550 deskjet printer
 

I am requesting help, advice, trouble shooting steps or whatever from anyone regarding solving my current problem of being unable to get SuSe Linux 8.0 to print to my new HP 5550 deskjet printer. I have done all the steps in the SuSe Linux 8.0 Reference book but still am unable to get the PC to print to this printer.

I am able to check this Linux Questions Forum, unfortunately, only once a day so if someone posts a response to my question, and I don't respond, it is because I have been unable to log into Forum.

I am a newcomer to Linux and am trying to get Linux to run on my new PC, a PowerSpec 8920. I know little about Linux and don't have an intuitive feel or even basic understanding about how Linux works.

When I try to print a page from KEdit, I get the following error message:
A print error occured. Error message received from system.
Empty print command

I include below everything I have done to try to get my printer to work.

If anyone has any thoughts on what I might do to resolve my problem, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Regards,

Richard_W
Step #0:
1. I am using the SuSe Linux 8.0 Refenence book as a reference to help me solve my problem(s)

2. I have installed SuSe Linux 8.0 (kernel 2.4.18) on second hard drive in PowerSpec 8920 personal computer

3. SuSe Linux 8.0 appears to have installed correctly but when I login as root, I see in xconsole <2> text box the following message, which I understand is probably not cause of my printer problems:
Sep 9 11:09:26 linux modprobe: modprobe: Can't open dependencies file /lib/modules/ 2.4.18/ modules. dep (No such file or directory)
Sep 9 11:09:26 linux: Cannot find map file

4. Manufacturer and model number of printer: HP Deskjet 5550

Step #1
5. parallel cable is connected to printer and to parallel port in PC

Step #2
6. BIOS parallel port settings, as suggested in SuSe Linux 8.0 Reference book, are:
Parallel Port [Enabled]
Mode: [Output only]
Base I/O Address: [378]
Interrupt: [IRQ 7]

Step #3
7. configured the parallel port /dev/lp0 by entering a line(s) in /etc/modules.conf
Ref.: SuSe Linux 8.0 Reference book (page. 198)
alias parport_lowlevel parport pc
options parport_pc i0=0x378 irq=none

Step #4
8. configured the printer in YaST2

9. System - YaST2 - Hardware - Auto Detect Printers - Other (not recognized) - Configure - Parallel printer - Next - [returned in text box]: No parallel devices (/dev/lp?) found. It seems that your parallel port is not properly configured - OK -

10. [Text box: Parallel printer connection - Connection - Select the device] First parallel port (/dev/lp0) - Next - Name for printing - hp_5550 - Next -
[Select manufacturer] Ghostscript devices -
[Select model] Ghostscript driver 'hpjis' - Next -

11. [double click on] Ghostscript driver 'hpjis' for HP printers - Options: Ghostscript driver 'hpjis': monochrome - Values: monochrome - Next -

12. [Hardware - independent settings]:
One page per sheet,
[Encoding of the printed documents]
Use the system default - Next -
[Top text box: Printer setup: Autodetected printers]
Other (not detected)
[Bottom text box:]
Already installed printers and queues
Ghostscript devices: Ghostscript driver 'hpijs': Parallel printer on /dev/lp0
Configured as:
hp_5550 [test] - Ghostscript driver 'hpijs' for HP printers
- Finish

13. The new configuration was stored successfully - OK

14. when I File - Print a document from KEdit, I received following error message:
[Text box: Castrophe]
A print error occured. Error message received from system.
Empty print command
OK

choose the hp 990c in yast2,its the same driver. your bios is wrong, you want anything other than 'output only'. more likely want -> normal or epp.

Thanks for your help on this.

I will try your solution tonight and let you know the results.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Richard_W

SuSe Linux 8.0 printing to HP 5550
 

In response to help I received from this Forum to my problem of being unable to get my SuSe Linux 8.0 installation to print to my HP 5550 deskjet printer, in YaST2 I changed the printer configuration to choose HP 990C, and I changed the parallel port BIOS settings in my PC to EPP.

Unfortunately, I am still unable to get the printer to work with the SuSe Linux 8.0 installation.

Any additional help, advice or troubleshooting assistance anyone might have, I would appreciate as I did the original response.

Frequently, I am only able to check this Forum once a day so if I do not respond immediately to a post that is the reason.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Richard_W

PS I have included below, after listing the error messages, the steps I have gone through to configure SuSe Linux 8.0 to print (no success) to my HP 5550 printer.

Error messages received ....
Having made the above changes:
1) when I get back into YaST2, Edit Configuration, "Connection", then, with Parallel Printer selected, press Next, I get the error message:
"No parallel devices(/dev/lp?) found. It seems that your parallel port is not properly configured"

In the Parallel Printer Connection area, when I press the button "Test printer connection", I get the error message:
"There was a problem while printing."

"It seems that the device is not properly configured or you do not have permissions to write to it.

"Did you run the configuration program as user 'root'?"
OK

2) when I get back into YaST2, Edit Printers, etc. and select "Hardware - independent settings" and press the button "Test ASCII text printing", or if I press the button "Test graphical printing", I get the error message:

"Error"

"Running lprsetup (/usr/lib/pdfileter/bin/lprsetup -lprng - add y2test - device -driver upp -own -color -sf) was not successful."
OK
then I get the error message ...

"Error"

"I cannot configure a printer queue. The internal structure is not filled properly".

OK

Printer installation steps I have gone through with SuSe Linux 8.0
Ref.: SuSe Linux 8.0 Reference book, p. 194-198
Step #1:
1. according to above reference, for printer to work on parallel port, need to:
a. change BIOS parallel port settings in PC (pages 195-196)
b. configure the parallel port /dev/lp0 by entering a line(s) in /etc/modules.conf (page. 198)
alias parport_lowlevel parport pc
options parport_pc i0=0x378 irq=none

Step #2
Change BIOS settings in PC (pages 195-196):
1. Start PC - press F1 when memory numeric settings display
2. Peripheral Configuration - Parallel Port - Enabled -
a1. BIOS settings for parallel port in PC may need to be changed to:
Parallel Port [Enabled]
Mode: [EPP]
Base I/O Address: [378]
Interrupt: [IRQ 7]

Step #3
1. install the printer using YaST2 (see 2. below)
2. launch Linux
3. Start - System - YaST2 - Hardware - Automatic Printer Detection - Other (not recognized) - Configure - Parallel printer - Next - No parallel devices (/dev/lp?) found. It seems that your parallel port is not properly configured - OK -
4. First parallel port (/dev/lp0) - Next - Name for printing - hp_5550 - Next -
[Manufacturer and Model of the printer]
[Select manufactuer] [Select model]
HP DeskJet 990C

5. Next - [Configurations]
grayscale 600 dpi (using driver 'hpjis') Next
6. [Configuration options]
[Options]
Ghostscript driver 'hpjis': driver 'hpjis' (using '-sDEVICE=ijs -sljsSever=hpijs')
[Values]
driver 'hpjis' (using '-sDEVICE=ijs -sljsSever=hpijs')
7. Next
8.[Hardware - independent settings]
[Printing of ascii text]
[select] One page per sheet
[Encoding of the printed documents]
Use the system default
9.Next - Finish - OK [to prompt to save changes]
10. “The new configuration was stored successfully”- OK

Hi Richard

Since you posted your last message a little time ago, I don't know wheter you brougt the printer to work now...

For myself, I'm printing with my HP 5550 since yesterday, and it works fine.

I installed the hpijs "driver" from the
http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/
page. After that, i chose in CUPS the HP 990C. This means I've only 600 dpi... but for the beginning this is not too bad... :-)

Reading your thread, I assume its not the printer, but the lp0 config that doesn't work. As you write you got LX installed on your second harddrive, I think you have still got something like Window$ on it, and there, printing works...

IMHO, you should try to re-configure the port, not the printer.

I'm doing this post also to tell other Linux users with HP 5550 that it works, because there is nowhere here on LinuxQuestions.org a positive answer...

I hope you'll get it (or you got it) to work

Adrian

Adrian,

I appreciate your responding to my issue regarding trying to get the HP 5550 on Linux SuSe 8.0.

I will try over next couple of weeks (as soon as my school ends) to try to get my system to print on the HP 5550.

Before I do, I would like to know what you mean when you write "i chose CUPS the HP 990C." I am unsure what you mean by CUPS.

Regarding my second drive, I don't have Windows installed on it because I had it installed after Windows was installed, and I told the person who installed it that I wanted to run Linux, not Windows on it. He said he would configure it such.

In any event, thanks again for your response.

Regards,

Richard

Hi again!

CUPS is another printer interface replacing lpr that comes with a lot of printers and drivers installed and is really easy to configure with a web interface.
In yast2, you can select, but installing cups makes necessary to deinstall lpr.
It is not necessary to use the webinterface (http://localhost:631), instead you can also do it from yast2's printer tool.

Good luck for your schools end...

Adrian