maybe this will be helpful:
http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_pr...son-Stylus_C86

I just attempted to install a laser printer using the drivers of the manifacturer... when all I needed was to read the instructions on linuxprinting.org ....

I have read that page, but I don't see anything helpful...what part exactly are you talking about? I tried changing the driver to C84 like suggested, but still nothing.

I still think the solution lies in figuring out why i don't have a /dev/usb directory.

Maybe a udev issue ???.
Have you recently upgraded kernels ??? - 2.6.13 is udev only, devfs is gone (not just deprecated, gone)

I've been tracking the 2.6 series, so yes, i have upgraded constantly. In retrorespect, 2.6.13 seems to be about the time it broke...how do I fix it? I have the latest version of udev installed...

You lost me there. 2.6.13 broke a couple of things in gentoo for me too. I'm sticking to 2.6.12 until something comes out that doesn't break my current (hard) work.

udev is here to stay - no later kernel will (likely) ship devfs again. Well ... the code is (was at 2.6.13) still there, just unused. If you ignored all the warnings ...
Have a look at the (Gentoo) udev guide - update to udev on your 2.6.12 system, and you should find the move to 2.6.13 effortless.

Likosin:
Don't know about Debian - every other distro has a udev-update guide, I'm sure they will have.
Did you use a Debian package to update the kernel ??? - you'd have to think (late) 2.6 kernel packages would be udev aware by now. Maybe you just need to setup some rules - try this for some background.

as long as I don't have to learn another 50 sets of commands and relearn the location of all my devices again...

I custom-compiled my kernel, so i'll search for an upgrade guide, thanks for the idea. I have th udev package installed, which gives me some of (all?) the rules.

http://www.reactivated.net/writing_u...xample-printer
explains that a usb printer actually might appear at /dev/lp0, which throws me completely off trach again.

sob.

Ok, after a bit of investigation, I have discovered that the printer does not show up if i do an lsusb...strange, since dmesg shows these two lines:

Nov 14 16:27:41 [kernel] usb 3-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 8
Nov 14 16:27:41 [kernel] drivers/usb/class/usblp.c: usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 8 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04B8 pid 0x0005

I guess this is the root of the problem...any ideas? I recompile kernels for lunch, so that is no problem.

Thanks!

I had a similar thing when I was enabling my mouse. I'd get similarly these two lines, but cat /dev/input/mice, I wouldn't get anything. The solution was to install hid as a module (compilled in, it would conflict with my USB drivers... don't know why)...

It's not quite helping you... but you might have a uncompilled driver left to compile, or have some conflicting.

I must have compilled my kernel 30 times in the last 2 months...

I checked over my stuff, and I can't find any problems...unfortunately.

this is a dumb attempt :

Is cups started?

Is this problem occuring only on Linux, or is it also happening on other computers/operating systems??? That could rule out wether it is printer or system related.

I really don't have any other computers to test the printer with. I may be able to soon, though, as my brother will be visiting soon, and he will have his Windows laptop. I'll report back then, but in the meanwhile, if anyone has any further ideas, please post! I'll certainly be checking this thread.