Problems with Lexmark Z25 printer

GChris · 09-19-2003, 04:52 PM

I have been having some difficulties getting my Lexmark Z25 printer working under Mandrake 9.1

Unfortunately the printer is not listed as supported on linuxprinting org, so that ruled out the easiest way of getting it to work.

Fortunately Lexmark supply a Linux driver for the printer. However, it only claims to support Mandrake's 7 or 8. (Indeed I got it working just fine on my previous 8.1 installation)

Supposedly the command line method of printing after installing the driver should be lpr -Plexmarkz25-z35 <file>. Unfortunately when I try this I just get :

Code:

lpr: unable to print file: client-error-not-found

Here's the printer definition from /etc/printcap as created by the Lexmark driver installation :

Code:

lexmarkz25-z35:\
        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/lexmark:\
        :mx#0:\
        :mc#99:\
        :sh:\
        :rw:\
        :lp=/dev/null:\
        :if=/usr/bin/LexmarkZ35:\
        :lf=/var/spool/lexmark/Z35Driver/lpd.log:

After lots of experimentation and messing around with Mandrake's printer configuration tools, I had drawn a complete blank when I decided, out of desperation to try directing a text file directly into the /usr/bin/LexmarkZ35 command mentioned in the printcap definition.

And it worked! I've also been able to print postscript files this way. However this is far from ideal, as I cannot print directly from applications (I tried giving the application the LexmarkZ35 file in the print via other command option, but this did nothing.)

What puzzles me is that, if this LexmarkZ35 file is doing most of the hard work, why is lpr having such a hard time using it. I suspect that my problems are caused by the shift towards using cups more in 9.1 than before. (It took me a long time just to get printerdrake to switch to lpr - there used to be an expert mode option to do this, but not any more) It's possible I don't have something installed that I need, or that I do have something installed that I don't, but I don't have enough Linux experience to be able to figure it out.

If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it, because I am out of ideas.

Chris Scott

Kramer · 09-19-2003, 09:34 PM

I have a Lexmark Z35, and all it does is spits out a blank page. I think for the mostpart, Lexmark printers are paperweights as far as any distro of Linux is concerned

naeric · 09-21-2003, 10:13 PM

I too have this printer. I use SuSE 8.2 with KDE. SuSE defaults to CUPS but I had no luck with that spooler. I uninstalled the driver rpm and switched to LPRng and then reinstalled the driver. After that I could print to the queue lexmarkz25-z35. I was even able to print to it remotely by using a LPD Forwarding Queue. This was easier to do since it sends the raw stream to the print server which then preps it for printing.

My main remaining issue is that I have 2 printers on this same print server and everything always goes to the Lexmark even if I send the output to a different queue.

Good luck,
Eric

zarathustra674 · 09-22-2003, 03:37 AM

Check out the lexmark-foomatic kit from linuxprinting.org. I'm not sure if it works with the Z25 but it worked great with my Z32 in combination with the lexmark driver and LPR. It should work with CUPS or PDQ as well.

estatik · 10-12-2003, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kramer
I have a Lexmark Z35, and all it does is spits out a blank page. I think for the mostpart, Lexmark printers are paperweights as far as any distro of Linux is concerned

I'm running mdk 9.1 and have successfully got my Z35 working (with the exception of alignment and certain printer utilities

. But it works!)

What were the steps that you took to step-up your printer?

Quote:

Originally posted by zarathustra674
Check out the lexmark-footmatic kit from linuxprinting.org...

Yes, you must have footmatic-db, footmatic-db-engine and footmatic-filters along with LPRng installed to get the Z35 to work. Isn't there a driver that comes with mdk 9.1 for the Z32? Oh, wait, there is, I believe I had tried to use it with the Z35 with no luck. CUPS, from my experience, won't work correctly with the Z-series.

I know this post has been stale for a while, but if you, or anyone for that matter, wants the method(s) that I performed to get this printer working, just post back

.

estatik

GChris · 10-12-2003, 06:23 AM

Quote:

I'm running mdk 9.1 and have successfully got my Z35 working (with the exception of alignment and certain printer utilities . But it works!)

Funny, those are about the only things I could get to work with the official driver!

Quote:

I know this post has been stale for a while, but if you, or anyone for that matter, wants the method(s) that I performed to get this printer working, just post back.

Definitely! I gather the Z25 and the Z35 are pretty similar (they use the same Lexmark driver, anyway) so what worked for you might (hopefully) work for me.

Kramer · 10-12-2003, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GChris
Funny, those are about the only things I could get to work with the official driver!

Definitely! I gather the Z25 and the Z35 are pretty similar (they use the same Lexmark driver, anyway) so what worked for you might (hopefully) work for me.

+1
If you can tell us how you did it, that would be great!

estatik · 10-12-2003, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GChris
Funny, those are about the only things I could get to work with the official driver!

Hmmm...that's seems strange that it'll work for you and not print. I assume you installed this driver? If so, what steps did you take to install it? Since our needs are the opposite, share your secret with us

! If I can only get the printer heads to align, I'm a happy camper. Trying to open any printer utility in the printer menu only opens a console for a split-second. When I enter

Code:

# lexmarkz25-z35

, the Lexmark GUI Utility will open and will only allow me to config the paper size, etc., blah, blah, blah, but the Lexmark Support Center GUI will give me some connection error

.

Quote:

Originally posted by GChris
Definitely! I gather the Z25 and the Z35 are pretty similar (they use the same Lexmark driver, anyway) so what worked for you might (hopefully) work for me.

Right you are. I believe the driver is packaged to work for both printers. So on with the show!

Here's the exact steps I took to get this "paper-weight" to print...

First and foremost, turn off the printer, but leave the USB pluggin in (dont' ask me why...I have my own reasons...grrrr!)
Either with MCC or console, remove the following packages: cups, cups-drivers, cups-common, footmatic-db, footmatic-db-engine, footmatic-filters, groff, libijs0, mpage, printer-filters, printer-testpages, printer-utils and xpp
Install the following packages: LPRng, enscript and libstdc++2.10
Go to MCC->Hardware->PrinterDrake and change the printer system to LPRng (most packages you just removed will be re-installed...go figure )
Turn printer on (Hey baby...LOL!)
Download the Z35 driver from here and save it to your /home/user/tmp directory
Unpack the driver
Code:
```
.../tmp]# gzip -d CJLZ35LE-1.0-1.TAR.GZ
```
Untar the driver
Code:
```
.../tmp]# -xvf CJLZ35LE-1.0-1.TAR
```
Install the driver
Code:
```
.../tmp]# sh lexmarkz35-1.0-1.gz.sh
```
Go back to MCC->Hardware->PrinterDrake and select you printer by double-clicking it, and make sure that it is using command "footmatic-configure".
Now you should be able to print a test page ( I had to wait a bit for the printer to initially queue up, but now it prints "almost" on the fly, if you can believe that)

(why does inserting code break the bullets?!?)

Now if I can only get the printer to print just a couple of centimeters to the left, I'll be estatik(pun intended

)! I still have a little more configuring/tweaking to do to get it just right. That's where you folks come in...help me align this printer! AGHHH!

HTH'ed all you suckers who bought a lexmark Z25-Z35! Wait! I bought one too

! LOL!

estatik

Edit: Hah! The solution to align the heads was right in front of me...d'oh!

gjmwalsh · 10-12-2003, 02:11 PM

Lexmark will generally tell you that when having problems with their printers, start by selecting "Raw printer" (No driver) from your Mandrake Menu. Actually, I followed this some time ago when I bought an M410. Worked perfectly! Sounds like going backwards, but the end result is otherwise.

If this doesn't do everything you want, then start playing with the drivers, but at least you now have a working 'base' from which to build upon.

estatik · 10-12-2003, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gjmwalsh
Lexmark will generally tell you that when having problems with their printers, start by selecting "Raw printer" (No driver) from your Mandrake Menu. Actually, I followed this some time ago when I bought an M410. Worked perfectly! Sounds like going backwards, but the end result is otherwise.

If this doesn't do everything you want, then start playing with the drivers, but at least you now have a working 'base' from which to build upon.

I'm afraid that having tried the various lexmark drivers and rawdevices (no driver) selection that comes pre-packaged with MDK, leaves the Z25/Z35 printer as dead-weight.

I'm not saying that this is the only method to get the Z25/Z35 to work, for I have read somewhere during my scouring the net for info, that someone, did in fact, get CUPS working with the Z35, but the info was very limited to just a statement.

estatik

zarathustra674 · 10-14-2003, 12:35 AM

Im not sure how different the Z25/35 is from the Z22/32, but if you follow estatik's steps, then install the lexmark-foomatic kit i mentioned earlier, you should be able to do all you need. Read all the directions, and it should be a snap. I got my printer to do anything I needed, (I didnt try color), but I could align the cartridge, and print even and odd pages from openoffice ect.