[SOLVED] HP communication issues - "Device communication error"
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HP communication issues - "Device communication error"
I notice via HPLIP, that the connection or communication to my printer is randomly lost at times. I have also attributed this perhaps to the firmware updates - sadly these firmware updates are security updates so I cannot really just ignore them, but then again maybe that is not he case I do not know - because usually a security update shouldn't affect functionality, but then again prior me to applying the last security update from HP (firmware) , I did not have this sort of problem.
Since I am on Slackware 14.2 I am using stock HPLIP which is version 3.16.5, and yes after a few minutes, the printer itself does go into 'power saving' or 'sleep' mode by default, however that shouldn't affect me printing, because it is set to wake and print when a print command is sent. Again though I can only attribute to the loss of communication via the last firmware update; and really the only solution is to remove the printer from HPLIP and reinstall it, because the status of the printer always shows 'stopped', and me trying to start the printer gives me an error, as if it isn't a valid command being sent to the printer. I haven't actually tried the diagnostics utility either from HPLIP, I guess I should have.
So I mean my question is what is another way of working around this issue, until Slackware15.0 is out with a later version of HPLIP? Again also to reiterate, normally I don't apply firmware versions for any sort of functionality - the firmware updates I get from HP specifically are just security updates, and if anyone is wondering the type of printer I have is an HP M553 color laserjet.
Also I have not had printing issues under Windows (Windows10 VM), it just works, so I am beginning to think that this version of HPLIP is not liking these firmware updates - which is also why in the requests for --Current thread I have been the one requesting the next HPLIP version. I guess if it comes down to it, maybe I should just ignore the security firmware updates? I mean it is a home setting anyways.....
Unless you have set up this printer in an unusual way, printing on Slackware goes through cups. HPLIP supplies the drivers for each HP supported printer.
As far as I know you can install a later version of HPLIP, however, it won't chnage anything unless the driver for your M553 has been updated. Updates to HPLIP are mostly to add new printers to the archive.
I would suggest you look at the cups logs to see if you can get a handle on the problem.
Could you tell us the type of connection please.
Unless you have set up this printer in an unusual way, printing on Slackware goes through cups. HPLIP supplies the drivers for each HP supported printer.
As far as I know you can install a later version of HPLIP, however, it won't chnage anything unless the driver for your M553 has been updated. Updates to HPLIP are mostly to add new printers to the archive.
I would suggest you look at the cups logs to see if you can get a handle on the problem.
Could you tell us the type of connection please.
I haven't thought of just CUPS I'll have to look more into that. As for the connection, it is a network only printer - via ethernet to my router. As for HPLIP when I encounter this problem, as stated in my previous post - it shows the printer as "stopped", and me clicking on "start printer" , just gives me a communication error. So for now I can still only conclude that HPLIP (this version), just does not play nice with the firmware updates. As of right now the status shows 'idle', and the queue is normal (not stopped), but it will eventually "stop" at some point, and I will then make a note to show more info. I don't know how to check CUPS itself, if I can be given a clue, I will post logs from that.
As for the 'driver' - no change as far as I know either, as HPLIP shows the driver "lsb/usr/HP/hp-color_laserjet_m553-ps.ppd.gz" (doesn't show what version number, so all I can say it is what is included with Slackware 14.2) - I never updated any actual drivers on Slackware itself - perhaps maybe I should ? I don't know.
It looks to me as if something is not correct in the IPP setup for your printer. There is a how to at https://www.howtoforge.com/ipp_based_print_server_cups that might help. Right now, im away from home where I have a HP printer, it is not set up with IPP however. It is USB attached to a rasberry pi 3 that acts as a print server.
Possibly someone else with more experience with Cups and Ipp will chime in.
It looks to me as if something is not correct in the IPP setup for your printer. There is a how to at https://www.howtoforge.com/ipp_based_print_server_cups that might help. Right now, im away from home where I have a HP printer, it is not set up with IPP however. It is USB attached to a rasberry pi 3 that acts as a print server.
Possibly someone else with more experience with Cups and Ipp will chime in.
Thank you , I will still look into that just to cover all bases. Not sure how IPP is misconfigured but suffice to say hopefully that link gives an answer; as since right now all I have to go by, is that I didn't experience any real issues until this last firmware update (security update); and again rather sad that HPLIP itself can't even restart the printer.
So I haven't changed anything but poking around suddenly I just now came across this:
Code:
▼ Queue Name ▼ Description Location Make and Model Status
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 HP Color LaserJet M553 Postscript (recommended) Idle - "Filter failed"
So far that link though hasn't really given me anything useful yet, and now I am trying to see if I can get CUPS itself to start the queue again without removing the printer in HPLIP (though I refreshed HPLIP, and it reports the printer as idle, so I am even more confused as to just what the hell is going on right now).
-edit
While going through the motions, I also got a copy of the troubleshoot log:
Also while while CUPS reports 'stopped' , I clicked diagnose queue in the HPLIP utility and says it is configured correctly - soo..... yea something still doesn't seem right, since HPLIP reports nothing is wrong, CUPS says otherwise...
I just told CUPS to print a test page, and that worked .... so yea..... what the hell *IS* exactly going on? I am just getting more and more confused - perhaps I will just not do anything further until someone has another suggestion.....
Distribution: Slackware64 15.0 (started with 13.37). Testing -current in a spare partition.
Posts: 935
Rep:
Sometimes my HP printer gets stopped or disabled. When the hplip gui doesn't work (it crashes often),
I start (enable) the printer again running as root 'cupsenable <printer>'.
Run 'lpstat -t' to get the printer name (is case insensitive).
Sometimes my HP printer gets stopped or disabled. When the hplip gui doesn't work (it crashes often),
I start (enable) the printer again running as root 'cupsenable <printer>'.
Run 'lpstat -t' to get the printer name (is case insensitive).
I'll look into that, I took also another risk - and decided to compile and install CUPS 2.3.3 - and the status right now after a while shows this:
Code:
Queue Name Description Location Make and Model Status
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 HP Color LaserJet M553 Postscript (recommended) Idle
However, now HPLIP can't get any sort of status:
I also decided, hey maybe I should try to compile hplip 3.21.8 -- but nah, HP keeps giving me the finger and laughing at me:
I don't know how to solve this hpjis issue, so now I have CUPS 2.3.3 which says the printer is just idle, and now a version of HPLIP (stock that was included in 14.2) that now can longer get any info from my printer, since CUPS 2.3.3 is too new... fscking hell -- and I still can't print, stating queue is stopped..
I also for curiosity ran the lpstat command and it shows this:
Code:
slackuser@slackmachine:~/source/hplip$ lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination: HP_Color_LaserJet_M553
device for HP_Color_LaserJet_M553: hp:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_M553?ip=192.168.1.3
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 accepting requests since Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:55:02 PM CDT
printer HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 disabled since Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:55:02 PM CDT -
Filter failed
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553-39 slackuser 70656 Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:54:58 PM CDT
slackuser@slackmachine:~/source/hplip$
I don't know anymore, I am just so confused - and I am wondering again maybe I shouldn't ever bother applying even firmware updates even though those are specifically security updates, if I am going to continue running into this issue.........
Distribution: Slackware64 15.0 (started with 13.37). Testing -current in a spare partition.
Posts: 935
Rep:
I used to build new versions of hplip but now I wait for the -current upgrade.
I think hplip has a dependency on avahi for network.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeebizz
Code:
slackuser@slackmachine:~/source/hplip$ lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination: HP_Color_LaserJet_M553
device for HP_Color_LaserJet_M553: hp:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_M553?ip=192.168.1.3
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 accepting requests since Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:55:02 PM CDT
printer HP_Color_LaserJet_M553 disabled since Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:55:02 PM CDT -
Filter failed
HP_Color_LaserJet_M553-39 slackuser 70656 Fri 15 Oct 2021 11:54:58 PM CDT
slackuser@slackmachine:~/source/hplip$
Yes it shows all printers.
Maybe the "filter failed" message is because of the new cups version.
Try rebuild the stock 14.2 hplip to get the new cups version.
If you run as root
Code:
cupsenable HP_Color_LaserJet_M553-39
does the printer get enabled/started?
Last edited by Paulo2; 10-16-2021 at 09:20 AM.
Reason: add "as root"
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