setting up HP LaserJet 4 printer with cups and no parallel port option?

JockVSJock · 06-20-2006, 09:06 PM

This is really weird.

Last summer I configured cups with no problem on my old desktop with my old trusty HP LaserJet 4 printer.

I wish I took notes, cause I've gotten a new computer that has a parallel port on it and I'm trying to use the web interfact to configure cups.

I've d/l the driver, HP-LaserJet_4-hpijs.ppd, and have placed the file under /usr/share/cups/models, but when I go to configure it under web browser, I don't see a parallel port device.

What port device do I want to configure this under to get it to work?

Also, I don't show anyplace to point cups to the hp.ppd file?

thanks

jimX86 · 06-20-2006, 09:15 PM

Are the parport_pc and parport modules loaded?

I always go to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and uncomment the "PC parallel port support" section. After a reboot, when you enter the cups browser it should show you the parallel port device.

JockVSJock · 06-22-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimX86

Are the parport_pc and parport modules loaded?

I always go to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and uncomment the "PC parallel port support" section. After a reboot, when you enter the cups browser it should show you the parallel port device.

I can add parport to my rc.modules ok, but when I try to add parport_pc, I get the following error...

Code:

root@ladytron:/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/drivers/parport# insmod parport_pc
Using /lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o.gz
/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o.gz: init_module: Device or resource busy
/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o.gz: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
      You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg

dmesg doesn't have any output that I can find, so I'm not sure what is going on here...

But I did hit google and found this old thread, with a PDF doc, but it seems to be pretty old, and I didn't get anything out of it...

davidsrsb · 06-22-2006, 08:44 PM

There are a couple of modules that need to be uncommented:
lp, parport(parport_pc)
I have found that they are a bit fussy about the SPP/EPP/ECP options in the bios and the wrong setting will give your error.

jimX86 · 06-22-2006, 10:19 PM

First, let's make sure we're on the same page. Did you uncomment part of the rc.modules file so that it looks like this?

Code:

#### PC parallel port support ###
if cat /proc/ksyms | grep "\[parport_pc\]" 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
  echo "parport0 is built-in, not loading module" > /dev/null
else
  if [ -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o.gz \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.ko ]; then
    # Generic setup example:
/sbin/modprobe parport_pc
    # Hardware specific setup example (required for PLIP and better
    # performance in general):
 /sbin/modprobe parport_pc io=0x378 irq=7
  fi
fi

#### Parallel printer support ###
if cat /proc/ksyms | grep "\[lp\]" 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
  echo "lp support built-in, not loading module" > /dev/null
else
  if [ -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.o \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.o.gz \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.ko ]; then
    /sbin/modprobe lp
  fi
fi

Second, are you saying that if you type in "dmesg" at the command line, you get no output? Ideally, we should see something like this...

Code:

parport0: PC-style at 0x378 [PCSPP,EPP]
parport0: Printer, Samsung ML-1210
lp0: using parport0 (polling).
lp0: console ready

(but even an error message would help. That might confirm what davidsrsb suggested... a BIOS configuration problem.)

JockVSJock · 06-29-2006, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimX86

First, let's make sure we're on the same page. Did you uncomment part of the rc.modules file so that it looks like this?

Code:

#### PC parallel port support ###
if cat /proc/ksyms | grep "\[parport_pc\]" 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
  echo "parport0 is built-in, not loading module" > /dev/null
else
  if [ -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.o.gz \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/parport/parport_pc.ko ]; then
    # Generic setup example:
/sbin/modprobe parport_pc
    # Hardware specific setup example (required for PLIP and better
    # performance in general):
 /sbin/modprobe parport_pc io=0x378 irq=7
  fi
fi

#### Parallel printer support ###
if cat /proc/ksyms | grep "\[lp\]" 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
  echo "lp support built-in, not loading module" > /dev/null
else
  if [ -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.o \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.o.gz \
       -o -r /lib/modules/$RELEASE/kernel/drivers/char/lp.ko ]; then
    /sbin/modprobe lp
  fi
fi

Second, are you saying that if you type in "dmesg" at the command line, you get no output? Ideally, we should see something like this...

Code:

parport0: PC-style at 0x378 [PCSPP,EPP]
parport0: Printer, Samsung ML-1210
lp0: using parport0 (polling).
lp0: console ready

(but even an error message would help. That might confirm what davidsrsb suggested... a BIOS configuration problem.)

I've uncommented like the example above and:

-still no parallel port option when I configure cups via the
web browser
-nothing under dmesg, when I check that. I even grep for parport0 and lp0
-I haven't checked BIOS yet for the SPP/EPP/ECP options, how do I know what to look for?

thanks

davidsrsb · 06-29-2006, 08:37 PM

Waht is your PC/motherboard?
EPP and ECP have a lot of problems eg
http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail...st/000338.html

jimX86 · 06-29-2006, 08:41 PM

To be honest, I was expecting an error in dmesg. Maybe try switching modes in the BIOS? This would be typical...

I/O Device Configuration

Parallel Port [Enabled]
Base I/O Address [378]
Mode [ECP]
Interrupt [IRQ7]

JockVSJock · 06-29-2006, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidsrsb

Waht is your PC/motherboard?
EPP and ECP have a lot of problems eg
http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail...st/000338.html

I have the following MB:
Asus K8N-E Socket 754 Motherboard w/AMD chip

davidsrsb · 06-30-2006, 04:01 AM

Thats a NForce3 Pro 250 board,
It has been known to work, see:
http://www.keylabs.com/linux/results/asus_k8n-e.html
Maybe the parallel port is disabled in the bios? It is an option to do so.

Lionel HP · 06-30-2006, 08:08 PM

I have release 10.2 installed but I do not have the HP_LaserJet_4MP.ppd driver for my printer.

Any suggestions.

TIA.
Lionel

JockVSJock · 07-02-2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidsrsb

Thats a NForce3 Pro 250 board,
It has been known to work, see:
http://www.keylabs.com/linux/results/asus_k8n-e.html
Maybe the parallel port is disabled in the bios? It is an option to do so.

Ok, I checked the BIOS and the parallel port does show disabled.

There are four options
-disabled
-378
-278
-3BC

What do I change it to? I checked Google, and didn't see any options?

thanks

JockVSJock · 07-02-2006, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionel HP

I have release 10.2 installed but I do not have the HP_LaserJet_4MP.ppd driver for my printer.

Any suggestions.

TIA.
Lionel

http://www.linuxprinting.org/

michaelk · 07-02-2006, 10:58 AM

The I/O address for printer port 1 is 378

JockVSJock · 07-02-2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

The I/O address for printer port 1 is 378

KEWL, that got it, thanks!

Now, I have to figure out how to configure this printer, cause I picked up the HP nic for it, so I'll have to play around with that now.

...its always something...