Hey guys,

I've got a frustrating problem right now. I've tried both CUPS and hpoj without any luck. Both recognize that I have an "HP LaserJet 1200" plugged into my first usb port, but when I'm done configuring I still can't print .. The computer thinks it's printed my job .. (CUPS says no active jobs) and my printer acts as if it's not even connected. Anyone out there got a bulletproof plan for setting up a USB printer in Slack 9? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Sean

Have you tried un-commenting the correct USB module in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules?

It's possible that CUPS can detect the printer, but cannot print to it since the kernel does not have the proper module loaded...

Hope this helps!

Did it .. but I'm still having the same problem .. Someone pleeaaaaaaaaaaase help .. I really need this .. don't make me switch to RedHat.

Getting a response now:
echo -en "\rHello\r\f" >/dev/usb/lp0

It will print Hello ... but when I try to print using enscript or emacs .. I get no response .. What's going on? Any ideas?

Thanks

I am experiencing the same symptoms with Slack 9 and my HP LJ1200. But I am using LPRng and the parallel port. The printing system sees the printer, it accepts the job, and "prints" it without any error messges, but no paper comes out of the machine. Like you I can dump direct to the device - in my case /dev/lp0 and get printer output.

I wonder if this is a problem to do with the printer and not the port to which it is attached.

Has anybody got a LJ 1200 running with Slack 9?

This one has me stumped.

I uninstalled LPRng and installed the Slackware CUPS package. It worked like a charm. The basic CUPS package did not have a driver for the LJ1200, so I used the LJ 5 drivers instead - they worked without a hitch.
So, I have answered my previous question, it does not appear that there is a problem relating to the LJ1200 in general with Slackware 9.

I'm a newbie's newbie trying to set up hp lj 1200 w/ Slackware 9.1. Wd you mind posting the step-by-step for how you swapped the packages. Did you do it from the command line?

there's a couple a commands you need to know when using slackware.. they are like rpm in redhat

installpkg
removepkg
upgradepkg

see the manual pages for more info...
check de /var/log/packages dir for all the packages you have installed on ur system... cups could already be one of them

You might also have to install foomatic, which does not come with Slack. I had to to get my "winprinter" to work.

As for a USB device, you might want to take a look at the Linux USB Project. They might have some useful info that we might be missing.

You guys are great. Thanks. I'm going to try that stuff now.

I read somewhere in cups documentation that you need to start your machine with the USB printer plug in and switch on. I wonder is this still the case? Enlighten me please.

I tend to believe that a description like that one
comes from people with Mandrake/Windows-
users in mind ... ;)

Well, I don't know how CUPS works internally,
but the worst-case-scenario should be that the
USB connect is established before the cupsd is
run ... that, on the other hand, would be a trivial
thing if you used usbmgr ... just a little script that
is related to the printer ... when it's plugged in
(turned on) you check whether cupsd is running,
if so you SIGHUP it, if not, you start it ... all good
to go :} ... no booting involved.


Cheers,
Tink