(solved) Problems With Printer / Hplip / Cups

Hi guys,

I've got a problem with my printer. It's an HP Photosmart C3180 (directly connected via USB) and it worked perfectly when I was on Kubuntu. Now that I'm on OpenSUSE, I've got some issues.

I can install the printer using CUPS, print a test page, print documents, but when I restart my computer, the printer is "stopped" and I have to go back into CUPS to restart it. HPLIP shows the device in the device window (after either installing it with CUPS or with HPLIP's "Detect device") but says: "ERROR: Device not found. Please check connection and power-on device." It says this even if I've restarted the printer via CUPS. I can't figure out what the issue is.

Some things I've tried so far:

1. I thought maybe it was an issue with my /home partition, which I linked to OpenSUSE having come directly from Kubuntu (with the same /home partition), but I couldn't find any hidden .hplip or .printer folders to remove them. So I created a second user and tried the printer from there: Same issues.

2. I removed HPLIP and One-Click Installed the latest version from http://software.opensuse.org/search : Still the same issues.

3. Removed HPLIP (again) and installed it from http://hplip.sourceforge.net : Nada.

4. I wondered if maybe it was a USB port error/issue, so plugged it into a different port: Again, same issues.

5. Uninstalled and reinstalled the printer via both CUPS and HPLIP like a bazillion times (okay, maybe about ten times...): No joy there, either.

What I *haven't* tried yet: Checking if CUPS (and/or HPLIP) is starting automatically on boot and, if not, setting it to start. I haven't tried this because I've forgotten how to do so...

I also have issues with scanning - i.e. I can't. But I figure that's because HPLIP isn't reading the printer properly. XSANE says "No devices available" and Kooka (my preference for scanning) opens and does nothing... But I'd obviously prefer to get the printer back up and running first, before tackling this, assuming this problem doesn't correct itself once the printer is working right.

Sorry for the length of this post. I've tried to be as detailed as possible about what I have and haven't done so far to fix this. Does anyone have any ideas/solutions? I'll buy you a beer!

*** UPDATE *** For some reason, I decided to open HPLIP as root and it shows the printer as enabled and idle. I've just printed a test page successfully. So maybe it's a user-privileges issue??

Okay, I've managed to get hplip to show the printer properly without opening it in root by changing the permissions in /dev/bus/usb - however, the printer is still loading in the "stopped" mode and I have to manually start it through CUPS (HPLIP won't let me start it - it asks for a password for localhost but both my root password and user passwords don't work, it just pops up the password box again and again...)

Any ideas?

It's /etc/cups-autoconfig.conf

You've got to change the line where it says disable printer on removal from yes to no. Like magic your printer will not be started in a stopped state.

Also, when you use YaST to setup the printer you need to change the connection from USB to hp-backend. When you click finish, YaST will pop up a message stating that it will be loading hplip at startup since you are using the hp-backend.

We used to also have to add our normal user to the lp group, but that is no longer necessary with the latest hplip. There is a Build Service repo that keeps the latest hplip and will also install the proper versions of hplip-hpijs and whatever other dependencies are needed. I didn't one-click it like you did. I just added the repo and upgraded from it within YaST. But the results, theoretically, should be the same.

Still, with my deskjet D4160, after some change has been made to the modules at boot such as alsa-kmp or xorg upgraded packages, I also will get an undetected printer when opening hp-toolbox. There is no need to mess with setting up the printer again. The lights on my printer are flashing when this happens and I just push the power button on it. The printer resets and in a few moments hp-toolbox restores the previous settings I had. The reason it can do that is because a recent fix in hplip has newly detected printers receive the same name when being automatically detected by udev. So we don't get HPD4160-2, but just HPD4160 and so the system just loads the already setup properties it has.

When closing hp-toolbox after this happens, KDE will send a message that hp psc devices require a special setup. This can be ignored, since if you open hp-toolbox again immediately you will see that it instantly detects the printer and if you then close it you don't receive that message.

There is no need to load hp-toolbox with kdesu hp-toolbox and select to start the printer if you change that /etc/cups-autoconfig.conf selection from yes to no. But, by the way, that is how you would be able to start the printer without the useless password request if you didn't make that change. Just kdesu hp-toolbox and hit the Start Printer button on the tab where it tells you the state is stopped. It'll just do it. But, just change that one setting so you won't need to do that.

Oh. And change your permissions for usb and stuff back to default. There's no need to have a security risk. The program will work fine using the latest version and changing that one config file in etc.

Okay, I've managed to get hplip to show the printer properly without opening it in root by changing the permissions in /dev/bus/usb - however, the printer is still loading in the "stopped" mode and I have to manually start it through CUPS (HPLIP won't let me start it - it asks for a password for localhost but both my root password and user passwords don't work, it just pops up the password box again and again...)

Any ideas?
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I was tearing my hair out with an HP 7310ix. My printer is networked through my router. CUPS couldn't find it until I used an ip address for it. It has its own hostname. So, maybe that is what CUPS is looking for.

Looking at my cups setup, to jog my memory, I saw that CUPS "found" my usb printer. It was already connected, but I added it to go through the steps. CUPS rejected my user name and password but accepted me with the root password. What I was trying to see is if CUPS has its own user or group that you must be in, but I didn't see that and my user is not in a special group. I cannot remember how I got around the password issue with CUPS, but somebody will In the old days, (pre-suse 10) CUPS ran as user lp. Maybe you need to be in the user group lp, to get your password to work. Add your user to the lp group, since it can't hurt.

You tried manual install, but did you try kmenu-->applications-->system-->monitor-->hp device manager (hp toolbox)? That makes everything work, including scan. I prefer xsane to kooka, although both work.

OOPS! Didn't see the detailed post from Eck, while editing. :blush:

Here is what I was trying to remember: suse has its own relationship with cups

You do need to create and use an lp password!

Oh, thanks, guys! I'm going to try out your suggestions now. Many thanks

Yay! You guys are simply awesome! Thanks a lot, now my printer works on startup, xsane and kooka works, and I'm able to do what my all-in-one is supposed to do!

You gotta love the linux community! Thanks.