My Printer Won't Obey!

I am struggling to get my printer to print to Letter size paper. I have the filter settings (in the yast printer module) set to letter, tray set to Tray 2 (the letter tray on my printer), and I always check the kprint dialog's settings to print to letter and to tray two. But when I print, the printer complains that there is no A4 paper! I even went through the printer's onboard config to set all pages to be letter size. Still no luck. I then tried deleting the printer from yast, rebooting, and reconfiguring the printer from scratch with the correct settings. Still , the printer insists on using A4. I never have had this problem with Windows, so I am convinced the problem must lie within my trusty European distribution!

The funny thing is, it has worked before, with the same openSUSE version (10.3). So I know it can work.

Anybody know what I am doing wrong?

Printer brand and model? Are you connecting via usb or parallel port?

Sorry, meant to give that ifo. It's a HP Laserjet 8150N (network. Don't use the network port). Connects through parallel port.

Check out this thread, it might give you a few ideas:

http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=48263

Hmm, close, but my printer is printing fine. It just wants me to use the wrong paper size. I don't think that would be realated to the problem on that thread, do you?

would this apply to, for example, OpenOffice, or a wider range of programmes?

It applies to paper. That is, everything. KPDF, OpenOffice, kwrite, Firefox, you name it. So it's not an app specific problem.

Similar thread here. They write about the ppd file needing to be modified. I know its a different model, but could the same principle apply?

Edit: From the OpenPrinting database, this page is relevant to your printer. It has several drivers listed, and includes a recommended 'custom ppd' as well as the 'hpijs' driver. You could try them both.

After reading more info from the OpenPrinting site, I think your problem can be corrected quite easily.

Let me ask, do you have more than one ppd file you can use when configuring the printer? If so, you might try experimenting with different ones. That's what worked for me to get my somewhat similar HP Laserjet 1320 working.

Also, IIRC there might be a program or two on your install disc relating to HP printers that you could try installing, and then after that try deleting your printer profile and re-configuring it.

I can't give you any super specific help because I don't own your model of printer, my hunch is that if you play around with those ppd files, maybe even ones for similar model printers you'll find one that works correctly. Also, if you have the option of connecting via usb try that, rerun the configuration process in Yast and see if that solves the problem.

I'm very sorry if I don't have the exact answer you are looking for, but most of these types of problem have to be figured out on your own, and that's what makes Linux so very special and its users some of the cleverest computer people around (except for me).

I'm very sorry if I don't have the exact answer you are looking for, but most of these types of problem have to be figured out on your own, and that's what makes Linux so very special and its users some of the cleverest computer people around (except for me).
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Clever words, my friend!

But I am not sure what you mean by ppd file? I am no printing guru, and I've never gotten into the guts of printing on linux.

@Dean. I think you may have got me on the right track. Will post back later.