Hi!
In 11.3 I used an Epson Stylus Color 600 which worked well enough.
Now I’m quite disappointed that this so called ‘best version ever’ (11.4) refuses to recognize this printer.
The modules parport, parport_pc, and lp are all loaded. My printer is on and connected, but OpenSuse claims that there is nothing.
Has anyone else got the same or a similar problem?
cups and gutenprint are installed?
zypper se -si cups gutenprint
I’m assuming you didn’t manage to get your printer configured. Try configuring your (attached) printer with the CUPS interface. From a browser pointing at
Add Printer (enter root credentials when prompted) > LPT #1 > give printer a name > choose Epson make, then your model’s gutenprint driver > ‘Add Printer’ when done. Try a test print (from the ‘Printers’ section, under ‘Maintenance’). All good?
Epson drivers for linux are made by a company called avasys and I’ve found I have to use a driver from their site to get my epson printer working, different model to yours so I can’t tell you the exact one you need, have a look on their site: Download | AVASYS CORPORATION
zypper se -si cups gutenprint
returns:
S | Name | Typ | Version | Arch | Repository
--+--------------------+-------+-------------+------+------------------
i | cups | Paket | 1.4.6-6.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | cups-client | Paket | 1.4.6-6.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | cups-libs | Paket | 1.4.6-6.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | gutenprint | Paket | 5.2.6-5.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | libgnomecups | Paket | 0.2.3-122.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | python-cups | Paket | 1.9.52-4.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
i | python-cupshelpers | Paket | 1.2.5-4.1 | i586 | openSUSE-11.4-Oss
I’m assuming you didn’t manage to get your printer configured.
You’re right! I’ve already tried to configure it the way you described it but I failed after “Add printer”: There is no entry like “LPT #1”. I don’t expect this to be a hardware problem since this entry appeared in version 11.3. Do I have to install some “lpt” package or something?
Thanks for your help so far!
There is no entry like “LPT #1”. I don’t expect this to be a hardware problem since this entry appeared in version 11.3. Do I have to install some “lpt” package or something?
Your on the right track. If ‘LPT #1’ (or similar) is missing, then this indicates no parallel port driver loaded. I can simulate this with ‘modprobe -r lp’. So, check that the lp module is loaded again. For reference, I have
# lsmod |grep lp
lp 8082 0
parport 34052 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
If you can confirm that lp is loaded, the next step is to confirm that /dev/lp* exists
# ls -l /dev/lp*
crw-rw---- 1 root lp 6, 0 2011-03-26 09:18 /dev/lp0
If you get that far, the CUPS ‘Add Printer’ should show ‘LPT #1’ as a local printer backend option.
Now, you may find you need to make lp load at boot via YaST > System > /etc/sysconfig Editor (but we can expand on that later if necessary).
OK.
First I tried
modprobe -r lp
which forced me to reboot because I didn’t know how to reverse that command.
After reboot I got:
# ls -l /dev/lp*
crw-rw---- 1 root lp 6, 0 26. Mär 10:09 /dev/lp0
# lsmod |grep lp
lp 7917 0
parport 33974 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
So actually everything’s fine. But the fun begins now: I opened CUPS and it really showed the LPT#1 option. Then I realized that I had forgotten to connect the printer. After having done that I tried CUPS again and now the LPT#1 option has disappeared!!
Why the hell can’t that OS just work as well as it did in the version before?!
To load the lp module (with verbose output)
modprobe -v lp
Type ‘man modprobe’ for more options.
I opened CUPS and it really showed the LPT#1 option. Then I realized that I had forgotten to connect the printer. After having done that I tried CUPS again and now the LPT#1 option has disappeared!!
Not sure why it disappeared, but anyway with the printer plugged in and lp module loaded, (check with the lsmod command and load it manually if necessary), you should be able to configure CUPS to use your printer.
To automate the lp module loading at boot, follow the advice in this post. (Just the line concerning the lp module).
Not sure why it disappeared, but anyway with the printer plugged in and lp module loaded, (check with the lsmod command and load it manually if necessary), you should be able to configure CUPS to use your printer.
No I don’t think so: Printer is plugged in and lp is loaded. But without the LPT#1 entry I can’t do anything in CUPS. How should I be able to configure the printer?
I’m not running 11.4, and I don’t have an parallel port, although I do have the lp driver loaded. I don’t understand why LPT #1 is not present now. Does it only disappear when your printer is connected?
Try restarting CUPS:
rccups restart
You may also need to remove any existing printer config (rm -f /etc/cups/printers.conf), before proceeding.
Not sure what else to suggest here.
Unintentionally closed. Re-opened. Apologies to codester.
Thanks. No problem.
Does it only disappear when your printer is connected?
Yes. If I open CUPS while the printer is unplugged the option is there. If I then plug the printer and try CUPS again the option has vanished. I can the unplug the printer and the option comes back. I would say: That’s magic! :\
Restarting CUPS or removing existing printer configurations (in fact there are none) doesn’t solve the problem.
Yes. If I open CUPS while the printer is unplugged the option is there. If I then plug the printer and try CUPS again the option has vanished. I can the unplug the printer and the option comes back. I would say: That’s magic!
Ok, lets try another approach. (There is some kind of bug present here). Use CUPS ‘Add Printer’, but this time enter the URI manually. Choose ‘Other Network Printers’ (or any of the other options), then manually enter this URI into the ‘Connection’ box (for parallel printing)
parallel:/dev/lp0
Continue from there. When done, select ‘Printers’, then your printer listed. Click on ‘Maintenance’, ‘Print Test Page’.
See how that goes
OK I tried the new approach. CUPS doesn’t complain about anything I even successfully issued the command for a test page. But my printer remained silent.
Then I remembered that I had to load lp via modprobe and now it works. Very nice!
Thank you for your help! 
The only thing that remains is: I added “lp” to MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT in /etc/sysconfig/ - “Kernel”. Was that right?
I also thought about why the lp module isn’t loaded on boot by default: Is it because most printers now are connected via usb and few people need it anymore?
On 03/28/2011 08:36 AM, codester wrote:
>
> OK I tried the new approach. CUPS doesn’t complain about anything I even
> successfully issued the command for a test page. But my printer remained
> silent.
>
> Then I remembered that I had to load lp via modprobe and now it
> works. Very nice!
>
> Thank you for your help!
>
> The only thing that remains is: I added “lp” to MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT
> in /etc/sysconfig/ - “Kernel”. Was that right?
Yes.
> I also thought about why the lp module isn’t loaded on boot by default:
> Is it because most printers now are connected via usb and few people
> need it anymore?
No, the reason the module is not loaded automatically is that the parallel port
has no special ID to indicate that the hardware exists the way that a PCI or USB
device does. That is what the comment in that section of /etc/sysconfig/kernel says.
OK I tried the new approach. CUPS doesn’t complain about anything I even successfully issued the command for a test page. But my printer remained silent.
Then I remembered that I had to load lp via modprobe and now it works. Very nice!
Thank you for your help!
Great work codester! Perseverance paid off.