I am trying to get my HP Laserjet 8150 working again on openSUSE 11.0. It was recognized and configured correctly, but I have a couple of problems. First, Okular does not recognize that my printer has a duplex unit installed, even though I enabled it in the Yast Printer module (and all the other apps I tried do recognize it). Second, even though the printer’s on board configuration, the Yast module, and the app I am printing from (i.e, KPDF) are set to print to “Letter”, when the printer gets the data, it complains that there is no “A4” paper available. I had this same problem before with openSUSE 10.3, and I ended up having to use a different PPD file. I tried that again (following a link from HP’s site), but no difference. I think that I am using the wrong PPD, but I don’t know where I found the working one last time (I got it last time through a link on suseforums.net).
I saw that webpage for CUPS printers, and it looked really interesting. However when it asked me for my root password to save the settings, my reaction was, “No f-ing way!” I am not in the habit of giving away my root password to webpages and am not about to start.
What you can try is installing the HPlip packages in Yast, those seem to help. And then reconfigure your printer afterward.
Also, there while configuring the printer, there is a box called “driver options” with some grayed-out stuff below it. If you uncheck and then recheck the box, you the stuff will get un-grayed and allow you to set the default tray.
On my HP Laserjet 1320, tray one is the default tray, which is bad because tray one is manual feed, and tray two is where the paper feeder is located. And you can’t switch trays in the printer properties applet that comes up when you print something.
So my advice is to play around with the settings and eventually you will get the right tray selected and it will work.
At least, that’s how I did it with my 1320. I had an easier time in 10.3 with this HP Laserjet stuff, but it was no picnic there either.
foresthill wrote:
> I saw that webpage for CUPS printers, and it looked really interesting.
> However when it asked me for my root password to save the settings, my
> reaction was, “No f-ing way!” I am not in the habit of giving away my
> root password to webpages and am not about to start.
If it is any consolation, that web page is on localhost, i.e. it
doesn’t travel anywhere outside your machine.
> I am trying to get my HP Laserjet 8150 working again on openSUSE 11.0.
> It was recognized and configured correctly, but I have a couple of
> problems. First, Okular does not recognize that my printer has a duplex
> unit installed, even though I enabled it in the Yast Printer module (and
> all the other apps I tried do recognize it). Second, even though the
> printer’s on board configuration, the Yast module, and the app I am
> printing from (i.e, KPDF) are set to print to “Letter”, when the printer
> gets the data, it complains that there is no “A4” paper available. I had
> this same problem before with openSUSE 10.3, and I ended up having to
> use a different PPD file. I tried that again (following a link from HP’s
> site), but no difference. I think that I am using the wrong PPD, but I
> don’t know where I found the working one last time (I got it last time
> through a link on suseforums.net).
>
> I’d really appreciate some pointers!
If you have a PPD problem, it isn’t that hard to correct it manually.
But what worries me, is that some apps behave differently from others.
That might indicated a porly integrated (or poorly ported) soft. The Gimp
has that problem. Does it’s own printer managment, instead of using the
system’s. Result: some options (and even some printers) just don’t work.
I don’t have any experience with Okular, so I’ll leave that to others.
But you paper size problem, is that for all applications, or just some?
The paper size problem happens whenever I start a print job. As far as I can tell, there is no setting anywhere allowing A4 paper; every option I can find is set to Letter.
I will try checking the CUPS page and see if there’s anything there.
if we enter http://localhost:631/ in our web browser address, we get our CUPS, and six along in the first menu is “Manage Printers”;
if we click on that, we get our default printer:
seven along in those options, is “Set Printer Options”; if we click on that;
is a General section, and top of the list is Media Size; (ours is set at A4);
not sure if that will be the overall arbiter of what determines paper size but maybe …
to reassure foresthill, I believe as local host that all this remains on the computer; (and to enter the above options, I wasn’t asked for a root login either …)