Printer usb / parallel cable not found by Lucid Lynx

[johnfrith]

Samsung ML4500 Parallel printer on USB port only worked under Karmic by adding printer using URI of: parallel:/dev/usb/lp0
On upgrading to Lucid, printer worked after deleting and re-installing printer in System > Printing. Than after recent upgrade, system doesn't see printer, says "printer may not be connected". Any help appreciated. You can help the environment if you can help me figure this out, as I won't have to throw it away and buy a new one.

Don't really understand anything below, but posted in case it helps.


john@jf:~$ lsusb
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 045e:00d1 Microsoft Corp. Optical Mouse with Tilt Wheel
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 5986:0241 Acer, Inc
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0bda:8189 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8187B Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Adapter
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
john@jf:~$ dmesg | tail -n10
[ 29.864166] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
[ 40.412010] wlan0: no IPv6 routers present
[ 54.985999] process `skype' is using obsolete setsockopt SO_BSDCOMPAT
[ 91.541130] __ratelimit: 9 callbacks suppressed
[ 91.541133] type=1503 audit(1281041070.652:15): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"
[ 91.541153] type=1503 audit(1281041070.652:16): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"
[ 108.031800] type=1503 audit(1281041087.139:17): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"
[ 108.031816] type=1503 audit(1281041087.139:18): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"
[ 118.430298] type=1503 audit(1281041097.539:19): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"
[ 118.430314] type=1503 audit(1281041097.539:20): operation="open" pid=1039 parent=1 profile="/usr/sbin/cupsd" requested_mask="r::" denied_mask="r::" fsuid=0 ouid=0 name="/var/run/utmp"

[clrg]

Disconnect the printer, remove the driver, reboot, connect the printer, install the driver, and check whether it works.

[johnfrith]

Thanks for posting clrg.

I had 'issues' with the driver when I first moved to linux earlier this year, and now I don't know if I'm using a custom driver, or one provide by Ubuntu, or if it makes a difference. How would I remove the driver? And how would I re-install it if it's not one bundled with Ubuntu?

Here is some output, in case it helps (don't really understand it myself). I've bolded any mention of RTL8187, which MAY be the driver.


john@jf:~$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
binfmt_misc 6587 1
ppdev 5259 0
snd_hda_codec_si3054 3396 1
snd_hda_codec_realtek 203312 1
joydev 8708 0
fbcon 35102 71
tileblit 2031 1 fbcon
font 7557 1 fbcon
bitblit 4707 1 fbcon
softcursor 1189 1 bitblit
vga16fb 11385 0
vgastate 8961 1 vga16fb
arc4 1153 2
snd_hda_intel 22037 4
snd_hda_codec 74201 3 snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda _intel
snd_hwdep 5412 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm_oss 35308 0
snd_mixer_oss 13746 1 snd_pcm_oss
i915 285891 3
snd_pcm 70886 5 snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,s nd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy 1338 0
snd_seq_oss 26726 0
snd_seq_midi 4557 0
snd_rawmidi 19056 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 6003 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 47263 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_mid i_event
snd_timer 19098 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 5700 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq
rtl8187 50680 0
mac80211 205146 1 rtl8187
uvcvideo 57022 0
snd 54148 20 snd_hda_codec_si3054,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda _intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mix er_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd _timer,snd_seq_device
videodev 34361 1 uvcvideo
v4l1_compat 13251 2 uvcvideo,videodev
cfg80211 126517 2 rtl8187,mac80211
eeprom_93cx6 1333 1 rtl8187
psmouse 63245 0
jmb38x_ms 7407 0
serio_raw 3978 0
memstick 8237 1 jmb38x_ms
drm_kms_helper 29297 1 i915
drm 163034 4 i915,drm_kms_helper
soundcore 6620 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 7172 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
sdhci_pci 5502 0
sdhci 15654 1 sdhci_pci
led_class 2864 2 rtl8187,sdhci
intel_agp 24415 2 i915
agpgart 31788 2 drm,intel_agp
i2c_algo_bit 5028 1 i915
video 17375 1 i915
output 1871 1 video
lp 7028 0
parport 32635 2 ppdev,lp
usbhid 36174 0
hid 67032 1 usbhid
r8169 34300 0
mii 4381 1 r8169TIA for any help.

[clrg]

Go to Administration-Printers. Alternatively, run


python /usr/share/system-config-printer/system-config-printer.py


in a Terminal. The GUI should be self-explanatory.

Ubuntu ships with drivers for almost any printer. I've never seen a model not supported by default.

[johnfrith]

Go to Administration-Printers.

Thanks for that clrg. My understanding is that this routine is for setting up printers, rather than drivers, and as I said in my first post, I've tried deleting the printer, and adding it again, with no improvement!

TIA for any help.

[clrg]

If you set up a new printer using the tool I provided, the driver gets installed. Same for removing.

[johnfrith]

Thanks clrg, but that is what I'd done already, as I said in my first post. I did it again, just to make sure, and it's still showing the same symptoms - system thinks it's not connected.

[clrg]

Sorry, I must've missed that.

I don't really have a clue about printer diagnosing, to be honest.

If available, check the manufacturer's homepage for a newer driver version. Also, try restarting CUPS (Common Unix Priniting System).


sudo service cupsd restart

[johnfrith]

Thanks for posting clrg.

Anyone else any ideas?

[johnfrith]

Last chance to help me avoid throwing out a perfectly good printer!

Even just to help me diagnose the problem would help.

TIA.

[clrg]

Does the printer work when you use a live CD?

[johnfrith]

In the course of trying a live cd's, I found the printer didn't work under Karmic any more, so it wasn't an op sys issue. Most embarrassed, as it turned out to be the cable. It was a new cable, and it had worked for a while, so I thought it unlikely to fail, but I thought wrong!

Thanks clrg, you did help - greatly appreciated.