Printer setup ain't what it used to be

[sofasurfer]

16.04 detected and setup my printer perfectly every time. Now with 20.04 its like the old days when you had to manually figure it all out. Am I missing something or what. In 16.04 I opened the dialog window, my printer was recognized by name and in a click or two I was printing. Now, however, I have to relearn what CUPS is all about and how to use it. Is there a shortcut here anywhere? I even reinstalled my OS with the printer turned on in the hope that it would be recognized and set up. By the way, its a HP officejet 3830. Can I by any chance install the print package from 16.04 and delete the one from 20.04?

[brian_p]

Now, however, I have to relearn what CUPS is all about and how to use it. Is there a shortcut here anywhere?

No shortcuts:

https://wiki.debian.org/CUPSQuickPrintQueues

For the scanner:

https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/690723

[ajgreeny]

It's a long time since I had any problem with HP printers, in fact I don't think I ever have, and for the past several installations I have made of any of the *buntu family, our HP printer connected by wireless has been found with no action on my part.

It should be easy to find the printer whether USB or wireless connected, though it is important to give it a static IP address if using wireless.

If you continue to have problems try using the hplip-gui which you will need to install, which you may find easier than cups, though it should not be difficult using cups alone.

[The Cog]

Just a thought - maybe you have enabled a firewall that blocks the printer's announcements?
I have Ubuntu 20.04 and an HP envy just appears in my printers list. Mildly annoying is that if I rename it, another printer with the original name appears in the printers dialog within a minute or two. But I'll happily live with that.

[brian_p]

Just a thought - maybe you have enabled a firewall that blocks the printer's announcements?
I have Ubuntu 20.04 and an HP envy just appears in my printers list. Mildly annoying is that if I rename it, another printer with the original name appears in the printers dialog within a minute or two. But I'll happily live with that.

It is not possible to change the name (destination) of an existing print queue. What the so-called renaming does is take the existing queue's attributes (URI etc) and create a second queue with the same attributes but a different name (destination). The first queue is then deleted.

However, you have cups-browsed on the system and it will auto-setup the first queue again. You do not need to live with this:

apt purge cups-browsed

[cmcanulty]

Have you installed HPLIP? It makes HP printer setup and management very easy

https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing

[ajgreeny]

Have you installed HPLIP? It makes HP printer setup and management very easy

https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing

If you want a GUI for hplip, which is installed by default, I think, you need to install hplip-gui as I mentioned above.
If you are having problems finding the printer it is usually very simple with the HP-Toolbox that it provides, though you may have to enter the IP of the printer when trying to detect it.

[sofasurfer]

Have you installed HPLIP? It makes HP printer setup and management very easy

https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing

I do have hplip installed. I did NOT have hplip gui installed. I will try gui after I read the rest of the posts.

[sofasurfer]

you may have to enter the IP of the printer when trying to detect it.

How do I find the printer IP?

[sofasurfer]

Here is exactly what I am able to do now.
Open a text document. Click 'print'. Error message says'could not start printer. Check printer configuration. I open printer dialog box and there is no printer. I click 'add printer'. It searches for printer and then says 'CUPS BRF PRINTER. I click 'ADD'. It says 'CUPS BRF PRINTER READY model Generic Text Only Printer'. I go back to my document and click 'print' and it says 'Could not start printer. Check your configuration'. I go back to the printer dialog box and click 'additional printer settings'. It shows 'CUPS BRF PRINTER'. I have no idea what to do after that.