[PLUG] Re: Printer hassles

[George Langford <george@georgesbasement.com>]

Will Dyson wrote in reply to:

On 11/16/06, George Langford <george@georgesbasement.com> wrote:
> > Now it's CUPS hassles.
> >
> > I found out where the PPD files are located, unzipped the one that the
> > Epson Stylus Photo 870 wants (escp2-870.ppd) and then reinstalled the
> > printer driver ... countless times.  At every instance, when I invoke
> > "lpoptions -l" it says: "lpoptions: Destination /dev/usb has no PPD file!"

> You sound pretty frustrated. I sympathize with that, but you'll have
> to post some more background information before this list can really
> help you.
>
> A few good places to start would be:
> What distribution are you running?

debian - Sarge - 2.6.8-2-k7

> What cups and lp related packages do you have installed?

CUPS: 1.1.x
lp - haven't a clue.

> What steps have you taken to configure the printer with cups? Have  
> you setup the printer through cups's web interface, or by editing  
> the config files directly?
> What, exactly, do you mean by "reinstalled the printer driver"?

Delete the printer, then re-install it thru the CUPS web interface.
S/W: Epson Stylus Photo 870 Foomatic/Stp870p.upp (recommended)

> Just as a generic hint, it is much easier to setup a printer via the  
> cups web interface (http://localhost:631/). It will auto-detect your  
> USB connected printer and allow you to specify the driver to use  
> with it. The correct PPD file should be discovered and used  
> automatically as well.

Interesting. I did all that ... and I even copied & pasted the
escp2-870.ppd file into every spot I thought it ought to be, using
the ppd file for my HP laserjet printer (already installed quite some
time ago) as a hint.  What I cannot fathom is whether the CUPS
installation process renames the PPD file ... all caps or all lower
case ... completely new name ... or what not.  That's what makes this
process so frustrating.

One clue: Weird ... yesterday, when I was stumbling around in CUPS,
when I chose "modify printer" I got an error message ... but not today.

Another clue:
                 lpoptions -p /dev/usb/lp0 -l
                 lpoptions: Destination /dev/usb has no PPD file!

Where _does_ the PPD file belong ?

Before all this started, perhaps triggered by a power outage during
which my UPS never uttered a peep and ran out of gas, letting the PC
die a slow death (and hosing Win98SE on another PC) the printer
worked fine.  It had been installed with CUPS with zero hassle. Now
CUPS isn't doing its job.  If I thought the printer SW or the printer
was ever so slightly under the weather, I'd punt, get a $50 inkjet
like the one my missus got a while back, and start its installation
with a clean slate.  But if the problem is lurking deep inside debian
or CUPS, then I'll be out fifty bucks and another lost workday.

Thanks for speaking up.

George

George Langford
george@georgesbasement.com

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