Printing

[Amradman]

I tried the Live CD of Porteus (Newest RC-32 bit version) last night. I was quite impressed although there is a show stopper there. It found my printer but yet there is, or I could not find it, an option in the menu to set up or print. Did I over look some thing? Thank You in advance for any help.

[brokenman]

There is a well written post here that may help your understanding.

http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=822

[Amradman]

To complicated for me. I only know a few of the Linux skills and this is my first experience with a Slackware based system. But THANKS for the assistance. I do appreciate it.

[brokenman]

In short, we don't load all of the printer drivers in Porteus. The file size would be too big. If you can supply the model of your printer we may be able supply the method for printing with it.

[tadatma]

I have a canon 2900b printer and I am quite fascinated by the porteus distro. The canon site has made drivers available in .deb and .rpm format. That's all the information I have. How do I make this printer work with Porteus? This link http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=822 for a newbie like me is exhaustive and exhausting.
Your advice would be deeply appreciated.

[francois]

It looks more complicated than it is really! You just read the instructions and follow them. If there is some problem with some instructions, explain what you have done and what did not work. People will be please to help you.

However, I can try to make it simpler. First, you have to tell me if you are working with 64 or 32 bit version. Second, you have to give me the specification of your printer: brand name and model number. Finally, you have to tell me if your printer is connected thru usb or network. For sure the usb installation is simpler, but the network solution is also feasible.

Simplified instructions (32 bit and 64 bit porteus) for usb connected printer:

A. DOWNLOAD. Download the three following modules and transfer them into the /porteus/modules folder, and reboot immediately :

***32 bit***
ghostscript-9.00-i486-2.xzm
http://www.mediafire.com/?xh6euedfn1ockfs
ghostscript-fonts-std-8.11-noarch-1.xzm
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ivi3jjr4rmfv4r
gutenprint-5.2.6-i486-1.xzm
http://www.mediafire.com/?4ozig6cvvxs7vqj

***64bit***(for now there seems to be a bug)
ghostscript-9.02-x86_64-1_slack13.37.xzm
http://www.mediafire.com/?p0jctiymd7u471f
ghostscript-fonts-std-8.11-noarch-1.xzm
http://www.mediafire.com/?6ivi3jjr4rmfv4r
gutenprint-5.2.6-x86_64-1.xzm

B. CUPS. Open your web browser with the following link:
http://localhost:631/admin/

C. CUPS OPTIONS SELECTION. In the options offered by CUPS select:
1 ) Add new printer (do not use the find printer option)
2 ) Select your printer. If it is not there, just tell us, we will help you find the solution
3 ) Select set user defaults (unless you want to refine the setup)
4 ) To test proper functioning of the printer, select Maintenance > Print test page (if it comes out, your in business)

D. GENERIC PRINTER.
Laser Shot LBP2900, might work with generic pcl 6/pcl xl printer driver under CUPS.

If it does not work, come into a new thread on your printer, we will try to sort it out:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=1983

Note: edited as the modules link were no good, they are corrected now. In addition, compat libraries will not permit the use of the ghostscript modules.

[francois]

@Amradman:
Please provide your printer manufacturer and model.

[Ed_P]

Hi francois. I am a new Porteus/Linux user. I have a networked printer.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84 ... orkptr.png

What steps would I need to take to print?

[cttan]

Hi EdP,

Pls follow francois steps:-
B. CUPS. Open your web broser with the following link:
http://localhost:631/admin/

C. CUPS OPTIONS SELECTION. In the options offered by CUPS select:
1 ) Add new printer (do not use the find printer option)
2 ) Select your printer. (HP / PCL6)
3 ) Select set user defaults (unless you want to refine the setup)
4 ) To test proper functioning of the printer, select Maintenance > Print test page (if it comes out, your in business)

It should work. If you network printer is configure with password, then maybe we have to tinker with it a little bit.
I have managed to print using my office Konica Minolta which is password enabled. Pls let us know if you should face any issue.

[Ed_P]

Hi EdP,

Pls follow francois steps:-

Hi cttan. Thanks for responding.
I thought francois's instructions are for a USB connected printer.

B. CUPS. Open your web broser with the following link:
http://localhost:631/admin/

C. CUPS OPTIONS SELECTION. In the options offered by CUPS select:
1 ) Add new printer (do not use the find printer option)

When I do that I get prompted for a user name and password. I have to join CUPS?

[francois]

@EdP:
cttan is right you could manage you could manage your printer with generic printer driver PCL 6/PCL XL, but also with PCL 5e as your printer works with the hpijs driver (your printer is not in the hp driver list, and there does not seem to be compatible ones), see:
http://www.openprinting.org/printer/HP/ ... _Pro_K8600
http://82.157.70.109/mirrorbooks/linuxt ... B0120.html

Hp states that the network function does not work under slackware.
http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/mo ... _8600.html

However, its worth a try with the socket method:

INSTALLING A NETWORK PRINTER
1 ) start CUPS http://localhost:631/admin/ as root user (use root password)
2 ) add printer
3 ) AppSocket/HP JetDirect
4 ) Connection: socket://hostname (examples: socket://192.168.1.7 or socket://10.0.0.7. The ip address is to be found in your router administration program. In my netgear router, attached devices gave me my printer address, however you should have a fixed address or you will have to constantly change the socket address for your network printer. Under lan setup there is a topic called address reservation so to keep a fixed address for the printer.
5 ) Name: The printer name ( in your case HP-OfficeJet_Pro_K8600)
6 ) Model: GENERIC, PCL 6/PCL XL
7 ) Set Default options: Set Default Options (unless you are more refined than me)
8 ) To test proper functioning of the printer, select Maintenance > Print test page (if it comes out, your in business)

Another way would be to work with hplip instead of gutenprint. However, I don't know if it will work for network. See:
- 64 bit (see fanthom post for the needed dependencies):
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... lip#p10156
- 32 bit (wread's thread:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... lip#p10422

[Ed_P]

INSTALLING A NETWORK PRINTER
1 ) start CUPS http://localhost:631/admin/
2 ) add printer

Hi francois. What do I put into the user name / password fields prompt window that pops up when I click on Add printer?

[francois]

The root user is only allowed to manage CUPS. It should be user: root; password: your-root-password' or if you did not give any, password: toor

[Ed_P]

Thank you francois.

I tried setting the printer up as an AppSocket/HP JetDirect and as an Officejet Pro 8600 N911a (the top option in the list), both of which succeeded but when I tried to print with Leafpad in each case I got an error msg that said:

Warning
Could not print '/tmp/previewZI8DTW.pdf'.

when I did a print preview before printing.

If I did not do a print preview but simply a print option from Leafpad I did not get the error msg but nothing printed either regardless of which printer I chose.

Thoughts?

[francois]

Are you on 32 bit or 64bit?
You have choosen the GENERIC or the HP as the manufacturer?
What is the name you gave to your printer?

1) Did you tried the test page from the CUPS interface? This is important, if the test does not work, it will not work in your word processor or utility.
To test proper functioning of the printer, select Maintenance > Print test page (if it comes out, your in business)

2) From within your word processor or utility, be sure you selected the printer with the name that you choose.