HPLIP

Device is busy, powered down, or unplugged

Asked by Holger Burkhardt

OS: Ubuntu 16.04
Printer: Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw

Neither packaged hplip (3.16.3) nor current version from hp (3.16.5) are producing different results. In both cases, installing the printer seems to go ok. However, trying to print a test page complains: "Unable to communicate with printer HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw. Please check the printer and try again."

HPLIP Status Service reports "Device is busy, powered down, or unplugged" and HP Device Manager shows a white cross in red circle on top left corner of the printer icon.

Surprising enough, a scan (initiated through HP Device Manager) works ok and the white cross in red circle disappears. After the next test of printing, back to "Device is busy, ..."

Output of hp-check -t is the following (no obvious errors):

user@Computer:/tmp$ hp-check -t
Saving output in log file: /tmp/hp-check.log

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.16.5)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 15.1

Copyright (c) 2001-15 HP Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

Note: hp-check can be run in three modes:
1. Compile-time check mode (-c or --compile): Use this mode before compiling the HPLIP supplied tarball (.tar.gz or .run) to determine if
the proper dependencies are installed to successfully compile HPLIP.
2. Run-time check mode (-r or --run): Use this mode to determine if a distro supplied package (.deb, .rpm, etc) or an already built HPLIP
supplied tarball has the proper dependencies installed to successfully run.
3. Both compile- and run-time check mode (-b or --both) (Default): This mode will check both of the above cases (both compile- and
run-time dependencies).

Check types:
a. EXTERNALDEP - External Dependencies
b. GENERALDEP - General Dependencies (required both at compile and run time)
c. COMPILEDEP - Compile time Dependencies
d. [All are run-time checks]
PYEXT SCANCONF QUEUES PERMISSION

Status Types:
    OK
    MISSING - Missing Dependency or Permission or Plug-in
    INCOMPAT - Incompatible dependency-version or Plugin-version

---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

 Kernel: 4.4.0-22-generic #39-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 5 16:53:32 UTC 2016 GNU/Linux
 Host: Desktop-Osterbronn
 Proc: 4.4.0-22-generic #39-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 5 16:53:32 UTC 2016 GNU/Linux
 Distribution: 12 16.04
 Bitness: 64 bit

-----------------------
| HPLIP CONFIGURATION |
-----------------------

HPLIP-Version: HPLIP 3.16.5
HPLIP-Home: /usr/share/hplip
HPLIP-Installation: Auto installation is supported for ubuntu distro 16.04 version

Current contents of '/etc/hp/hplip.conf' file:
# hplip.conf. Generated from hplip.conf.in by configure.

[hplip]
version=3.16.5

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.16.5
html=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.16.5
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp
bin=/usr/bin
apparmor=/etc/apparmor.d
# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
libusb01-build=no
pp-build=no
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=no
foomatic-drv-install=no
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.16.5
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
qt5=no
policy-kit=no
lite-build=no
udev_sysfs_rules=no
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no
apparmor_build=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
[plugin]
installed = 1
eula = 1
version = 3.16.5

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[upgrade]
notify_upgrade = true
last_upgraded_time = 1463408364
pending_upgrade_time = 0
latest_available_version = 3.16.5

[settings]
systray_visible = 0
systray_messages = 0

[last_used]
device_uri = "hp:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw?ip=192.168.178.30"
printer_name = HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw
working_dir = .

[commands]
scan = /usr/bin/xsane -V %SANE_URI%

[refresh]
rate = 30
enable = false
type = 1

[polling]
enable = false
interval = 5
device_list =

[fax]
voice_phone =
email_address =

[installation]
date_time = 16.05.2016 16:46:54
version = 3.16.5

 <Package-name> <Package-Desc> <Required/Optional> <Min-Version> <Installed-Version> <Status> <Comment>

--------------
| COMPILEDEP |
--------------

 gcc gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler REQUIRED - 5.3.1 OK -
 make make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs REQUIRED 3.0 4.1 OK -
 libtool libtool - Library building support services REQUIRED - 2.4.6 OK -

------------------------
| General Dependencies |
------------------------

 libcrypto libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library REQUIRED - 1.0.2 OK -
 python-xml Python XML libraries REQUIRED - 2.1.0 OK -
 libnetsnmp-devel libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files REQUIRED 5.0.9 5.7.3 OK -
 sane-devel SANE - Scanning library development files REQUIRED - 1.0.25 OK -
 pil PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan) OPTIONAL - 1.1.7 OK -
 pyqt4-dbus PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4 REQUIRED 4.0 4.11.4 OK -
 libpthread libpthread - POSIX threads library REQUIRED - 2.23 OK -
 python-devel Python devel - Python development files REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.11 OK -
 cups-devel CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files REQUIRED - 2.1.3 OK -
 python-dbus Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus REQUIRED 0.80.0 1.2.0 OK -
 cups-ddk CUPS DDK - CUPS driver development kit OPTIONAL - - OK -
 reportlab Reportlab - PDF library for Python OPTIONAL 2.0 3.3.0 OK -
 pyqt4 PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x) REQUIRED 4.0 4.11.4 OK -
 libusb libusb - USB library REQUIRED - 1.0 OK -
 cups-image CUPS image - CUPS image development files REQUIRED - 2.1.3 OK -
 python2X Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.11 OK -
 python-notify Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications OPTIONAL - - OK -
 libjpeg libjpeg - JPEG library REQUIRED - - OK -
 sane SANE - Scanning library REQUIRED - 1.0.25 OK -

----------------------
| Scan Configuration |
----------------------

 scanext Scan-SANE-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -
 hpaio HPLIP-SANE-Backend REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK 'hpaio found in /etc/sane.d/dll.conf'

-------------------------
| External Dependencies |
-------------------------

 gs GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer REQUIRED 7.05 9.18 OK -
 cups CUPS - Common Unix Printing System REQUIRED 1.1 2.1.3 OK 'CUPS Scheduler is running'
 network network -wget OPTIONAL - 1.17.1 OK -
 scanimage scanimage - Shell scanning program OPTIONAL 1.0 1.0.25 OK -
 policykit PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework OPTIONAL - 0.105 OK -
 xsane xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE OPTIONAL 0.9 0.999 OK -
 dbus DBus - Message bus system REQUIRED - 1.10.6 OK -
 avahi-utils avahi-utils OPTIONAL - 0.6.32 OK -

---------------------
| Python Extentions |
---------------------

 hpmudext IO-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -
 cupsext CUPS-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -

------------------------------
| DISCOVERED SCANNER DEVICES |
------------------------------

device `hpaio:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw?ip=192.168.178.30' is a Hewlett-Packard HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw all-in-one

--------------------------
| DISCOVERED USB DEVICES |
--------------------------

No devices found.

---------------------------------
| INSTALLED CUPS PRINTER QUEUES |
---------------------------------

HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw
----------------------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw?ip=192.168.178.30
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw is idle. enabled since Mo 16 Mai 2016 16:29:38 CEST
Required plug-in status: Installed
Communication status: Good

HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw_fax
--------------------------------
Type: Fax
Device URI: hpfax:/net/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw?ip=192.168.178.30
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw_fax.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw_fax.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M277dw_fax is idle. enabled since Mo 16 Mai 2016 16:29:39 CEST
Required plug-in status: Installed
Communication status: Good

--------------
| PERMISSION |
--------------

No errors or warnings.

Done.

Question information

Language:
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Status:
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For:
HPLIP Edit question
Assignee:
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Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Holger Burkhardt (holgerburkhardt) said : 		#1

Additional info:
Ubuntu 16.04 is a fresh install (no upgrade)
Printer worked with Computer on previous Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, thus likely no hardware issue!

Revision history for this message
Holger Burkhardt (holgerburkhardt) said : 		#2

Interesting find:
HP Device Manager is still missing the connection for printing and thus not printing test page. However, printing from applications (LibreOffice et al.) seems to work.

Interesting find #2:
Wenn selecting page range in LO Writer (works with several docs), only part of the page (!) is printed and the rest of the text of this page is missing. This was however already the case in the previous set-up with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS!

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#3

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

Revision history for this message
Brian Carlson (abutilize) said : 		#4

I had the same problem. So After using a network sniffer (wireshark), I realized that the status was being returned by HTTP.

The problem is this:
1.) The mfp m277dw sets "Network->HTTPS Enforcement->"Always use HTTPS when connecting to the printer's embedded Web Server" by default
2.) the hp-systray sends request to request to http://<ip> which get redirected to https://<ip>, then the hp-system blows up when it doesn't have the self signed SSL certificate from the printer.

I'm using my printer for home/office behind a firewall with NO wireless, so I simply turned OFF the "Always use HTTPS when connecting to the printer's embedded Web server. "

The other option is to set up the self signed certificate as valid on each of your machines.

Hope this helps others....