HPLIP

office jet j4500 stand alone copy

Asked by schwarz

System: xubuntu 8.04
Printer: HP Officejet j4524 All-in-One, German version
hplip 2.8.12

Problem:
Obviously due to legal problems with German laws regarding intellectual property this printer does not support direct copying by simply pressing the button at the front panel. "xsane --copy" works, but hp-makecopies or the corresponding function in the hplip-gui are not functional.

According to the manual under Windows or OS-X the printer checks for a process running on the PC and then allows for a direct copy. I do not have one of these systems at hand so I can't check this in detail.

While it will be hopeless to make the device take a copy without the PC running (a trivial function for a All-in-One device, on might think), it might be almost trivial to include the corresponding function from the Apple to hplip. Then it will at least take a copy with the PC switched on without a user login. Support for copying for German users of HP All-in-One devices will be highly welcome. We actually do suffer quite a bit from stupid laws.

best regards

Output of hp-check -t
(don't know how to make an attachment here, so I just include it)

$ hp-check -t

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 2.8.12)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 14.1

Copyright (c) 2001-8 Hewlett-Packard 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).

Saving output in log file: hp-check.log

Initializing. Please wait...
\

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

Basic system information:
Linux grandmaspc 2.6.24-22-generic #1 SMP Mon Nov 24 18:32:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

Distribution:
ubuntu 8.04

HPOJ running?
No, HPOJ is not running (OK).

Checking Python version...
OK, version 2.5.2 installed

Checking PyQt 3.x version...
OK, version 3.17 installed.

Checking PyQt 4.x version...

Checking for CUPS...
Status: Scheduler wird ausgeführt
Version: 1.3.7
error_log is set to level: warn
note: For troubleshooting printing issues, it is best to have the CUPS 'LogLevel'
note: set to 'debug'. To set the LogLevel to debug, edit the file /etc/cups/cupsd.conf (as root),
note: and change the line near the top of the file that begins with 'LogLevel' to read:
note: LogLevel debug
note: Save the file and then restart CUPS (see your OS/distro docs on how to restart CUPS).
note: Now, when you print, helpful debug information will be saved to the file:
note: /var/log/cups/error_log
note: You can monitor this file by running this command in a console/shell:
note: tail -f /var/log/cups/error_log

Checking for dbus/python-dbus...
dbus daemon is running.
python-dbus version: 0.82.4

------------------------------------
| COMPILE AND RUNTIME DEPENDENCIES |
------------------------------------

note: To check for compile-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -c parameter (ie, hp-check -c).
note: To check for run-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -r parameter (ie, hp-check -r).

Checking for dependency: cups - Common Unix Printing System...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: cups-ddk - CUPS driver development kit...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: cups-devel- Common Unix Printing System development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: dbus - Message bus system...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libjpeg - JPEG library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libpthread - POSIX threads library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libtool - Library building support services...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libusb - USB library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan)...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: ppdev - Parallel port support kernel module....
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PyQt 3- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 3.x)...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x)...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-ctypes - A foreign function library for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-dbus - Python bindings for dbus...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-devel - Python development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python XML libraries...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.3 or greater - Required for fax functionality...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Reportlab - PDF library for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: scanimage - Shell scanning program...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE...
OK, found.

----------------------
| HPLIP INSTALLATION |
----------------------

Currently installed HPLIP version...
HPLIP 2.8.12 currently installed in '/usr/share/hplip'.

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

[hplip]
version=2.8.12

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/hpijs/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd/hpijs
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-2.8.12
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp/

# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
pp-build=yes
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
foomatic-drv-install=yes
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=yes
internal-tag=2.8.12.26
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt3
qt3=yes
qt4=no

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[last_used]
device_uri = hp:/usb/Officejet_J4500_series?serial=CN88K56273052T

[commands]
scan_int = False
fax = hp-sendfax -d %FAX_URI%
scan = xsane -V %SANE_URI%
prnt = hp-print -p%PRINTER%
pcard_int = True
prnt_int = True
pcard = hp-unload -d %DEVICE_URI%
cpy = hp-makecopies -d %DEVICE_URI%
fax_int = True
cpy_int = True

[alerts]
email_from_address =
email_alerts = False
email_to_addresses =

[installation]
version = 2.8.12.26
date_time = 12/30/08 13:43:01

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

-------------------------------
| DISCOVERED PARALLEL DEVICES |
-------------------------------

No devices found.

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

  Device URI Model
  --------------------------------------- -------------------------
  hp:/usb/Officejet_J4500_series?serial=C HP Officejet J4500 series
  N88K56273052T

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

warning: No queues found.

----------------------
| SANE CONFIGURATION |
----------------------

'hpaio' in '/etc/sane.d/dll.conf'...
OK, found. SANE backend 'hpaio' is properly set up.

Checking output of 'scanimage -L'...
device `hpaio:/usb/Officejet_J4500_series?serial=CN88K56273052T' is a Hewlett-Packard Officejet_J4500_series all-in-one

---------------------
| PYTHON EXTENSIONS |
---------------------

Checking 'cupsext' CUPS extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'pcardext' Photocard extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'hpmudext' I/O extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'scanext' SANE scanning extension...
OK, found.

-----------------
| USB I/O SETUP |
-----------------

Checking for permissions of USB attached printers...

HP Device 0x2a12 at 007:004:
    Device URI: hp:/usb/Officejet_J4500_series?serial=CN88K56273052T
    Device node: /dev/bus/usb/007/004
    Mode: 0660
getfacl: Removing leading '/' from absolute path names
# file: dev/bus/usb/007/004
# owner: lp
# group: lp
user::rw-
user:schwarz:rw-
group::rw-
mask::rw-
other::---

-----------
| SUMMARY |
-----------

No errors or warnings.

Done.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
HPLIP Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
schwarz
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Andrew Malcolmson (andmalc) said : 		#1

The printer does not need to connect to a process on a computer to make a copy - It does require this to scan. You should be able to make a copy with the printer entirely standalone.

What happens when you press the copy button?

Revision history for this message
schwarz (gu-schwarz) said : 		#2

Pressing the copy button with the Ubuntu system running hplip the printer's display reads:

To copy: Device must be connected to a PC that this turned on and running the HP software. Press OK.

What is needed to resolve this issue is a variant of hplip for the German (not the German speaking) market that takes care of the silliness of laws around here. I have no idea what the printer might request from the PC prior to initiating the copy. I suspect it will be something trivial like a file being present or a process running. Note again that I do not expect this error on a printer sold in another country. Also my old All-in-One unit can do standalone copies just fine.

Revision history for this message
Andrew Malcolmson (andmalc) said : 		#3

Wow, that's a new one on me. I don't suppose it would help if you changed the country setting from the printer's setup menu to something other than Germany. I can't tell you specifically where to find the setting but most printers will have this. You can also reset it by pressing # and 3 on the keypad while plugging it in. Turn the printer back on if it turns off. This should bring up the display with prompts to set language and country settings.

Revision history for this message
schwarz (gu-schwarz) said : 		#4

I can confirm that changing the country settings has no effect. In fact I suppose it to be hopeless to change anything on the printer. HP does not not offer firmware images online (not even a pdf with the manual), so I can't see any way to update the firmware like it can be done easily on Laser Jet models.

Revision history for this message
dwelch91 (dwelch91) said : 		#5

As far as I know, this model is one that requires software to do a copy job
(that is, the built-in firmware cannot make copies by itself). I will
confirm this when I get back into the office next week.

Generally speaking, HP inkjet printers do not usually have the capability to
update firmware. There are exceptions to this, but that is mostly true.

For right now, the workaround for printers of this type is to make a scan
and then print the scan. We will be working on a better solution in '09.

On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 11:35 PM, schwarz <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #55863 on HPLIP changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/55863
>
> Status: Needs information => Open
>
> schwarz gave more information on the question:
> I can confirm that changing the country settings has no effect. In fact
> I suppose it to be hopeless to change anything on the printer. HP does
> not not offer firmware images online (not even a pdf with the manual),
> so I can't see any way to update the firmware like it can be done easily
> on Laser Jet models.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a member of HP
> Linux Imaging and Printing, which is an answer contact for HPLIP.
>

Revision history for this message
dwelch91 (dwelch91) said : 		#6

BTW, when you mentioned PDFs, are you asking about manuals in PDF format? I
was able to find this:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?product=3645094&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us

Is that what you are looking for?

On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 11:35 PM, schwarz <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #55863 on HPLIP changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/55863
>
> Status: Needs information => Open
>
> schwarz gave more information on the question:
> I can confirm that changing the country settings has no effect. In fact
> I suppose it to be hopeless to change anything on the printer. HP does
> not not offer firmware images online (not even a pdf with the manual),
> so I can't see any way to update the firmware like it can be done easily
> on Laser Jet models.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a member of HP
> Linux Imaging and Printing, which is an answer contact for HPLIP.
>

Revision history for this message
schwarz (gu-schwarz) said : 		#7

dwelch91 said:

> For right now, the workaround for printers of this type is to make a scan
> and then print the scan. We will be working on a better solution in '09.

Thanks for the input. A feature in future versions of hplip that will allow for a copy when the PC is running but without a user login will be very much appreciated.

> Is that what you are looking for?

Since my last posting I did find the German variant of the manual, c01368609.pdf, which is linked on HP's web pages for the j4580. The manual does not mention the restrictions I found for the j4524 as offered on the German market, so the j4580 and probably the j4540 might well be able to do a standalone copy. I suspect that the differences between these three models are entirely in firmware.