Trying to install HPLIP and got the following error message { error: Configure failed with error: python-devel not found }, what is python-devel and how do I get it on my machine, Mint 18.3

Hi Ferguson,

Looks like you are installing HPLIP manually.
'python-devel' is one of the dependency package required for HPLIP.
Instead, you can install the hplip-3.18.6.run using below steps.

1. Do and OS update using command "sudo apt-get update".
2. Download and install HPLIP latest driver from the site, https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/gethplip

Thanks,
Srinivas Teja.

Hello Srinivas,

Thank you for your response.

I was not trying to install HPLIP manually. The steps you described above are exactly the same as I was originaly doing, however I did try again just in case I was doing something incorrectly. Predictably, I got the same result at the exact same point in the installation, (at the "Build and Install" step).

In my terminal window it generated a very large sequence of error messages which I pasted into my word processor, (50 pages).

I located the installer log in "hplip-install_Tue-31-Jul-2018_11:51:31.log" and it only contains a very small text document which simply tells me when the time and date the installation started, but contains no other data.

Is there anyway of attaching this error report as a document for you to view, or would it be more helpful if I simply pasted the entire thing as plain text into a message box, (it will make a very long message).

Further info.
Some time ago I successfully installed HPLIP on a second laptop belonging to my wife, (this laptop has exactly the same hardware specs as my own one).

Thank you for your time

Al Ferguson

Hi Ferguson,

Please do an update with command "sudo apt-get update" and then install python-devel package using command "sudo apt-get install python-devel". Then try installing hplip driver.
Also share the installation output.

Regards,
Srinivas Teja.

Please do an update with command "sudo apt-get update" and then install python-devel package using command "sudo apt-get install python-devel". Then try installing hplip driver.
Also share the installation output.

Hello,

Sorry for the delay, I have been away from my computer for a few days.

I followed your instructions regarding "update" and then "install python-devel", it failed.

Here is the output below

{{
al@al-Lenovo-ideapad-110-15ACL ~ $ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for al:
Hit:1 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:3 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:4 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:5 https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:6 http://ppa.launchpad.net/eugenesan/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [107 kB]
Hit:8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/rvm/smplayer/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:9 http://ppa.launchpad.net/wine/wine-builds/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Ign:10 http://mirrors.evowise.com/linuxmint/packages sylvia InRelease
Hit:11 http://mirrors.evowise.com/linuxmint/packages sylvia Release
Fetched 107 kB in 5s (19.6 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
al@al-Lenovo-ideapad-110-15ACL ~ $ sudo apt-get install python-devel
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package python-devel
}}

Do you want a copy of the output from my initial attempt to instal HPLIP, it is VERY long? If you do want it is there some way of attaching it to this message box, or should I just paste it as I did with the other output?

I am very appreciative of the time you are spending assisting me

Al

The name of the package that contains the development files for python in Ubuntu xenial is named python-dev.

What output do you receive for the command

sudo apt-get install python-dev

Hello Manfred,

Thank you for your response.

I entered "sudo apt-get install python-dev" into my terminal.

As you can see from the output below, it appears to have installed the package correctly.

{{
al@al-Lenovo-ideapad-110-15ACL ~ $ sudo apt-get install python-dev
[sudo] password for al:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libexpat1-dev libpython-dev libpython2.7-dev python2.7-dev
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libexpat1-dev libpython-dev libpython2.7-dev python-dev python2.7-dev
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 32 not upgraded.
Need to get 28.2 MB of archives.
After this operation, 42.1 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 libexpat1-dev amd64 2.1.0-7ubuntu0.16.04.3 [115 kB]
Get:2 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 libpython2.7-dev amd64 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3 [27.8 MB]
Get:3 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 libpython-dev amd64 2.7.12-1~16.04 [7,840 B]
Get:4 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 python2.7-dev amd64 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3 [276 kB]
Get:5 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 python-dev amd64 2.7.12-1~16.04 [1,186 B]
Fetched 28.2 MB in 4s (5,706 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libexpat1-dev:amd64.
(Reading database ... 458717 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libexpat1-dev_2.1.0-7ubuntu0.16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libexpat1-dev:amd64 (2.1.0-7ubuntu0.16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpython2.7-dev:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libpython2.7-dev_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython2.7-dev:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpython-dev:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libpython-dev_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython-dev:amd64 (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python2.7-dev.
Preparing to unpack .../python2.7-dev_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python2.7-dev (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python-dev.
Preparing to unpack .../python-dev_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python-dev (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Processing triggers for doc-base (0.10.7) ...
Processing 1 added doc-base file...
Registering documents with scrollkeeper...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Setting up libexpat1-dev:amd64 (2.1.0-7ubuntu0.16.04.3) ...
Setting up libpython2.7-dev:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Setting up libpython-dev:amd64 (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Setting up python2.7-dev (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Setting up python-dev (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
al@al-Lenovo-ideapad-110-15ACL ~ $

}}

Will I break something if I now go ahead and re-run HPLIP?

Will this have installed "python-devel", the lack of which which appeared to have been the cause of my original problem

Thank you very much for your assistance

Al Ferguson

Srinivas & Manfred,

Thank you both very much for the time you have spent with my "small" problem. Small to people who know the answers, huge to the rest of us mere mortals.

Manfred, after I followed your instructions, I was sure whether I would break something else if I again attempted to install HPLIP, after a bit of time, and a cup of coffee, I decided "what the heck" and went ahead.

It behaved itself and the printer is now working. I can now get my assignments printed, happy tutors.

Guys, I wish there was someway of showing my appreciation, it sounds so trite to say "thank you very much".

Al

The message which directly contributed to me arriving at a resolution was message #5 from Manfred, however message #3 from Srinivas helped to indicate the direction to look for the resolution.

No one person resolved the issue, both people contributed equally well.