Ubuntu

My Samsung ML-1210 does not print

Asked by Rich Price

I just purchased a Dell Inspiron with Ubuntu pre installed in the desktop.
I have a Samsung ML-1210 printer with a parallel port "Centronics" connector.
The printer is connected via a Dynex USB to Parallel Converter cable.

Ubuntu Linux finds the printer and installs it. But when I print nothing happens.

The CUPS log has the following messages:

E [30/Sep/2007:11:50:40 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [30/Sep/2007:12:03:09 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [30/Sep/2007:12:46:19 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [30/Sep/2007:13:14:24 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [30/Sep/2007:13:54:46 -0500] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized
E [30/Sep/2007:13:55:49 -0500] [Job 1] Unable to write print data: No such device
E [30/Sep/2007:13:55:49 -0500] PID 7531 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip) stopped with status 9!

I have no idea what these messages mean. Do you?

How can I get my printer to work?

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Ergosys
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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#1

I tried to delete and redefine the printer.

The printer is no longer detected by cups.

The CUPS error log now has a repeat of the CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized message.

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Ergosys (ergosys) said : 		#2

I have this exact printer. In versions before 7.10 (gutsy), I used the parallel port, but I had to set it as a "local printer" on LPT1. This might be what you need to do.

 With gutsy I switched to its USB interface (because the parallel port seems to occasionally get in a funny state), and I didn't have to do anything, it auto-detected, installed and printed correctly the first time . :-)

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zenmy (ian-lindquist) said : 		#3

Have you tried installing the printer with root privileges? That may be why you are seeing "CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer". Have you tried setting up the printer through System --> Administration --> Printing? Does the ML1210 show up as a detected local printer?

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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#4

I don't know how to get root privilages.
I did install the printer with System --> Administration --> Printing
and it installed and was listed on the printers window. I selected it
as the default printer and sent your email to it. The printer started
and the data light started blinking [good!] but then the printer moter
stopped and nothing was printed. The data light continues to blink.

The /var /log/cups file contains:

E [03/Oct/2007:10:04:54 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [03/Oct/2007:16:45:36 -0500] Creating missing directory "/var/run/cups/certs"
E [03/Oct/2007:18:12:49 -0500] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized

Revision history for this message
Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#5

I looked in /var/run/cups and found this:

total 8
drwx--x--x 2 cupsys lpadmin 60 2007-10-03 19:58 certs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5 2007-10-03 16:45 cupsd.pid
srwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2007-10-03 16:45 cups.sock
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 135 2007-10-03 16:45 printcap

I can neither display nor change the certs directory even using sudo!

Revision history for this message
Best Ergosys (ergosys) said : 		#6

I'm not sure why you are using a USB->parallel converter cable for this printer, and this may be the source of the problem. It does work under linux using a direct parallel port, but I don't know what that converter cable is actually doing to simulate one. Unless there is some variation in ML-1210s that I'm not aware of, this printer has a USB port on it (I have one, as I mentioned), you only need to get a USB A/B cable (a very common item) to use the somewhat more reliable and robust USB interface on both ends and not mess with parallel at all.

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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#7

I intend to try your suggestion as soon as I get a USB cable.
But I don't see how a hardware change like that will effect
the permissions problem I see above. If the /var/run/cups/certs
directory is unusable on my distribution then this may be a bug
in the distribution not in the hardware. I got this Dell with
Ubuntu preloaded on it. Maybe Dell messed up.

Revision history for this message
Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#8

The new USB cable solved the immediate problem. I can print text files fine now. But I get suboptimal results with graphics files. Color files won't print at all.

Is there a better driver for this printer?

Revision history for this message
Ergosys (ergosys) said : 		#9

I usually print B/W only, so I tried a test with one of Ubuntu's Examples png images. Looks OK, converted to gray obviously. Under gutsy (7.10), the driver is foomatic/gdi. Is it the same there? What application are you using?

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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#10

My Dell is running Feisty Fawn (7.04).
The print driver is gdi.
I was printing from Eye of GNOME 2.18.1

Some color files do print but the mor complicated oned dont.

Revision history for this message
Ergosys (ergosys) said : 		#11

I have no idea. My advice is to mark this question solved (since it prints now), and add a more specific question about the problem with color printing.

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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#12

OK and thanks for your help

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Rich Price (rich-gandalf) said : 		#13

Thanks Ergosys, that solved my question.