16.04 will not print nor recognize the printer

You said Epson drivers are installed. Have you installed drivers from this site?

http://www.openprinting.org/printer/Epson/Epson-XP-520_Series

Did you install DEB not RPM?

Dear Michael,

thanks for quick response. It turns out that I haven't installed the drivers I
got from some Epson website (which worked fine on my old computer), which are
indeed amd64.deb. I just tried to install 'em, and the terminal told me it
couldn't find 'em. They're in a documents file--where should I put 'em?
 Cheers, RW

PS: the Linux 'open printing' site you sent me to tells us to install 'lsb'
before even downloading the drivers. What's this and where can it be found?

R. A.
Go to Synaptic Package Manager, click on search, type in 'lsb'. Install the ones you need. I am on 16.04. I would reinstall drivers after lsb is installed.

good advice, but: how do I get to Synaptic Package Manager? Dash will not show
it. And how can I find out which lsb version(s) I need for the Epson? Thanks
for continued attention, R.A.

R. A.
Go to Ubuntu Software Center. In search box at upper right, type in Synaptic Package Manager. Check Optional add-ons, Install them, then install Synaptic Package Manager. I am on 14.04 today, it will be the same. Not knowing which lsb versions I need, I installed all lsb packages except lsb-invalid-mta.

Michael,

with renewed thanks--but the 16.04 I'm trying to use will not pause long enough
on the Ub. Software screen to permit anything at all. It flashes and
disappears. I've had nothing but trouble on both my machines since I updated to
16 on the old one, and am now trying to use a freshly downloaded version of it
on this new one. It does occasionally flash a message that it's having
problems. Can I do anything at all to make it work? Cheers, RA

R. A.
Use the terminal command below.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synaptic

Not sure what Ub means.
Could you put the error message you get in your response.
I don't know what experience you have with Terminal, check site below.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

If you know about Terminal please ignore.

okay: both commands seemed to work. The first gave this message: "AppStream
cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors."

                                                                 The second gave
no message, just a string of 'setting up,' 'processing,' etc.

However, Synaptic is still not in the Dash, and the toolbar logo for 'Ubuntu
Software' has disappeared. I await next instruction with usual gratitude. (Ub
is my lazy version of Ubuntu). Best regards, Rick

Correction to my last message: yes, I now do have Synaptic. Shall I therefore
follow your previous instructions, and load lsb-core, and then reload the Epson
drivers? Cheers, Rick

R. A.
Remark: the "appstream metadata errors" message is a known issue, see Bug #1644498

There is nothing you need to do, you can safely ignore it.
Above statement is from question 432841.

Yes. (to #9) Let me know results.

OK: I installed lsb-core, etc. from Synaptic. Then I downloaded the relevant
Epson driver from the Linux site (address you gave me), which claimed to install
it. But I can't find it anywhere, and it's not on Synaptic. And 16.04 still
doesn't recognize the printer nor print. Surely there's some simple step that I
need to take?? Thanks as ever, Rick

R. A.
I was sure that would work. I will give you some sites to look and try. The one below, is for the scanner. Probably load it last.

http://download.ebz.epson.net/man/linux/iscan_e.html#sec6-1

I am on Ubuntu 14.04 again. Does 16.04 have Printer-driver- escpr in Ubuntu Software Center? If so, is it installed? Because I have never had problems like this, it probably be best to install both.
Another site below.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/771427/how-to-install-epson-printer-drivers-on-ubuntu-16-04

Do you have gdebi installed? Site above is where I got this from.

http://tutorialforlinux.com/2015/06/01/how-to-install-epson-expression-premium-xp-520-all-in-one-printer-drivers-quick-start-scanning-on-ubuntu-15-04-vivid-32-64bit-gnulinux-easy-guide/

Probably is a simple step. I just haven't found it yet, will keep looking.

Michael.

following the instructions in the AskUbuntu site, I succeeded in installing (so
Synaptic tells me) the escpr file. Now, 16.04 recognizes the printer, but when
the print command is given on a (single page) document, the printer expels 2
blank pages. Frustration, and plea for help with thanks hereby expressed.
 Cheers, R.

R. A.
I am running low on ideas. Will the printer print from other Windows computer now? Check site below for some ideas.

http://blog.dinaburg.org/2013/03/solution-to-printing-blank-pages.html

Some more printing information. Only fair.

//www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4036737

Will it print anything if you copy a page in printer?

Saw this statement. ( To be honest, I would consider just deleting the printer and re-adding it. Let me know if that works. ) Might give it a try.
Still Looking for solution.

Dear Michael,

I'm afraid these latest websites did not help. To answer your questions: yes,
it prints fine from my wife's laptop windows. Yes, it copies fine, and prints
all the internal test pages I've tried. It certainly ain't the printer, but the
driver/connection/god knows what to Linux and Ubuntu 16.04.

Hope you find further ideas. Meanwhile, I'll consider starting all over again
to install everything. Cheers, R.

R. A.
I am probably overlooking something small. I will ask for more help from anyone else.

Michael,

with renewed thanks for all your research and apologies for having troubled you:
the problem was indeed something small. I reinstalled the necessary drivers
(not easy to find) without success, which arrived when I reattached the printer
to my new computer with the usb cable. The printer itself had told me to do
this a few years ago for the scanner. But I thought that with a new WLAN this
was unnecessary--as it is indeed with Windows. But Ub 16 is something else, and
still sends me 'problem messages,' which I duly forward and hope that someone
among you serious folk reads 'em. The scanner also works fine. All's well that
ends with apparatus working. Cheers, R.

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