Printer issues

Can you give the output of:

lsb_release -a; lsusb

Thanks

it says:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04
Codename: natty
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 045e:00e1 Microsoft Corp. Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
Reciever
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

**The printer I am trying to use is at work, should I do this while conected
to the printer?

On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 4:05 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #172757 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/172757
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Can you give the output of:
>
> lsb_release -a; lsusb
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/172757
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

the laserjet 4 may be too old and isn't support by hp anymore. last year, someone had a laserjet 5 that he wanted to get working but the hplip file available for it only worked in the first release of ubuntu and not with the current releases.

ok and can you give the output of:

dpkg -l | grep hplip

Thanks

Okay, sorry for my ineptitude, here's what it says with the printer hooked
up & turned on:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04
Codename: natty
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 045e:00e1 Microsoft Corp. Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
Reciever
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial
Port
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

and from your 2nd querie:

rc *hplip*
3.11.1-2ubuntu2 HP Linux Printing and Imaging
System (HPLIP)
ii *hplip*-cups
3.11.1-2ubuntu2 HP Linux Printing and Imaging -
CUPS Raster driver (hpcups)

If that's true, that's horrible news! [?] The printer is in great condition,
and has plenty of toner cartridges--no way around this?

On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 8:55 PM, marcus aurelius <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #172757 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/172757
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> marcus aurelius proposed the following answer:
> the laserjet 4 may be too old and isn't support by hp anymore. last
> year, someone had a laserjet 5 that he wanted to get working but the
> hplip file available for it only worked in the first release of ubuntu
> and not with the current releases.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/172757/+confirm?answer_id=2
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/172757
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Try:

sudo apt-get --reinstall install hplip

See if it helps

response:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  ndiswrapper-common libdmraid1.0.0.rc16 archdetect-deb
  linux-headers-2.6.38-8 python-pyicu libdebian-installer4 cryptsetup
  reiserfsprogs rdate dkms btrfs-tools localechooser-data apt-clone
  linux-headers-2.6.38-8-generic dpkg-repack libcheese-gtk18
  libdebconfclient0 dmraid libgnome-desktop-2-17 hwdata
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  hplip-data libsane-hpaio
Suggested packages:
  hplip-gui hplip-doc system-config-printer
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  hplip hplip-data libsane-hpaio
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 7,505 kB of archives.
After this operation, 13.3 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y

then this:

Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main libsane-hpaio i386 3.11.1-2ubuntu2 [123 kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main hplip-data all 3.11.1-2ubuntu2 [7,302 kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main hplip i386 3.11.1-2ubuntu2 [80.0 kB]
Fetched 7,505 kB in 38s (194 kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package libsane-hpaio.
(Reading database ... 200067 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libsane-hpaio (from .../libsane-hpaio_3.11.1-2ubuntu2_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package hplip-data.
Unpacking hplip-data (from .../hplip-data_3.11.1-2ubuntu2_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package hplip.
Unpacking hplip (from .../hplip_3.11.1-2ubuntu2_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up libsane-hpaio (3.11.1-2ubuntu2) ...
Setting up hplip-data (3.11.1-2ubuntu2) ...
Setting up hplip (3.11.1-2ubuntu2) ...
Creating/updating hplip user account...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Processing triggers for python-support ...

Ok you can run:

sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

To clean up, does the printer work if you remove the printer, reboot then re-add it.

Thanks for all the helping so far. This is one of the places I get stuck. When I removed the printer & click "Add printer," the very first thing it asks for is "Enter device URI:"--I have no clue where to find this info to enter it.

try:

gksudo firefox http://localhost:631

I asume you use (crappy) firefox

Ok. Followed steps on CUPS page. Still had to choose a random URI, didn't
really tell me which to use, just gave examples.
When I try to print a test page, the printer gives me the warning:
"com.apple.print.recoverable." It shows the job 48% completed. The CUPS page
tells me: *"File '/System/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/sRGB Profile.icc' not
found"
 [?] Augh! *What does it all mean? I hope* *marcus aurelius was mistaken!
"the laserjet 4 may be too old and isn't support by hp anymore. last
year, someone had a laserjet 5 that he wanted to get working but the
hplip file available for it only worked in the first release of ubuntu
and not with the current releases."

How does the printer attach to the system?

I bought a special cable for it with a USB at one end, and a 24 pin serial
at the other, as the printer has no USB ports.
On Sep 30, 2011 4:20 PM, "actionparsnip" <
<email address hidden>> wrote:
> Your question #172757 on cups in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups/+question/172757
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> How does the printer attach to the system?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups/+question/172757
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.

So you have a USB LPT1 port (old style printer port), like this:

http://images.gittigidiyor.com/3468/USB-LPT-25-Pin-Yazici-Kablo-Paralel-Port-Printer__34689754_0.jpg

Close enough, it's actually this:
http://www.cablestogo.com/product-images/22429/400/22429b.jpg

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1576703.html