[SLE] blank pages when printing with cups

[Rainer Lay]

Hi,

on my SuSE 10 box, I still get a blank page after printing (lpr, kde,
...), as described in this page:
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Blank_Pages_When_Printing_with_CUPS
I change the setting in both pages and also have no entries in
/ertc/cups/lpoptions and ~/.lpoptions

My printer is a HP LJ 1150 connected to my wlan router. I use lpd as
protocoll and the " Foomatic/hpijs (recommended)" driver.

any hints?

thanx in advance,
Rainer

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
on my SuSE 10 box, I still get a blank page after printing (lpr, kde,
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Blank_Pages_When_Printing_with_CUPS

...

Post by Rainer Lay
My printer is a HP LJ 1150 connected to my wlan router. I use lpd as
protocoll and the " Foomatic/hpijs (recommended)" driver.

Very likely it has nothing to do with CUPS in this case
but with how the LPD in your wlan router works.
I guess it is the LPD which sends and additional formfeed
for each print job.
Often there are several queues which you can use on such an
external printserver box. For example a queue "LPT" (or similar)
which may append a formfeed and a queue "RAW" (or similar) which
does nothing.

Often the LPDs in such external printserver boxes are weak.
Try to circumvent it and use plain TCP socket connection, see
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"

If your external printserver box does not support plain TCP socket,
read the manual of this device how to set up its internal LPD
so that it works correctly.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Rainer Lay]

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
on my SuSE 10 box, I still get a blank page after printing (lpr, kde,
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Blank_Pages_When_Printing_with_CUPS

...

Post by Rainer Lay
My printer is a HP LJ 1150 connected to my wlan router. I use lpd as
protocoll and the " Foomatic/hpijs (recommended)" driver.

Very likely it has nothing to do with CUPS in this case
but with how the LPD in your wlan router works.
I guess it is the LPD which sends and additional formfeed
for each print job.
Often there are several queues which you can use on such an
external printserver box. For example a queue "LPT" (or similar)
which may append a formfeed and a queue "RAW" (or similar) which
does nothing.
Often the LPDs in such external printserver boxes are weak.
Try to circumvent it and use plain TCP socket connection, see
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"

I tried the plain TCP socket connection, with port 35 or port 9100 -
nothing happend (YaST). YaST also did not find any direct socket servers.
So I assume, my router (Siemens sx541) does not support plain TCP sockets.

Post by Johannes Meixner
If your external printserver box does not support plain TCP socket,
read the manual of this device how to set up its internal LPD
so that it works correctly.

In the manual, there is only a description for windows - without any
queue specification. So I tried
DeviceURI lpd://192.168.2.1/lpt1
from http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux/2005-Mar/1700.html
There, I can print pages - but I get a blank page at the end of each
print job! :-( With a windows computer - no problem.

I also tried
echo -e "\004lpt1" | netcat -w 5 -p 722 192.168.2.1 515
with several queue names. All of them returned:
lpd: invalid printer
even the working queue lpt!


???

kind regards,
Rainer

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay

Post by Johannes Meixner
Try to circumvent it and use plain TCP socket connection, see
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"

I tried the plain TCP socket connection, with port 35 or port 9100 -
nothing happend (YaST).

Did you try out "nmap" which is described in
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"


If you must use the LPD protocol, try out various settings
of the CUPS lpd backend, see the "CUPS Software Administrators Manual"
"Configuring LPD Printing Options":
http://localhost:631/sam.html#LPD_OPTIONS
In particular try the "format" options (but the default "format=l"
which is raw output should be exactly what you need).

Post by Rainer Lay
In the manual, there is only a description for windows - without any
queue specification.

Good manual ;-)

Post by Rainer Lay
I also tried
echo -e "\004lpt1" | netcat -w 5 -p 722 192.168.2.1 515
lpd: invalid printer
even the working queue lpt!

Good LPD implementation ;-)

By the way:
Those LPD implementations normally accept any queue name and use
whatever fallback queue if a non-existent queue name is used.
I.e. a DeviceURI lpd://192.168.2.1/foo should also print.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Rainer Lay]

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay

Post by Johannes Meixner
Try to circumvent it and use plain TCP socket connection, see
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"

I tried the plain TCP socket connection, with port 35 or port 9100 -
nothing happend (YaST).

Did you try out "nmap" which is described in
the Suse Linux 10.0 Administration/Reference Manual
file:///usr/share/doc/manual/suselinux-manual_en/manual/sec.drucken.prob.html
"Troubleshooting a Network Printer or Print Server Box"

Yep:
80/tcp open http
139/tcp open netbios-ssn
515/tcp open printer
8081/tcp open blackice-icecap

80: configuration
139: smb (in case of an attached usb stick; i tried to access a samba
printer there - no luck ;-)
515: lpd
8081: telnet configuration

Post by Johannes Meixner
If you must use the LPD protocol, try out various settings
of the CUPS lpd backend, see the "CUPS Software Administrators Manual"
http://localhost:631/sam.html#LPD_OPTIONS
In particular try the "format" options (but the default "format=l"
which is raw output should be exactly what you need).

I tried it with format=l, format=c and also format=o - nothing changed.
I was wondering: at least format=o should print raw postscript code (my
printer don't know postscript), but no difference in the output
(including graphics). So I have the impression, that the format options
are ignored.
Oh, I put the format stuff in /etc/cups/printers.conf like
...
DeviceURI lpd://192.168.2.1/lpt1?format=o
...
and restarted cupsd with rccupsd restart.

Post by Johannes Meixner

Post by Rainer Lay
In the manual, there is only a description for windows - without any
queue specification.

Good manual ;-)

Yep. But - the CUPS SAM also doesn't tell me, what most of the format
means, e.g. format=c ;-)



Is there a possibility to be sure, that the formfeed is not coming from
cups (like described in
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Blank_Pages_When_Printing_with_CUPS ? Just to
be sure ...

Meanwhile: thanks for your help!

kind regards,
Rainer

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But - the CUPS SAM also doesn't tell me, what most of the format
means, e.g. format=c ;-)

Because this are "known by everybody" ;-) LPD protocol options
as described in RFC 1179 "Line Printer Daemon Protocol":
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1179.txt
see the sections 7.17 up to 7.28

Post by Rainer Lay
Is there a possibility to be sure, that the formfeed is not
coming from cups

Connect the printer for a test via parallel port or via USB
and test it with the same PPD (i.e. with the same driver).
If there is also an additional formfeed, try another driver
e.g. the generic PCL5e driver "ljet4" (choose the "unknown"
manufacturer in YaST to get the generic models/drivers).

This tests only the driver and therefore one could still think
that the additional formfeed comes from the CUPS lpd backend
but in this case I should know about tons of similar reports.

Additionally set up "raw" queues (unselect "filtering" in YaST)
with the CUPS lpd backend and via parallel port or via USB
and send something with missing formfeed via the queue:
echo -en "\rHello" | lp -d QUEUE
which should not eject the page until you send the formfeed
echo -en "\f" | lp -d QUEUE
Compare the results via lpd backend and via parallel port
or via USB.

By the way:
For big and fat printers it is often possible to set something
inside the printer which may cause such an additional formfeed
but I don't think such settings exist for a HP LaserJet 1150.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

it looks, as if the router is adding a formfeed itself. So I have
1 Why is there no problem with windows? I add the windows config .

The Windows config shows the queue name as "LPT1" and
not as "lpt1".

Is the "Raw" protocol possible under Windows?
If yes, which port-number does it use?
If "Raw" protocol works under Windows, try the CUPS "socket"
backend with the port-number used in Windows.

2 Should I/ghostscript/... ommit the formfeed?

Not possible - except you like to hack the printer driver source.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Rainer Lay]

Hi,

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

it looks, as if the router is adding a formfeed itself. So I have
1 Why is there no problem with windows? I add the windows config .

The Windows config shows the queue name as "LPT1" and
not as "lpt1".

Yep. I already changed that - no positive result.

Post by Johannes Meixner
Is the "Raw" protocol possible under Windows?
If yes, which port-number does it use?
If "Raw" protocol works under Windows, try the CUPS "socket"
backend with the port-number used in Windows.

Unfortunatly, it is not working with Windows.

Post by Johannes Meixner

2 Should I/ghostscript/... ommit the formfeed?

Not possible - except you like to hack the printer driver source.

No, not really :-)
But I am still wondering, why it is working with windows. There must be
a difference.

???

rgds, Rainer

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But I am still wondering, why it is working with windows.

I can only guess that Windows printer drivers do not add
a formfeed at the end because under Windows it is the
Windows spooling system (i.e. all what is involved to send the
data to the printer) which is responsible for a final formfeed.

LPD based printing systems under Linux (e.g. LPRng) have an option
in /etc/printcap to either add a formfeed (which is the default)
or suppress it (using the "sf" flag), see for example
http://lprng.org/LPRng-Reference/LPRng-Reference.html

Therefore it is in compliance how LPDs usually work, when the LPD
in the printserver box adds a formfeed by default.
All what is missing is an option in the printserver box
which lets its LPD suppress the formfeed.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Rainer Lay]

Ok, thanks for your help so far.
But what should I do? Ask Siemens to create a new firmware for me? :-)
In this case, a new printer would be mich cheaper than paying the
siemens guys.

kind regards,
Rainer

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But I am still wondering, why it is working with windows.

I can only guess that Windows printer drivers do not add
a formfeed at the end because under Windows it is the
Windows spooling system (i.e. all what is involved to send the
data to the printer) which is responsible for a final formfeed.
LPD based printing systems under Linux (e.g. LPRng) have an option
in /etc/printcap to either add a formfeed (which is the default)
or suppress it (using the "sf" flag), see for example
http://lprng.org/LPRng-Reference/LPRng-Reference.html
Therefore it is in compliance how LPDs usually work, when the LPD
in the printserver box adds a formfeed by default.
All what is missing is an option in the printserver box
which lets its LPD suppress the formfeed.
Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But what should I do? Ask Siemens to create a new firmware for me? :-)

Yes, seriously.
Tell the manufacturer of the printserver box about the problem.
Enable/disable formfeed is a standard option for LPDs.
Man other printserver boxes provide additional "RAW" queues
and/or an additional TCP port to circumvent the internal LPD.

Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Rainer Lay]

Well, as far as I know from other users, Siemens isn't deploying lots of
firmware releases all. And I don't believe that they will care for some
linux users.
So I will have an additional paperper print :-(

But maybe you can make an entry in the Novell/SuSE component database
with this problem, so other linux users knows about this problem BEFORE
they gonna by this hardware.

And I will mail a link to this entry to SuSE support;-)

kind regards,
Rainer

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But what should I do? Ask Siemens to create a new firmware for me? :-)

Yes, seriously.
Tell the manufacturer of the printserver box about the problem.
Enable/disable formfeed is a standard option for LPDs.
Man other printserver boxes provide additional "RAW" queues
and/or an additional TCP port to circumvent the internal LPD.
Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

[Peter Nikolic]

Post by Rainer Lay
Well, as far as I know from other users, Siemens isn't deploying lots of
firmware releases all. And I don't believe that they will care for some
linux users.
So I will have an additional paperper print :-(
But maybe you can make an entry in the Novell/SuSE component database
with this problem, so other linux users knows about this problem BEFORE
they gonna by this hardware.
And I will mail a link to this entry to SuSE support;-)
kind regards,
Rainer

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But what should I do? Ask Siemens to create a new firmware for me? :-)

Yes, seriously.
Tell the manufacturer of the printserver box about the problem.
Enable/disable formfeed is a standard option for LPDs.
Man other printserver boxes provide additional "RAW" queues
and/or an additional TCP port to circumvent the internal LPD.
Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

Hi
this is not of any help but i am having a bit of a ding dong with HP-Compaq
right now about Linux on there laptops and quite honestley one part of the
organization does not know what the other is doing they are so busy
contradicting each other it is actuall rather ammusing to read the mails i
keep getting that seem to do the rounds of each department before they get
to me ..

Pete .
--
The Labour party has changed there emblem from a rose to a condom
as it more accuratley reflects the governments political stance.

A condom allows for inflation halts production destroys the next gereration,
protects a bunch of pricks, and givesyou a sense of security while you are
actually bieng fucked

from GSM

[Rainer Lay]

Post by Peter Nikolic

Post by Rainer Lay
Well, as far as I know from other users, Siemens isn't deploying lots of
firmware releases all. And I don't believe that they will care for some
linux users.
So I will have an additional paperper print :-(
But maybe you can make an entry in the Novell/SuSE component database
with this problem, so other linux users knows about this problem BEFORE
they gonna by this hardware.
And I will mail a link to this entry to SuSE support;-)
kind regards,
Rainer

Post by Johannes Meixner
Hello,

Post by Rainer Lay
But what should I do? Ask Siemens to create a new firmware for me? :-)

Yes, seriously.
Tell the manufacturer of the printserver box about the problem.
Enable/disable formfeed is a standard option for LPDs.
Man other printserver boxes provide additional "RAW" queues
and/or an additional TCP port to circumvent the internal LPD.
Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner

Hi
this is not of any help but i am having a bit of a ding dong with HP-Compaq
right now about Linux on there laptops and quite honestley one part of the
organization does not know what the other is doing they are so busy
contradicting each other it is actuall rather ammusing to read the mails i
keep getting that seem to do the rounds of each department before they get
to me ..
Pete .

Hi Pete,

my problem is not the printer itself, I can use it with usb cabling
without a problem. My problem seems to be my WLAN router, which is a
Siemens SX541.

kind regards,
Rainer