CUPS can't print a PDF document in 2.17

[nic2109]

I have installed a printer in CUPS and sucessfully printed a test page.

Abiword prints fine - though rather oddly it identifies it as 'Generic Postscript Printer' rather than by name- but when I try to print a PDF document nothing prints. If the document was downloaded from a web-page then the Download Manager pops up again; but if not then nothing at all happens.

The only change that makes any difference is that if I select CUPS-PDF as the default printer then the Print dialogue starts but as soon as I click on the Printer tab it terminates without printing. Selecting one of the other tabs e.g. different paper size seems OK - but as it doesn't print anything I cannot be sure it has worked.

I have tried CUPS before, but this is a clean install of 2.17 so there shouldn't be any residue.

I have selected it as the Default printer. It's a network printer so I use IPP and Socket 9100 to communicate. It's an HP all-in-one and I use the HPIJS driver.

[BarryK]

I have printed a PDF file from ePDFView, works fine.

Probably we will recompile Abiword to be CUPS-aware. Previously it was compiled without CUPS present in the system

[nic2109]

I have printed a PDF file from ePDFView, works fine.

Still doesn't for me. When I start ePDFView, open the file - it displays fine - select the print option and it all dispappears.

Might the sequence of installation affect it at all? What trouble-shooting steps can I take?

[BarryK]

Try starting epdfview from a terminal box, see if it outputs any error mesage. Just start a terminal and type (without the #):

# epdfview

[nic2109]

Try starting epdfview from a terminal box, see if it outputs any error mesage. Just start a terminal and type (without the #):

# epdfview

Thanks. Here's the result :-

When I clicked on 'Open' these messages appeared in the terminal window :

# epdfview

(epdfview:3863): Gtk-WARNING **: Could not find the icon 'gnome-fs-home'. The 'hicolor' theme
was not found either, perhaps you need to install it.
You can get a copy from:
http://icon-theme.freedesktop.org/releases

The stuff about the icon appeared as soon as I clicked on 'Open'. However I could open the document OK and I could page through it, zoom in and out and so on.

But as soon as I either hit Ctrl+P or selected File => Print then this appeared in the terminal window:

Segmentation fault
#

the epdfview window disappeared and the terminal was at the # prompt. again.

I have tried the printer with a couple of different protocols, a couple of different models from the drivers list - my exact model (HP Photosmart 2575 All-in-One) isn't listed so i have to choose a nearby one, and I have tried it USB attached. All with the same lack of sucess.

Regarding the icon messages; I have installed the EZPup 2.1.7 package, so that may account for some GUI/Icon issues. If so it's a new question of its own.

Nick

Later update:- running epdfview in a terminal window in a "native" 2.17 setup gives exactly the same error messages; so EZPup is nothing to do with this issue.

[BarryK]

The missing icon doesn't matter.

Try some different PDF files. Puppy has a simple one at /usr/share/examples/

[nic2109]

Try some different PDF files. Puppy has a simple one at /usr/share/examples/

Sorry but this one gives exactly the same problem; as do several other PDF files from various sources.

Might it be the printer drivers? Is it worth un-installing the hpijs package and trying again?

I have no other suggestions or skills of my own to offer so will try anything you suggest!

Nick

[FuturePerfect]

I have a similar problem with 2.17 and CUPS-PDF.

In Seamonkey browser 1.0.8, when I Print and select CUPS/CUPS-PDF as Printer Name and then click Print:

-if I check "Print to File", I am allowed to select a directory and save it under the filename I want (I added a .pdf at the end). But when I click that file in Rox and ePDFView 0.1.6 opens to display the file, it gives the message "Error Loading File" with the further message "The PDF file is damaged and can't be repaired."

-If I do NOT check "Print to File", I see a printing message box but then there is no pause or place to name or save the file--it doesn't appear to be generated.

In Firefox browser 2.0.0.6, exactly the same thing happens in each of the above two cases.

Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong?

[jcoder24]

I have a similar problem with 2.17 and CUPS-PDF.

In Seamonkey browser 1.0.8, when I Print and select CUPS/CUPS-PDF as Printer Name and then click Print:

-if I check "Print to File", I am allowed to select a directory and save it under the filename I want (I added a .pdf at the end). But when I click that file in Rox and ePDFView 0.1.6 opens to display the file, it gives the message "Error Loading File" with the further message "The PDF file is damaged and can't be repaired."

Once you click "Print to File" you are telling the browser (maybe true for other apps) to generate a postscript file. If you were to remove the .pdf extension or change it to .ps it will open with out error.

However, the only time you should get an error message similar to what you are describing with the CUPS-PDF printer (when NOT using the "Print to File" option) is if the pdf file is still being generated. I could possibly add and option to enable/disable job completion messages.

-If I do NOT check "Print to File", I see a printing message box but then there is no pause or place to name or save the file--it doesn't appear to be generated.

This should only happen if the printer is stopped or rejecting jobs. To check if it is go to http://127.0.0.1:631/printers/CUPS-PDF. If it is, you can click on "Start Printer" and try again.

I've checked and it is not possible for me to have the driver check if the printer is "not ready" so that the user can be notified.

[FuturePerfect]

I have better documented my main concern with CUPS-PDF below.

*** I have checked the status of my CUPS-PDF printer and it says "idle, accepting jobs" so this is OK, right?

*** Are you saying that in the normal use of CUPS-PDF (when I want to generate a .pdf file of a SeaMonkey web page) that, when I select File | Print in SeaMonkey (and select "Printer Name: of "CUPS/CUPS-PDF"), I should NOT click the "Print to File" check box before I click the "Print" button?

That is what I am used to in other systems, but here is what happens in more detail when I do it in SeaMonkey in 2.17:

After I have done the above on a SeaMonkey web page (NOT clicking "Print to File" but clicking the "Print" button), the following steps occur:

1) I get a message box with "Printing" in the title bar, a rapidly-completed progress-bar; it all quickly disappears.

2) I get a dialog box with a title bar that says "PDF-Writer - Save As..." It gives me 2 panes (with Folders and Files) respectively where I can select the Folder or select an existing file (presumably to overwrite). BUT, when I click on the entry line "Selection : /root" to type in a file name, the entire dialog box disappears!

3) I get a dialog box with a title bar that says "File exists", a content message of "Overwrite file? and a choice of 2 buttons--"Yes" or "No".

If I click on "No" I get a the same dialog box of step 2) above." If I try to type in a file name, this dialog box again disappears.

This 2) 3) loop continues as long as I say "No" in 2).

If I say "Yes" in 2), my disk light shows activity (as if a file is being overwritten) and the loop goes away,

*** Do you have any idea what if any file is being overwritten?

Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

[disciple]

FuturePerfect - yes, CUPS-PDF has nothing to do with "print to file". That is an option built into Seamonkey that ignores whatever printer is selected, and generates a postscript file. CUPS-pdf is a software printer that we install in Puppy that you send a print job to and it outputs a pdf. It is rather confusing to the user, but we probably can't do much about it.

You seem to have a separate issue with CUPS-PDF not working - Jcoder will probably have a better idea, but perhaps you could try deleting the printer and replacing it with a different version. 2.17 had version 0.2 http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 0&start=45

The file being overwritten is probably /root/.pdf
Files with a . at the front are hidden in ROX unless you click the eye button.

[FuturePerfect]

disciple:

Thank you very much for pointing out /root/.pdf and it's hidden file status! In fact, the pdf I wanted IS being written as the /root/.pdf file. So I can now use CUPS-PDF after a fashion:

I generate a /root/.pdf and just copy/rename it to the name I want.

I am afraid to delete the CUPS-PDF printer I have because:
-it should already be the Puppy 2.17 version (I use 2.17)
-I'm not clear & nervous about deleting & reinstalling CUPS-PDF

Hopefully, Jcoder will have a fix for my "Save as" loop SeaMonkey problem, which, by the way, also occurs in Firefox.

[jcoder24]

The only condition I'm aware of where /root/.pdf was created was if you clicked cancel when the file selection box appears. However, this was fixed in version 0.3. Install the new one and see if the problem disappears.

The cupspdf package only contain one essential file --pdf-writer. Installing the newer version is safe will only overwrite pdf-writer.

If the problem still persists, then it might be that your LANG settings maybe messing up Xdialog. If this is the case I saw a fix for that on the forum. Let us know how the version 0.3 goes.

[jcoder24]

Also, make sure that when you enter the filename you click the Ok or Cancel button instead of hitting Enter or Esc.

[FuturePerfect]

jcoder24

Thanks for explaining the safety of your cupspdf-0.3.pet. I installed it, and its dialog box now allows me to modify/retype a file name to save, and when I click "OK" the file saves correctly in the default /root directory.

But when I try to then navigate to another directory with this dialog box, the following 2) problems occur:

1) For this dialog box entitled "PDF-Writer - Save As..." (and just below the "Rename File" button) there is a drop-down box with a (current? last?) directory name in it; presumably the drop-down is to navigate to other directories? If I click on this drop-down to get a new directory, the dialog box disappears and the file name is not saved.

2) If instead I use the "Folders" pane on the left of this dialog box to navigate to another directories, the dialog box disappears and the file name is saved MOSTLY. I can navigate up and down the directory tree EXCEPT to /root/my-documents. When I click to go there, the dialog box disappears. Strange. Nothing seems unusual about /root/my-documents--there are 5 files there (including a pdf file), 5 subdirectories below that, and 2 of those 5 subdirectories have subdirectories.

I'm wondering if, for these 2) problems:
a) you also find these failures occur, or
b) you think they are any quirky problems / solutions on my system or
c) if the lang Xdialog fix you mentioned might be worth a try and if you could tell me where to find it (I couldn't find it in the forum, but since I'm not technical, maybe I misunderstood).

Thanks once again for replying.

[jcoder24]

jcoder24
I'm wondering if, for these 2) problems:
a) you also find these failures occur, or
b) you think they are any quirky problems / solutions on my system or
c) if the lang Xdialog fix you mentioned might be worth a try and if you could tell me where to find it (I couldn't find it in the forum, but since I'm not technical, maybe I misunderstood).

a) No I haven't seen those failures

b) It is possible. Try booting from cd and enter "puppy pfix=ram" at the boot prompt without the quotes. Then install the new version and try again.

c) edit /usr/lib/cups/backend/pdf-writer and add the following two lines after the line that reads "#!/bin/sh"

Code: Select all

export LANG=C
export LC_ALL=C

[jrb]

Was nic2109's problem ever solved?

I'm having exactly the same problem with same rxvt messages. epdfview just disappears when I try to print. I'm using 217fatfree. Abiword prints, OO2.3 prints. What's happening with epdfviewer?

[jrb]

I've switched over to a remastered version of puppy2.17.1 and epdfview works fine. Guess there's something missing in puppy217fatfree

[_MegadetH_]

Hi! Is it possible to print in puppy with a lexmark x1250 printer?
I tried to print in seamonkey, abiword and epdfviewer and I've the same result: instead of printing it "saves as" file. what's the problem?

[jcoder24]

Hi! Is it possible to print in puppy with a lexmark x1250 printer?
I tried to print in seamonkey, abiword and epdfviewer and I've the same result: instead of printing it "saves as" file. what's the problem?

Try deleting the CUPS-PDF printer. If you need it you can add it back in later.