How to Install Your Printer/Scanner in Puppy

Problems and successes with specific brands/models of printers
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rcrsn51
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How to Install Your Printer/Scanner in Puppy

#1 Post by rcrsn51 »

Things to Know:

1. There are two steps to installing a printer in CUPS - detecting the hardware device and supplying a valid driver package. Just because CUPS detected your printer does not guarantee that it will work. Picking a printer model similar to your own may or may not be successful.

2. Unlike Windows, you should start the install procedure with the printer turned ON.

3. Despite what you may have read, a PPD file by itself is rarely sufficient to install a printer in Puppy. In most cases, you need an additional driver package.

4. Some printer drivers use the /tmp folder, which must have a full set of write permissions. Right-click on the /tmp folder and select Properties. All the "Write" boxes must be checked. This is also true for /dev/null and /var/tmp. Check that /dev/random is all-readable.

5. CUPS will auto-detect some, but not all, networked printers. If yours is not detected, use the following manual install procedure:

a. Run PeasyPort and scan your network for Port 9100. Get the IP address of the printer.
b. Start the CUPS wizard and open the Add Printer page.
c. Select the protocol AppSocket/JetDirect
d. Enter the Connection URI as: socket://aaa.bbb.cc.dd:9100

6. The Puppy Firewall will block access to networked printers. If you want to run the firewall, use a custom install that gives full access to the printer's IP address . Read here.

7. After a scanning session, some HP all-in-one units need to be rebooted before printing will work again.

8. Here are some handy commands for working with CUPS:

Code: Select all

/etc/init.d/cups  status | start | stop
cancel -a (to cancel all print jobs)
9. Some Puppies do not recognize parallel port printers. You must run the command "modprobe lp". Add it to the file /etc/rc.d/rc.local and reboot.

10. To save a document as a PDF, use your application's Print > Print to File option instead of CUPS-PDF.

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Installing a Printer:

You don't need to use the Puppy Printer Wizard to install a printer. Just launch your web browser and go to the CUPS interface at:

Code: Select all

http://localhost:631
Open the Administration tab and select Add Printer or Find New Printers (depending on your CUPS version). If your printer is auto-detected, follow the steps to install it. Then print a test page. In CUPS 1.4, look for this option under the Maintenance drop-down menu.

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For a little program that checks the ink levels of your printer, look at InkGUI.

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Printing Digital Photos:

A good program for printing digital photos is PeasyPrint. To print on 4x6 photo paper, you will need to change some settings in CUPS. Look under Set Default Options for items like Media Size, Media Type and Print Quality.

To resize JPEG image files, look at PeasyScale.

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Scanner Drivers:

Some useful command line tools are:

Code: Select all

sane-find-scanner (this command is broken in some new Puppies like Tahrpup)
scanimage -L
scanimage --help
Run Xsane from the Graphic menu. Ignore the warning about running as root. Your scanner should be auto-detected.

Peasyscan is a light-weight alternative to Xsane. It uses the same backend tools as Xsane, but with a simpler user interface. Read about it here. Peasyscan is included with newer Puppies.


To share a scanner across a network, read here.

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Networked Printers:

In Windows, a network printer is identified by its MAC address or NETBIOS name. So a Windows client can always find the printer even if the printer's IP address changes. However, CUPS configures its printers by IP address. If you reset your network and the printer's address changes, you must reinstall it on Puppy client machines.

If it's a standalone printer, give it a static IP address. Or see the procedure here. Use it on Puppy client machines to associate the print server name with its IP address.

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Sharing your Puppy Printer with Other Windows or Linux Machines:

Update: In recent versions of CUPS, printer sharing has become problematic. A much simpler method is discussed here.

Update: Read here for info about connecting an XP machine to a Puppy shared printer via CUPS.

---------------------------------

Connecting to a Linux Shared Printer

Linux machines share their printers through CUPS with the Internet Printing Protocol. Depending on the version of CUPS running on the remote computer, there are several choices:

1. The remote printer may be auto-detected by Puppy's CUPS so no installation is required. The shared printer will automatically appear in an application's Print dialog.

2. If this doesn't happen, try a manual install on the client machine. In Puppy, run the CUPS wizard and select Add Printer > Internet Printing Protocol. Use a URI like:

Code: Select all

ipp://aaa.bbb.cc.dd:631/printers/printer_name
The client machine must provide the driver. See the example here.

3. The shared printer still is not visible. Consider running a p910nd server on the remote computer as discussed above.

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Last edited by rcrsn51 on Mon 09 Mar 2020, 19:06, edited 299 times in total.

thelash
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Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:41
Location: Eltham, NZ

cups 1.4.3 not working in lupu.

#2 Post by thelash »

Hi. I have a frugal install of lupu 5.1 on an IBM T22 laptop. Previous puppies have given me no hassles, but when I open the cups server on firefox, I can get no further than the home page. Clicking on any of the operations eg add a printer gives me '500 Internal Server Error.' Taking your advice, I downloaded the cups 1.3.11 pet but when I click on this I get a failed to install message. I don't know what to try next, any guidance much appreciated.

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rcrsn51
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#3 Post by rcrsn51 »

It sounds like your install has experienced some other corruption that is affecting CUPS. I can use Firefox as the browser for CUPS with no problems and I can successfully install CUPS 1.3.11 over top of the CUPS 1.4.3. This is in Lupu 5.1 with the latest patches.

Boot off the Live CD using the "puppy pfix=ram" option and try printing again.

thelash
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:41
Location: Eltham, NZ

cups not working in lupu (SOLVED)

#4 Post by thelash »

Thanks - used pfix=ram and cups worked as normal. (I never considered that - haven't had a corrupted install with Puppy before.)

jpeps
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#5 Post by jpeps »

In Lupu, ln -s /opt/samba/bin/smbclient /usr/bin/smbclient didn't work, but
cp did. (probably the same reason that a link to .mozilla never worked very long if at all).

Maybe a reason people are having trouble with lupu, CUPS 1.4.3 ??

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rcrsn51
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#6 Post by rcrsn51 »

In Lupu, ln -s /opt/samba/bin/smbclient /usr/bin/smbclient didn't work,
In the latest Lupu, the folder /opt/samba is gone and its files have been moved into /usr/bin.

You will also notice that the traditional CUPS smb: backend, which used smbspool, is now missing. It has been replaced by a new version that uses smbclient.

Jasper

#7 Post by Jasper »

Using CUPS 1.4.3 - if the "Maintenance" and "Administration" drop-down list menu items can be activated please be so kind as to explain how.

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rcrsn51
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#8 Post by rcrsn51 »

Sir Jasper wrote:Using CUPS 1.4.3 - if the "Maintenance" and "Administration" drop-down list menu items can be activated please be so kind as to explain how.
In the older versions of Lupu that used Netsurf as the default browser, those menus didn't work. You need the new Lupu that has Midori as the default browser.

thelash
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:41
Location: Eltham, NZ

lupu 511 cups not working.

#9 Post by thelash »

Have upgraded to Lupu 511 on my IBM t22 laptop. Running live, I was able to successfully install my hp deskjet f2180 printer using cups 1.4.3. On making a save file, this install appeared to transfer successfully, however, after a couple of shutdowns and installation of other software including go open office 3.2, I lost printing and was back to the dreaded 'server error 500' when attempting to leave the cups home page. Installed 1.3.11 pet and ghostscript files as per this forum topic, and have got the 1.3.11 home screen up on both midori and firefox 3.6.8, but can get no further - clicking on any menu entry doesn't load anything - screen stays where it is.
Can't print, can't use cups server, haven't got a clue where to go from here.
(Tried setting up on live run then creating save file a couple more times, but always ended up losing printing.)

Any clues anyone? Is it possible to remove cups completely and start again?

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rcrsn51
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#10 Post by rcrsn51 »

I've never seen this 500 error myself, so it's difficult to comment. But here's what I would do.

1. Start a fresh frugal install and immediately make a savefile.

2. Reboot using the savefile and install the printer. Verify that it works.

3. Start adding/changing other items and test your printer each time.

Are you installing this printer locally through USB or through your network?

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rcrsn51
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#11 Post by rcrsn51 »

@thelash:

I did some googling and your problem may be due to some corrupt print jobs. Try this set of commands:

Code: Select all

/etc/init.d/cups stop
rm -rf /var/spool/cups
rm -rf /var/run/cups
rm -rf /var/cache/cups
/etc/init.d/cups start

thelash
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:41
Location: Eltham, NZ

lupu 511 cups not working (SOLVED)

#12 Post by thelash »

A big thank you rcrsn51 for all your help and the time you must have spent mulling over my hassles. Tried the commands in your last post to no avail, so went to your suggestion of a fresh frugal and adding things till cups broke.
I have discovered the culprit - I have a Go Open Office 3.2 squash file which I downloaded a while ago from somewhere on the forum. Soon as I set bootup to load it, I got the 500 server error and no response from the cups home page - both 1.4.3 and 1.3.11. With this sfs removed, I've been able to set up printing in cups 1.4.3 with no hassles and have loaded all the programs etc onto my pupsave that I want. Interestingly, I've set up an old openoffice.org version 1.1.4 from way back in my puppy 2 days with no problems - this is not an sfs but is the actual files which I have on my hard drive and have linked into my save file to preserve storage space. I may yet convert it to an sfs to see if it breaks the system. I haven't a clue why my Go Open Office sfs does this - any ideas?
Thanks again for your help.

Bilby
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri 26 Nov 2010, 05:02

Thanks for this thread

#13 Post by Bilby »

I'm a Puppy newbie, just installed today.

The only real problem I had was getting my HP printer to work.

Your advice regarding the HP driver worked. So thanks

Frank Cox
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Joined: Sun 01 Nov 2009, 06:05

Hp CJ 1215

#14 Post by Frank Cox »

I am using 431. I really do not want to change distros but if necessary I will.

Would you mind supplying the icm files for that printer, the Hp Colorjet 1215?

Thank you for all your efforts

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rcrsn51
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#15 Post by rcrsn51 »

Please see my reply in the other thread concerning the correct foo2xxx package to use with Puppy 4.3.1.

mahadi
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Joined: Tue 15 Feb 2011, 05:40

#16 Post by mahadi »

My puppy pc is connected to a LAN and trying to connect to a network printer.
I have connected to the printer using Add Printer option entering following information-
"smbn:/samad/CanonLBP"
I have chosen model as Canon LBP 1000 as there have been no model as Canon LBP 3300.
Well, CUPS has displayed message that my puppy is now connected to the printer, and I have even printed a test page and got the task in Completed Jobs list.
Defaults are job-sheets=none, none media=iso_A4_210x297mm sides=one-sided
But, in reality, there have been no real printout.
I guess its because of the wrong printer model.
How do I get driver for Canon LBP 3300 and how to make it print really.

Thank you.

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rcrsn51
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#17 Post by rcrsn51 »

Please start a separate thread titled "Canon LBP 3300". If we can get this printer working, it will be useful information for other users. Also, could you give me the full model name of this printer? Canon appears to make several units with similar names.

Frank Cox
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cannon

#18 Post by Frank Cox »

Hi Mahadi:

Cannon printers are Linux unfriendly. This site may help but next time you buy a printer check on it's compatibility w/ Linux. Brother , Samsung Lexmark and HP are often Linux friendly.
Hope this helps:
http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0010309.asp

disciple
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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

#19 Post by disciple »

I wonder why those CAPT drivers aren't mentioned on openprinting.org

If the printer is almost the same as the LBP3360, the driver recommended for it will probably work too...
http://www.openprinting.org/printer/Can ... n-LBP-3360
Do you know a good gtkdialog program? Please post a link here

Classic Puppy quotes

ROOT FOREVER
GTK2 FOREVER

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rcrsn51
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#20 Post by rcrsn51 »

It's too bad that mahadi never replied - there have been other requests for Canon printers that use the CAPT driver. In a simulated install, I got the CAPT driver to work, but it probably doesn't apply to mahadi's networked printer setup.

The hpijs-pcl5e driver might be the answer, but it takes more than just the PPD file to make it work.
Cannon (sic) printers are Linux unfriendly
Not at all. Canon has Linux drivers for most of their models, although in some cases they only have basic functionality. This forum has entire threads dedicated to Canon printers.
Lexmark ... are often Linux friendly.
That's about the last brand I would recommend, second only to Kodak.

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