HP Deskjet 840c - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.9 [SOLVED]

[Sylvander]

1. The above is displayed in the "Printers" tab when I attempt to print an abw document using Abiword.
The printer just sits silent doing nothing.
Tried printing in another 2 or 3 Puppies, with identical results.

2. Never had any trouble with this printer, and been using it for years.
I don't think old age has done for it.
It appears to be functional.

3. Checked the power and signal connections, and both seem OK.

4. Any idea how to make it print?

[jafadmin]

Does it print a configuration page OK from the LCD panel?

[Sylvander]

1.

Does it print a configuration page OK from the LCD panel?

Yikes!
I don't even know what that means.
What is is "a configuration page"?
What "the LCD panel"?

2. I'm guessing you may be referring to a stand-alone printer [powered, but effectively no signal cable connected to PC], printing a test page.
I have an instruction booklet somewhere [had it for many years through total house redecoration, and cannot yet find it].
I vaguely remember I should press two buttons together to print a test page, but I've just done that and nothing happened.

3. Found THESE INSTRUCTIONS to "Press and hold the Resume button...until the printer starts printing".
Did this, and it printed a test page.
Just as I expected it would.

4. HP Deskjet 840c Printer support

[jafadmin]

Ok, so the printer actually works.

With the printer powered on, disconnect then reconnect the printer cable. Then from a command prompt type:

dmesg | tail -20

It should list the last 20 dmesg events. You should see some indications that the printer was plugged into the PC.

If it doesn't, you may have a cable/connector problem.

[Sylvander]

Here's the result of that command [dmesg | tail -20]:

Code: Select all

# dmesg | tail -20
[   13.338137] input: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input5
[   13.338196] input: HDA Intel PCH Line Out as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input6
[   13.338240] input: HDA Intel PCH Line as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input7
[   13.338284] input: HDA Intel PCH Rear Mic as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input8
[   13.338750] ACPI Warning: 0x00000540-0x0000054f SystemIO conflicts with Region \GPR2 1 (20130328/utaddress-251)
[   13.338756] ACPI: If an ACPI driver is available for this device, you should use it instead of the native driver
[   13.338758] ACPI Warning: 0x00000530-0x0000053f SystemIO conflicts with Region \GPR2 1 (20130328/utaddress-251)
[   13.338762] ACPI: If an ACPI driver is available for this device, you should use it instead of the native driver
[   13.338763] ACPI Warning: 0x00000500-0x0000052f SystemIO conflicts with Region \GPR2 1 (20130328/utaddress-251)
[   13.338766] ACPI: If an ACPI driver is available for this device, you should use it instead of the native driver
[   13.338768] lpc_ich: Resource conflict(s) found affecting gpio_ich
[   13.338882] i801_smbus 0000:00:1f.3: SMBus using PCI Interrupt
[   13.748109] atl1c 0000:02:00.0: irq 44 for MSI/MSI-X
[   13.809597] atl1c 0000:02:00.0: irq 44 for MSI/MSI-X
[   13.848116] atl1c 0000:02:00.0: irq 44 for MSI/MSI-X
[   14.329531] [drm] Enabling RC6 states: RC6 on, RC6p off, RC6pp off
[   14.702016] atl1c 0000:02:00.0: atl1c: eth0 NIC Link is Up<100 Mbps Full Duplex>
[   15.167359] ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
[   15.171236] nf_conntrack version 0.5.0 (16384 buckets, 65536 max)
[   92.231505] aufs may_rename_srcdir:445:URL Classifier[8224]: renaming dir who has child(ren) on multiple branches, is not supported
# 

Does it mean anything to you?

[jafadmin]

This printer is connected by USB cable, right? If so, then I don't think your PC is aware that the printer is connected.

At this point I would try a different cable, and/or try connecting the printer to a different PC to see if it has the same result.

[Sylvander]

The printer has a parallel port connection at the printer end, so...
When I switched to using a NEW/modern desktop that has no parallel port outlet, only USB, I bought a new connecting cable that has parallel at the printer end and USB at the PC end.

I've been successfully using this arrangement for about 3 years, and printing without any problems.
It's using 1 of a cluster of 4 USB sockets on the back of the PC.
All 4 are in use by this-n-that.

Might the USB socket being used have gone faulty?
Should I swap it to use a USB socket that's known to be good?->[one of the two at front-right]

If the cable is suspect I could buy a new/good replacement.
Don't have a 2nd PC, except Raspberry-Pi and a tablet.

[jafadmin]

I'm out of ideas on this one. I don't have the hardware to emulate the issue.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Sylvander]

Been there, done that, so I know your situation.

All the best.

Here's hoping someone else will have an idea or two.

[rcrsn51]

It sounds like you have tried the printer in older Puppies where you are 100% sure that it used to work, but now fails.

So the prime culprit is your USB system - either a port or the cable.

[Sylvander]

@rcrsn51

1. "It sounds like you have tried the printer in older Puppies where you are 100% sure that it used to work, but now fails."
I have about 10 Puppies, to try them out and see how I like them.
Don't set up printing in every one, but where I did it always worked easy-peasy, including my number-1 Puppy now being used = Slacko-5.7.0-pae.
Then right out of the blue printing no longer works, in this and also the other Puppies I've tried.

2. "So the prime culprit is your USB system - either a port or the cable."
Sounds right.
I'll try using a known good USB port.
If that doesn't work I'll buy a new cable, or a new printer.

[Sylvander]

success!

1. Moved the USB connection to a known good USB socket at front-right, and it printed just fine.
Then...

2. Moved the USB plug back to its original USB socket at rear, and it printed just fine.

3. I had previously made sure that the USB plug in its USB socket at rear was hard home, but that didn't produce a fix.
And yet, unplugging and re-plugging fixed the problem.
Poor connection I guess.

4. My thanks for all assistance.