Obscure notification message: 'com.apple.print.recoverable'

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄]

Binary package hint: cups

My network printer has had its IP change due to me reconfiguring my network. I have a 9.10 laptop which hasn't been informed of this fact, so still has the old IP address. I went to print to it, thinking I'd get some kind of message about the printer being unavailable but instead got a notification popup saying:-

"Printer 'Genicom-microLaser-210': 'com.apple.print.recoverable'.

I can only guess at what this means. The same message appears if I hover over the printer icon. Now of course I can "fix" this by changing the IP address of the printer, but the message is a touch obscure. Indeed, one nice thing is simply changing the IP address in the admin screen results in my output appearing - which is very nice :)

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
CupsErrorLog:
 E [10/Oct/2009:01:12:53 +0100] Unable to remove temporary file "/var/spool/cups/tmp/.hplip" - Is a directory
 E [10/Oct/2009:01:32:05 +0100] Unable to remove temporary file "/var/spool/cups/tmp/.hplip" - Is a directory
 E [10/Oct/2009:09:28:34 +0100] Unable to remove temporary file "/var/spool/cups/tmp/.hplip" - Is a directory
 E [10/Oct/2009:12:06:37 +0100] Unable to remove temporary file "/var/spool/cups/tmp/.hplip" - Is a directory
Date: Sat Oct 10 12:33:01 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lpstat:
 device for Genicom-microLaser-210: socket://192.168.129.99:9100
 device for Officejet-6300-series: hp:/usb/Officejet_6300_series?serial=CN88BFB5N204M4
 device for Officejet-6300-series-Fax: hpfax:/usb/Officejet_6300_series?serial=CN88BFB5N204M4
MachineType: TOSHIBA Portable PC
Package: cups 1.4.1-4
Papersize: a4
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
PpdFiles:
 Officejet-6300-series: HP Officejet 6300 Series hpijs, 3.9.8
 Officejet-6300-series-Fax: HP Fax hpijs
 Genicom-microLaser-210: Genicom microLaser 210 Foomatic/Postscript
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-13-generic-pae root=UUID=6f981968-9d73-43df-a42c-21d75e087ae5 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-13.43-generic-pae
SourcePackage: cups
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-13-generic-pae i686
dmi.bios.date: 05/22/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: Version 3.80
dmi.board.name: Portable PC
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: Version A0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0000000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: Version 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvrVersion3.80:bd05/22/2008:svnTOSHIBA:pnPortablePC:pvrVersion1.0:rvnTOSHIBA:rnPortablePC:rvrVersionA0:cvnTOSHIBA:ct10:cvrVersion1.0:
dmi.product.name: Portable PC
dmi.product.version: Version 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA

[umutuygar (umutuygar)]

I've got the exact same error. My printer (Samsung ML-1640) is connected to an Airport Extreme Base station (router made by Apple). But I cannot change the ip address because it's the ip address of the router.

[Kevin Atkins (kevin-katkins)]

Same error for me - attempting to print to HP Laserjet 4 via Jetdirect.

[Jonathan Wood (jwood-havenventures)]

I have seen this error for the first time printing from KOALA to a Dell 5100Cn - but the symptoms are very familiar (usually I get the symptom without the error message - assume I'm now getting it as I recently turned on logging in CUPS to try to find the source of another problem (most PDF files won't print properly).

The symptom that goes with it is the Printer hangs, as if it is still in the middle of the print. and the status panel shows "Processing LPD". THe only thing I can do in these circumstances, is to cancel the job in the print queue, then switch the printer off and on again to clear the memory.

I this case the print was from OpenOffice; but I also see with PDF files printing from Evince. Never with emails, or printing from other applications.

[transformania (saudia)]

I was having the same problem on my Samsung CLX-3175FW, printing via network. I checked the printer's settings and the Device URI was configured for Internet Printing Protocol ( ipp:// ). Then I checked the printer's settings via its web admin page, and IPP was not enabled (and never has been, to my knowledge). I ticked the box to turn it on, applied the settings, then tried to print again and it worked.

So it appears the wrong protocol is being chosen. Just to add, I set the printer up by using the installer package for Linux I downloaded off Samsung's site because my CLX was not being auto-detected by Ubuntu's Add Printer Wizard. Perhaps now that I had turned on IPP it would see it again, but I haven't tested that.

To conclude, turning on IPP in the printer's settings fixed my issue.

My problem didn't show up until I started using 9.10.

[Nicholas Goodwin (nicholas-goodwin)]

I see the same message if my Dell 3000cn printer is switched off when I try to print something. The job stays in the queue and prints correctly once the printer is turned on.

[Mikko Ohtamaa (mikko-red-innovation)]

The error message is probably caused when the printer cannot be reached.

So the human friendly message would be "The printer cannot be reached. Please check printer cable / network connection."

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

I have just upgraded my Asus Eee 1000 to Ubuntu 9.10 after 6 months or so successfully printing wirelessly to my Canon MP620. I worked through various fixes, like "cups-insecure-filter", to do with CUPS but this "com.apple.print.recoverable" has me stumped.

I can see my printer at http://192.168.1.150 in my browser - it disappears when I power-off the printer and reappears when I power it back on. The 6th page of printer properties ("Ink/Toner Levels") in System-Printing has Status Messages: Printer 'Canon-MP620-630': com.apple.print.recoverable''. For me it's not an intermittent problem, I have never got it to work. Another PC, still with Ubuntu 8.10, on the LAN prints OK wirelessly to this printer.

Can anyone help?

[andypiper (andypiperuk)]

Same error - wireless Canon MP620 printer got new DHCP address; CUPS notification stated com.apple.print.recoverable, which was meaningless until I did a web search and found that a change of address could cause this. I simply pointed the bjnp: URL to the new IP address of the printer in System->Administration->Printing and the printer resumed perfectly.

It's a silly error message which means nothing to the user and does not help to resolve the issue.

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

Confirming that the workaround in #9 works. Looks like this is a general CUPS issue, and isn't specific to a particular printer. For the record, I've got a Samsung SCX-4828FN.

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

I'm still "stumped" but it sounds as if there is a solution within my grasp, thanks, but I, and perhaps others, would value a bit more help understanding what it is.

Wireless printing to my Canon MP620 works fine from Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 from both my desktop and my Asus EeePC 1000. I've been uprgading my Asus beyond 8.10 so I can use Vodafone K3565 mobile broadband dongle and 9.04 is the earliest that supports that - which it does well. So right now I have 9.04 on the Asus 8GB SSD (ext3 with no swap file) hoping it's stability/maturity will enable me to get the printer working. I still can, as an alternative with some inconvenience when I need to print, boot the Asus into the old 8.04 installation which I originally put on the 32GB SSD.

Attempting to print from 9.04 immediately produces the print dialogue saying, "<Printer location> recoverable. Unable to connect to printer; will retry in 30 seconds...; Printer 'Canon' may not be connected."

http://localhost:631/ shows CUPS 1.3.9 managing my MP620 via IPP(http) at Device URI: http://192.168.1.150 which I set my router to assign to the printer's MAC.There is the footnote there: "See "Network Printers" for the correct URI to use with your printer." and I've looked at that (and it is what I try to print as a test) but find it heavy going - is that my mistake? Should I use AppSocket rather than IPP?

System->Administration->Printing reports the printer Properties->Settings->Printer State as "Idle - recoverable. Unable to connect to printer; will retry in 30 seconds..." and Properties->Ink/Toner Levels->Status Messages as "Printer 'Canon' may not be connected."

So AndyPiper's, "I simply pointed the bjnp: URL to the new IP address of the printer in System->Administration->Printing" is tantalising but just too cryptic for my level of understanding though clearly not for Colin's. Could one of you unpack it just a bit more, please? Where do I need to insert something different and how do I know what to insert?

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Dave E Mason, try AppSocket, this is much more reliable than IPP. IPP suffers a lot from buggy implementations in the printers.

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

Colan: sorry to mis-spell you as Colin.

Till: Yes, I realised after I posted that I should try AppSocket. I did, then restarted CUPS, in case that matters. but no change. Haven't yet tried restarting Ubuntu, will do that soon.

I've realised that I'm discussing this under "com.apple.print.recoverable" which is the error msg I got under Karmic 9.10 so I'm kind of assuming if I can get 9.04 to print then the same solution might work for 9.10.

How do I "point the bjnp:" as AndyPiper recommends? I assume "bjnp" refers to Canon's bubble-jet network printing protocol and I have installed cups-bjnp-0.5.4 (not 0.5). Is this something I can access specifically? Or did AndyPiper use it as shorthand for CUPS?

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

Restarting Ubuntu hasn't helped but en route I discovered that both setups that will print (wirelessly) to Canon MP620 - that is in the desktop with Ubuntu 8.10 and the Asus EeePC 1000 with Ubuntu NBR 8.04 - CUPS shpws the Device URI as bjnp://192.168.1.150:8611 So there is bjnp: appearing and the port is not the default 9100.

I can't find a way to get the Asus under Ubuntu 9.04 to accept bjnp:// and using :8611 does not get it to work.

 Still hoping for help...

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

After an update of CUPS went through today, I find I can print from Jaunty 9.04 to my wireless Canon MP620, at last. i haven't changed anything else. When the dust settles, I'll try Karmic.

[Crick (crick)]

I was getting this error too, it was as a result of trying to print from a different subnet. I fixed it as shown in the comments on this blog:

http://blog.mypapit.net/2008/05/enable-printer-sharing-with-ubuntu-computers.html

[Dave E Mason (dave-townace)]

Crick,

" I was getting this error too, it was as a result of trying to print from
a different subnet. I fixed it as shown in the comments on this blog:
http://blog.mypapit.net/2008/05/enable-printer-sharing-with-ubuntu-
computers.html<http://blog.mypapit.net/2008/05/enable-printer-sharing-with-ubuntu-%0Acomputers.html>"

Thanks. I assume you mean the comment I've reproduced below?

It's months since I looked at this. In order to print I have stuck with
Intrepid 8.10 on PC and Jaunty 9.04 on Netbook. How would I know if MY
problem was because I was "trying to print from a different subnet" - where
does that show up? Maybe I'll try Lucid 10.04 now, I have a PC that only has
XP so far.

Dave Mason
======

Note that if we* try and print from the different subnet (in this case using
NAT on both sides with zeroshell),* we get an error:

com.apple.print.recoverable

This basically means that the printer is not at the address we are trying to
print to. In fact, we won’t even find it the normal way.

To add your printer from the client machine, you have to go into System ?
administration ? Printing as per normal, then Settings, click advanced
settings, and add the IP of the printer to the “browse servers” bit.

From the server side, you may have to enable “Allow printing from the
internet” so that clients not in the subnet can print.

Now, back on the client end, in the Printer Configuration main window you
should be able to see your printer. You won’t be able to edit the settings
of the printer. But what you can do is copy it, and call it something else
which CAN be edited. So do that first.

Then, right click on the printer, click on properties and just change the
device URI from something like:
ipp://computer1.local:631/printers/MFC7420
to
ipp://192.168.0.1:631/printers/MFC7420

Where 192.168.0.1 would be the IP of your printer.
======

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

This is an upstream problem of CUPS. Please report it on

http://www.cups.org/str.php

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

As far as I understand, the problem is simply that in the case that a network printer is not reachable, usually because it is turned off, the printer's IP has changed, or in the printer-internal configuration the needed communication protocol is not activated, CUPS reports the message 'com.apple.print.recoverable'. The message should be replaced by a more user-friendly one. Should be no big deal for the CUPS upstream developer's to fix.

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Filed upstream in cups.

http://www.cups.org/str.php?L3658

Lauchpad doesn't let me set this as an external bug watch, but if I notice any movement on the bug report upstream I will update this bug here on LP.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Alan, thank you. I only noted the fact that it is an upstream bug by adding an upstream task. Please update the status of this task when the upstream bug status changes.

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Upstream bug closed:-

"[STR Closed w/o Resolution]

No, not a CUPS bug - your Ubuntu UI isn't handling the IPP
printer-state-reason value that is being set by the driver you are using,
in this case a Mac-specific "extra message" field that was deprecated In
10.4 but is still in common use.

Link: http://www.cups.org/str.php?L3658
Version: 1.4.1
Fix Version: Third-party"

[Pascal De Vuyst (pascal-devuyst)]

Moving to system-config-printer...

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

While I have fixed another bug I have seen that this message got blacklisted in system-config-printer. Closing as fixed ...