HP Laserjet 1100a doesn't scan using HPLIP

[Stuart Thompson]

I've recently upgraded to HPLIP 3.9.12-2 and my Laserjet 1100a has stopped scanning - printing works fine.

The symptoms are that any action to scan (scanimage xsane hp-scan) causes a single character to be printed to the printer which can then be printed as a "smiley face" by pressing the button. No action takes place on the scanner. HPLIP reports either I/O errors or that device is busy. Bug occurs regardless of what I do. Bug also appears on a separate machine with updated version of linux and Debian

Using Debian testing, see output below for version and hp-check

sthompson@LinuxServer:~$ uname -a
Linux LinuxServer 2.6.30-1-686 #1 SMP Sat Aug 15 19:11:58 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
sthompson@LinuxServer:~$ cat /etc/issue
Debian GNU/Linux squeeze/sid \n \l

sthompson@LinuxServer:~$ hp-check -t

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.9.12)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 14.3

Copyright (c) 2001-9 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

Note: hp-check can be run in three modes:
1. Compile-time check mode (-c or --compile): Use this mode before compiling the
HPLIP supplied tarball (.tar.gz or .run) to determine if the proper dependencies
are installed to successfully compile HPLIP.
2. Run-time check mode (-r or --run): Use this mode to determine if a distro
supplied package (.deb, .rpm, etc) or an already built HPLIP supplied tarball
has the proper dependencies installed to successfully run.
3. Both compile- and run-time check mode (-b or --both) (Default): This mode
will check both of the above cases (both compile- and run-time dependencies).

Saving output in log file: hp-check.log

Initializing. Please wait...

---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

Basic system information:
Linux LinuxServer 2.6.30-1-686 #1 SMP Sat Aug 15 19:11:58 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

Distribution:
debian testing

Checking Python version...
OK, version 2.5.4 installed

Checking PyQt 4.x version...
OK, version 4.4.4 installed.

Checking for CUPS...
Status: scheduler is running
Version: 1.4.1
error_log is set to level: warn

Checking for dbus/python-dbus...
dbus daemon is running.
python-dbus version: 0.83.0

------------------------------------
| COMPILE AND RUNTIME DEPENDENCIES |
------------------------------------

note: To check for compile-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -c parameter (ie, hp-check -c).
note: To check for run-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -r parameter (ie, hp-check -r).

Checking for dependency: CUPS - Common Unix Printing System...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: CUPS image - CUPS image development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: DBus - Message bus system...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libjpeg - JPEG library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libpthread - POSIX threads library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libtool - Library building support services...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libusb - USB library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan)...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python devel - Python development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python XML libraries...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.3 or greater - Required for fax functionality...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Reportlab - PDF library for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: scanimage - Shell scanning program...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE...
OK, found.

----------------------
| HPLIP INSTALLATION |
----------------------

Currently installed HPLIP version...
HPLIP 3.9.12 currently installed in '/usr/share/hplip'.

Current contents of '/etc/hp/hplip.conf' file:
# hplip.conf. Generated from hplip.conf.in by configure.

[hplip]
version=3.9.12

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/hplip/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd/hplip
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-doc/HTML
icon=no
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv

# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
pp-build=yes
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=yes
foomatic-drv-install=yes
foomatic-ppd-install=yes
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.9.12.29
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
policy-kit=yes
hpijs-only-build=no
lite-build=no
udev-acl-rules=yes
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
# hplip.state - HPLIP runtime persistent variables.

[plugin]
installed=0
eula=0

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[last_used]
printer_name = HPLinux
working_dir = .
device_uri = "hpaio:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0"

[commands]
scan = /usr/bin/xsane -V %SANE_URI%

[installation]
version = 3.9.12.29
date_time = 22/02/10 16:42:25

[settings]
systray_messages = 0
systray_visible = 0

[fax]
email_address =
voice_phone =

[refresh]
rate = 30
enable = false
type = 1

[polling]
enable = false
device_list =
interval = 5

--------------------------
| DISCOVERED USB DEVICES |
--------------------------

No devices found.

---------------------------------
| INSTALLED CUPS PRINTER QUEUES |
---------------------------------

FaxPrinter
----------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: socket://localhost:9900

HP_LaserJet_1100
----------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_LaserJet_1100.ppd
PPD Description: HP LaserJet 1100a, hpcups 3.9.8.36
Printer status: printer HP_LaserJet_1100 is idle. enabled since Sat 20 Feb 2010 14:31:28 GMT
Communication status: Good

HPLinux
-------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HPLinux.ppd
PPD Description: HP LaserJet 1100, hpcups 3.9.12
Printer status: printer HPLinux is idle. enabled since Mon 22 Feb 2010 12:52:49 GMT ready to print
Communication status: Good

----------------------
| SANE CONFIGURATION |
----------------------

'hpaio' in '/etc/sane.d/dll.conf'...
OK, found. SANE backend 'hpaio' is properly set up.

Checking output of 'scanimage -L'...
device `hpaio:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0' is a Hewlett-Packard HP_LaserJet_1100 all-in-one

---------------------
| PYTHON EXTENSIONS |
---------------------

Checking 'cupsext' CUPS extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'pcardext' Photocard extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'hpmudext' I/O extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'scanext' SANE scanning extension...
OK, found.

---------------
| USER GROUPS |
---------------

sthompson lp dialout cdrom floppy audio video plugdev scanner saned

-----------
| SUMMARY |
-----------

No errors or warnings.

Done.
sthompson@LinuxServer:~$

[Sam Liddicott (sam-liddicott)]

I've just got an HP1100A with scanner attachment and am happy to help debug.
For me printing is fine, but I'm not sure how to make XSANE even know it has a scanner.

$ scanimage xsane hp-scan
scanimage: no SANE devices found

[Sam Liddicott (sam-liddicott)]

Here's my output:

$ sudo hp-scan
warning: hp-scan should not be run as root/superuser.

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.10.2)
Scan Utility ver. 2.2

Copyright (c) 2001-9 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

Using device: hpaio:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0

warning: No destinations specified. Adding 'file' destination by default.
warning: File destination enabled with no output file specified.
Setting output format to JPEG for color/lineart mode.
warning: Defaulting to '/home/sam/hpscan001.jpg'.
Using device hpaio:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0
Opening connection to device...

[[[LONG DELAY HERE - pressing scan button does nothing]]]

Resolution: 300dpi
Mode: color
Compression: JPEG
Scan area (mm):
  Top left (x,y): (0.000000mm, 0.000000mm)
  Bottom right (x,y): (228.599991mm, 381.000000mm)
  Width: 228.599991mm
  Height: 381.000000mm
Destination(s): file
Output file: /home/sam/hpscan001.jpg
error: Unable to set option mode to value color

Warming up...

Scanning...
Expecting to read 11.0 MB from scanner.

[[[TAKES AGES, SOMETIMES WORKS]]]

Reading data: [******************************************] 100% 11.0 MB
Read 11.0 MB from scanner.
Closing device.

[[[CLOSING TAKES AGES TOO]]]

Outputting to destination 'file':
Saving to file /home/sam/hpscan001.jpg

Done.

The actual scan was good.

If I specify -mgray, I don't get the complaint about colour but it still has the big delay on opening.
-mlineart

Sometimes I get:

Warming up...

Scanning...
error: SANE: Error during device I/O (code=9)
Closing device.

or

Destination(s): file
Output file: /home/sam/hpscan002.jpg
error: Unable to set option mode to value lineart

Warming up...

Scanning...
error: SANE: Device busy (code=3)
Closing device.

or

warning: Defaulting to '/home/sam/hpscan002.jpg'.
Using device hpaio:/par/HP_LaserJet_1100?device=/dev/parport0
Opening connection to device...
error: SANE: Error during device I/O (code=9)

turning off and on again makes it work again.

hp-scan "can work" but is very unreliable.

xsane hp-scan is harder to see; I think it's worth debugging hp-scan first.

[Sam Liddicott (sam-liddicott)]

I no longer have this printer

[Sarbeswar Meher (sarbeswar-meher)]

Run "xsane" in commandline to check the scanning. You can use "hp-scan" also.