CUPS usb-subsystem(?) crashes while trying to touch printer

[René Kliment]

I have tagged package "system-config-printer" as the one with bug, but it seems, that the bug is in kernel usb subsystem / CUPS usb subsystem, I do not know exactly, I just guess. I have my LPT printer connected via USB-LPT cable. When I connect all, everything seems just ok. After that, I open system-config-printer and hit "Add printer", the printer is not found and in dmesg is an error described bellow. I tried to use automatic reporting system, but I just got message, that it can't determite package-name.
It worked well in Ubuntu 9.04, in Ubuntu 9.10 it stopped working.

This is after everyhing is connected:
[ 2935.880091] usb 5-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3
[ 2936.076298] usb 5-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 2936.120292] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 3 if 0 alt 1 proto 2 vid 0x067B pid 0x2305
Here it crashes:
[ 2967.611996] usb 5-1: usbfs: interface 0 claimed by usblp while 'usb' sets config #1
[ 2967.670175] usb[4785]: segfault at 0 ip 00007fe8c4ddeb14 sp 00007fff0f479758 error 4 in libc-2.11.1.so[7fe8c4d58000+178000]

Thank you, René Kliment.
PS: I am using Ubuntu 10.04 with the latest updates, but you probably know this from system logs.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: system-config-printer-gnome 1.1.17+20100217-0ubuntu12
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-19.28-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-19-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Apr 4 13:29:48 2010
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExecutablePath: /usr/share/system-config-printer/system-config-printer.py
InterpreterPath: /usr/bin/python2.6
Lpstat: Error: command ['lpstat', '-v'] failed with exit code 1: lpstat: No destinations added.
MachineType: Micro-Star International MSI Notebook EX600
PackageArchitecture: all
Papersize: a4
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-19-generic root=UUID=ed5850e9-2f80-4094-af90-01b2c641b794 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=cs_CZ.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: system-config-printer
dmi.bios.date: 08/06/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A1636IMS V5.09
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: MS-1636X
dmi.board.vendor: MICRO-STAR INT'L CO.,LTD
dmi.board.version: Ver 1.000
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Micro-Star International
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrA1636IMSV5.09:bd08/06/2008:svnMicro-StarInternational:pnMSINotebookEX600:pvrVer1.000:rvnMICRO-STARINT'LCO.,LTD:rnMS-1636X:rvrVer1.000:cvnMicro-StarInternational:ct10:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: MSI Notebook EX600
dmi.product.version: Ver 1.000
dmi.sys.vendor: Micro-Star International

[Paul Broadhead (pjbroad)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage . I have classified this bug as a bug insystem-config-printer .
For future reference you might be interested to know that a lot of applications have bug reporting functionality built in to them. This can be accessed via the Report a Problem option in the Help menu for the application with which you are having an issue. You can learn more about this feature at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Your dmesg output reveals a segfault in libc-2.11.1.so, part of the libc6 package, moving ...

This most probably prevents your system from reporting the printer correctly to system-config-printer and so system-config-printer does not find it.

Note also that USB-Parrallel adapters often do not pass through the information about manufacturer and model of the printer, so that even without this segfault you have to choose make and model manually.

[Matthias Klose (doko)]

@Till: most segfaults in glibc are caused by calling functions. reassigning back. please find a better package. No, it's not python2.6 either, but likely one of the python bindings.

[Tim Mann (ubuntu-tim-mann)]

I am seeing what looks like the identical problem, also on 10.4. My USB parallel port adapter reports the same model number; perhaps that's a clue.

[ 192.635352] usb[1946]: segfault at 0 ip 00007f1b79fd5b44 sp 00007ffffa6e1b68 error 4 in libc-2.11.1.so[7f1b79f4f000+17a000]

Bus 005 Device 002: ID 067b:2305 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2305 Parallel Port

[Tim Mann (ubuntu-tim-mann)]

I found a workaround. The segfault only stops the printer from being detected automatically. I was able to add mine manually by typing the URI into the "Enter device URI" box and then proceeding with the setup from there. I had to select the make and model by hand; no problem since I've done that often before with this trusty old printer.

The hard part was to find the proper URI for a local parallel printer. The CUPS documentation was no help, but I found an example by googling a bit. For my setup it was parallel:/dev/usb/lp0. I imagine that will work for most people who have an old parallel printer connected through a USB parallel port. Note that usb:/dev/usb/lp0 did *not* work, not surprising since this is not a natively USB printer.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Can you run the commands as described in the section "USB printer" on https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingPrintingProblems?

[Maxxer (lorenzo-milesi)]

I'm having the very same problem since few days on ubuntu 10.04 LTS fully updated.
I've a network of some pc, with 2 network printers and two usb printers attached to PC.
I see the status is Fix Released, but where is it?
thanks

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

The "Fix Released" was not set by a developer, but by a user who probably was lucky not observing the segfault. Removing "Fix Released" ...

Problem is that the USB CUPS backend cannot cope with printers which do not supply a device ID. Real USB printers always supply a device ID, but most USB-Parallel adapter cables do not. Solution would be to generate a device URI using other data which identifies either the printer or the adapter cable.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Workaround for the time being is entering the URI "parallel:/dev/usb/lp0" for USB-Parallel adapter cables and not using more than one of these cables and no additional real USB printers on one computer.