printer job fails with "/usr/lib/cups/backend/ipselect failed"

[Marcus]

Network printer fails to print pages including pictures.
Printing regular text files have no problems to be printed out.

After print attempt, status of printer is changing to:
"/usr/lib/cups/backend/ipselect failed"

CUPS error-log:
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Running /usr/bin/pdftops -level2 -origpagesizes /tmp/pdftops.xT41pk -
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Running pstops '2' 'marcus' 'Markt für externe Speichersysteme erholt sich' '1' ' Resolution=600dpi2 LXOutputBin=None JCLTonerDarkness=None JCLLXImageSmoothing=PrtSet PageSize=A4 Duplex=DuplexNoTumble InputSlot=AutoSelect LXMediaType=None OutputTo=Printer job-uuid=urn:uuid:35414b1b-6e6a-3739-57f3-abbff27e56f5 job-originating-host-name=localhost'
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
...
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Copying page 2...
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] PAGE: 2 1
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] pagew = 578.0, pagel = 816.0
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] bboxx = 0, bboxy = 0, bboxw = 595, bboxl = 842
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] PageLeft = 10.0, PageRight = 588.0
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] PageTop = 829.0, PageBottom = 13.0
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] PageWidth = 595.0, PageLength = 842.0
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Wrote 2 pages...
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] Backend returned status 1 (failed)
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] End of messages
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] printer-state=3(idle)
D [20/Sep/2010:10:28:47 +0200] [Job 2] printer-state-message="/usr/lib/cups/backend/ipselect failed"

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Release: 10.04

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: poppler-utils 0.12.4-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.43-generic-pae 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic-pae i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Sep 20 10:33:25 2010
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: poppler

[Sergio R Goncalves (srochagoncalves)]

Hi...
I'm with the same problem when I try to print any psf file or web page, for example.
Do you have any hint to solve it ?
Tks in advanced,
Sérgio

[Bracken (abdawson)]

The issue this was duped to is fixed in maverick but I still see it. The dupe would appear to be incorrect.

[Norbert (norbert79)]

Good morning!

I would like to share some information, which might give additional information, and help everyone out behalf of this bug, for which I bit think, that it is not duplicate of #620751. What I would like to share are my personal experiences, and all my assumptions are own, don't take them as fact.

I have experienced a similar issue with ipselect recently, but under a bit different circumstances, yet I think the reason are the same. Now ipselect, also known as InfoPrint Select (IBM tool) is mostly used within IBM or IBM related networks, most of the time within it's internal printing system. Being employed currently by IBM, I also use the printers using the ipselect method, as by policy.

On the 7th of September 2011 my goal was on printing out a simple PDF file using Evince, and done this through the IBM Printing Network. The PDF file was this file:
http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/files/sharedUploads/Anyagok/2011/08_ho/311_Lakaskerdoivv_ver5.pdf

After some tries, I was browsing through the log of CUPS, and saw the same error message. According to the log, the Postscript command sent through IPselect has been ending up in error when using Evince (Postscript Level 2), while with Adobe PDF Viewer, the command sent through (Postscript Level 3) has ended up in a successful printing. (Printer was installed with IBM's solution for setting up printer)

Though I am not an expert of PostScript, I think, that the internal printers are using a different level of Postscript as default, or are not able to handle the commands sent for them by the regular expressions, while Adobe PDF reader uses a different set of commands and methods provodng the same result by recreating the PostScript file, and sending that to the printers. As of course this doesn't explain the lines "Error: Illegal entry in bfrange block in ToUnicode CMap", but it might be also coming from the settings used for such printers provided by the solution.

Please see attachments for detailed error logs!

Regards:
norbert79

[Bracken (abdawson)]

My situation is identical to that of norbert79, I am still of the opinion that this is not a dupe, mainly because I am supposedly running with the fix!

[Norbert (norbert79)]

Just one additional comment from my side: All applications using Poppler is affected, not only PDF readers, but every application, like Inkscape. Only works, if exporting to PDF, and then using Adobe Reader for printing within IBM Printer-Network.

[Wolfgang (mail-wolfgang-bergner)]

I'm having the same problem on Ubuntu 11.10, also working from an IBM network. Norbert, did you find out how to overcome this problem? Is Adobe Reader the only way? Would be happy not being forced to install this software.

[Kevin Ford (kdford)]

@norbert79 - Your post helped me at least workaround my problem but I am not sure it is a PS level 2/3 issue (although I have no expertise about PostScript)... The reason I doubt it is that although I was able to print my files using Adobe reader 9 (Ubuntu 11.10), using the default settings (which uses PS level 3), I tried again, after manually forcing PostScript language level to 2 (in advanced settings while printing), and it still printed fine..

So net is...

Evince would not print my PDF
Adobe would print my PDF, regardless of PS Language Level 2 or 3.

[Norbert (norbert79)]

Kevin:

Thanks for the reply, I will reply here so this bug report and all messages stay in this bug ticket; it might be not related to similar errors at all.
Anyway: If you compare any output made by poppler (?) and Adobe Reader, you will see, that Adobe Reader basically recreates the PS file, when sent to a spooler, making it much larger, than in original. Actually I couldn't figure out how and which method it uses, but it basically rebuilds it. Poppler on the other hand translates it for the spooler, but doesn't seem to be able to use a language, which can be interpreted by the printer within the IBM printing network (now owned by Lexmark).

So it would be a good idea for testing the differences between the output of poppler and Adobe Reader.

[Stephane Deparis (s-deparis)]

I'm experiencing the same bug in ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS, on an IBM network also.
When trying to print any pdf using Evince 3.4.0 (using poppler/cairo 0.18.4), the job status indicates "held" forever, and the job-printer-state-message indicates "/usr/lib/cups/backend/ipselect failed".
The only way to print a pdf for me, is to use Adobe Reader 9, which is annoying.

[JG (jgyap)]

When I am in IBM network, i had same error message.

However, my scenario is different- I can print test page but for print of any other doc (ie pdf or from the browser), they failed.

on closer look into /var/log/cups/ipselect.log, i notice the for the failed print out, an extra entry (among others) when compared to a successful print, caught my attention:

2014-01-24 11:49:21 [INFO] InputSlot=Tray3 -> default-input-tray=tray-3
2014-01-24 11:49:21 [INFO] Duplex=None -> sides=1 -x plex=simplex

When I reset the paper source (File->Print, choose the tab "Page Setup) to "Printer Default" before printing, my print from the browser will be successful. For pdf, I chose "Tray 1 for "Media source".

-JG

[Norbert (norbert79)]

Hi JG!

Thanks for sharing. I wish I could test this, but I have left IBM in March 2013. Although I recall, when tested, that this didn't make any difference for me, and the error message was also different. The weird part was, that Adobe Acrobat Reader worked well it was poppler failing. I still think it is related to how poppler handles Postscript. Maybe it lacks some functions...

Regards
norbert79