each printed page starts with line of 'garbage' (Laserjet 4+ over network)

[Wit Wilinski]

The printing system in feisty got broken by one of the most recent updates (last few days). Each page (checked both ljet4 and hpijs drivers) prints with a line of ASCII garbage (some data not understood by the printer).

Prints are fine on Kubuntu 6.10 with the same settings.

I've got a Laserjet 4+ printer running over ethernet with HP JetDirect module. It used to work fine on feisty until one of recent upgrades. After it got broken, I tried downgrading *cups* to 1.2.7, but it didn't help. It could be something with openprinting PPD files, but I'm not sure whether it is the cause...

[Pascal De Vuyst (pascal-devuyst)]

Can you please provide the information as described here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingPrintingProblems. You may skip the printer detection part.

[Theodor Ruethers (theodor-ruethers)]

Same here,

HP laserjet 5L, printerdriver :ljet4 (recommended)
Connect : Network Printer Windows Printer (SMB)

also testet with UNIX (LPD) with the same error on all pages.

[Pascal De Vuyst (pascal-devuyst)]

> It could be something with openprinting PPD files, but I'm not sure
> whether it is the cause...

These are the only two printing related packages that entered the archive on 22/02/2007 (you can check this on https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/feisty-changes/):
* cupsys (1.2.8-0ubuntu2)
* foomatic-filters (3.0.2-20070220-0ubuntu1)

Since downgrading cupsys does not solve your problem, that only leaves foomatic-filters. Can you try to downgrade foomatic-filters to the previous version and let us know if this fixes your problem.

task cupsys Rejected
added task foomatic-filters

[Michael S. (jellicle)]

I had a similar problem; a line or two of binary garbage printed at the top of the page, followed by a relatively normal rest of the page. Worked fine in Edgy. I have a Laserjet 3200 connected to the network.

I followed the advice in the previous comment, downgrading foomatic-filters (actually I downgraded all of the foomatic packages, to the set which is dated around 20060918-20060925). Printing now works without the garbage. Culprit identified: foomatic.

[Wit Wilinski (wit-wilinski)]

Helped for me too - Laserjet 4+ (hpijs) working correctly after downgrade :)

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Can you exactly tell which is the newest foomatic-filters package where the problem does not occur and which is the oldest where it occurs.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Can you print into a file and attach both the input file and the output?

To print into a file add "FileDevice Yes" to /etc/cups/cupsd.conf and restart CUPS with "/etc/init.d/cupsys restart". The create a print queue with the same printer model and driver but with the URI "file:/tmp/printout".

Try also to set "debug=1" in /etc/foomatic/filters.conf and send the print job again, then post the files

/tmp/foomatic-rip.log
/tmp/foomatic-rip.ps
/tmp/printout

and your input file here.

Can you also send /tmp/printout directly to your printer?

Use

nc -w1[your printer's IP] 9100 < /tmp/printout

for that.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

I could reproduce it and fix the bug. Please test by replacing /usr/bin/foomatic-rip with the attached file. Package will come next week.

[Wit Wilinski (wit-wilinski)]

The file You've provided fixes the problem, indeed.
Garbage is gone, page comes out clean.

(Tested on Laserjet 4+ over LAN, hpijs driver)