Device Setup not possible anymore with error: Unable to communicate with device (code=12)

[Mr.Gosh]

HP Color LaserJet MFP M281fdw doesn't work anymore on Ubuntu 18.04

Everything worked until suddenly the device communication fell apart.
Updating to the newest HP-LIP 3.19.5 did not help.

Output from hp-check:
=====================

$ hp-check
Saving output in log file: /home/wulf/hp-check.log

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.19.5)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 15.1

Copyright (c) 2001-18 HP 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).

Check types:
a. EXTERNALDEP - External Dependencies
b. GENERALDEP - General Dependencies (required both at compile and run time)
c. COMPILEDEP - Compile time Dependencies
d. [All are run-time checks]
PYEXT SCANCONF QUEUES PERMISSION

Status Types:
    OK
    MISSING - Missing Dependency or Permission or Plug-in
    INCOMPAT - Incompatible dependency-version or Plugin-version

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

 Kernel: 4.15.0-50-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Mon May 6 18:46:08 UTC 2019 GNU/Linux
 Host: gosh-desktop
 Proc: 4.15.0-50-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Mon May 6 18:46:08 UTC 2019 GNU/Linux
 Distribution: 12 18.04
 Bitness: 64 bit

-----------------------
| HPLIP CONFIGURATION |
-----------------------

HPLIP-Version: HPLIP 3.19.5
HPLIP-Home: /usr/share/hplip
HPLIP-Installation: Auto installation is supported for ubuntu distro 18.04 version

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

[hplip]
version=3.19.5

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.19.5
html=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.19.5
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp
bin=/usr/bin
apparmor=/etc/apparmor.d
# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
libusb01-build=no
pp-build=no
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=no
foomatic-drv-install=no
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.19.5
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
qt5=no
policy-kit=no
lite-build=no
udev_sysfs_rules=no
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no
apparmor_build=yes
class-driver=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
Plugins are not installed. Could not access file: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[upgrade]
notify_upgrade = true
last_upgraded_time = 1558262548
pending_upgrade_time = 0
latest_available_version = 3.17.10

[settings]
systray_visible = 0
systray_messages = 0

[last_used]
device_uri = "hpfax:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145"
printer_name =
working_dir = .

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

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

[polling]
enable = false
interval = 5
device_list =

[fax]
voice_phone =
email_address =

[installation]
date_time = 28.05.2019 13:44:21
version = 3.19.5

 <Package-name> <Package-Desc> <Required/Optional> <Min-Version> <Installed-Version> <Status> <Comment>

--------------
| COMPILEDEP |
--------------

 gcc gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler REQUIRED - 7.4.0 OK -
 make make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs REQUIRED 3.0 4.1 OK -
 libtool libtool - Library building support services REQUIRED - 2.4.6 OK -

------------------------
| General Dependencies |
------------------------

 libcrypto libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library REQUIRED - 1.1.0 OK -
 python-xml Python XML libraries REQUIRED - 2.2.5 OK -
 libnetsnmp-devel libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files REQUIRED 5.0.9 5.7.3 OK -
 sane-devel SANE - Scanning library development files REQUIRED - - OK -
 pil PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan) OPTIONAL - 1.1.7 OK -
 pyqt4-dbus PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4 REQUIRED 4.0 4.12.1 OK -
 libpthread libpthread - POSIX threads library REQUIRED - 2.27 OK -
 python-devel Python devel - Python development files REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.15 OK -
 cups-devel CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files REQUIRED - 2.2.7 OK -
 python-dbus Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus REQUIRED 0.80.0 1.2.6 OK -
 cups-ddk CUPS DDK - CUPS driver development kit OPTIONAL - - OK -
 reportlab Reportlab - PDF library for Python OPTIONAL 2.0 3.4.0 OK -
 pyqt4 PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x) REQUIRED 4.0 4.12.1 OK -
 libusb libusb - USB library REQUIRED - 1.0 OK -
 cups-image CUPS image - CUPS image development files REQUIRED - 2.2.7 OK -
 python2X Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.15 OK -
 python-notify Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications OPTIONAL - - OK -
 libjpeg libjpeg - JPEG library REQUIRED - - OK -
 sane SANE - Scanning library REQUIRED - - OK -

----------------------
| Scan Configuration |
----------------------

 scanext Scan-SANE-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.5 OK -
 hpaio HPLIP-SANE-Backend REQUIRED - 3.19.5 OK 'hpaio found in /etc/sane.d/dll.conf'

-------------------------
| External Dependencies |
-------------------------

 gs GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer REQUIRED 7.05 9.26 OK -
 scanimage scanimage - Shell scanning program OPTIONAL 1.0 1.0.27 OK -
 cups CUPS - Common Unix Printing System REQUIRED 1.1 2.2.7 OK 'CUPS Scheduler is running'
 network network -wget OPTIONAL - 1.19.4 OK -
 policykit PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework OPTIONAL - 0.105 OK -
 xsane xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE OPTIONAL 0.9 0.999 OK -
 dbus DBus - Message bus system REQUIRED - 1.12.2 OK -
 avahi-utils avahi-utils OPTIONAL - 0.7 OK -

---------------------
| Python Extentions |
---------------------

 hpmudext IO-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.5 OK -
 cupsext CUPS-Extension REQUIRED - 3.19.5 OK -

------------------------------
| DISCOVERED SCANNER DEVICES |
------------------------------

device `hpaio:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145' is a Hewlett-Packard HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281 all-in-one

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

No devices found.

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

HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M281fdw_5B2CE5_
-------------------------------------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: ipps://NPI5B2CE5.local:631/ipp/print
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M281fdw_5B2CE5_.ppd
PPD Description: ColorLaserJet MFP M278-M281
Printer status: Drucker HP_Color_LaserJet_MFP_M281fdw_5B2CE5_ ist im Leerlauf. Aktiviert seit Di 28 Mai 2019 13:11:01 CEST
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend for HP-Devices.

HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281
------------------------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281.ppd
PPD Description: HP ColorLaserJet MFP M278-M281 Postscript (recommended)
Printer status: Drucker HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281 ist im Leerlauf. Aktiviert seit Di 28 Mai 2019 13:20:40 CEST
error: Unable to communicate with device (code=12): hp:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145
error: unable to open channel
error: Communication status: Failed

HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281_fax
----------------------------------
Type: Fax
Device URI: hpfax:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281_fax.ppd
PPD Description: HP Fax hpcups
Printer status: Drucker HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281_fax ist im Leerlauf. Aktiviert seit Di 28 Mai 2019 13:20:40 CEST
error: Unable to communicate with device (code=12): hpfax:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=10.1.1.145
error: unable to open channel
error: Communication status: Failed

--------------
| PERMISSION |
--------------

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

Missing Required Dependencies
-----------------------------
None

Missing Optional Dependencies
-----------------------------
None

Total Errors: 2
Total Warnings: 1

Done.

[Mr.Gosh (mr-gosh)]

Bug also present on a second Computer.

Running on Ubuntu 19.04 64bit
same hplip version.

[Mr.Gosh (mr-gosh)]

I was able to get a sucessfull communication by using
hp-setup -i
for the interactive mode - so the bug seems to be GUI related.

[Santhosh Manchikanti (santhosh2357651)]

Hi Gosh,

if you are able to ping from your PC then it should communicate the device. Please check and let us know

Regards,
Manchikanti Santhosh