lexmark e230 can't print correctly on Ubuntu 12.04+

[Silviu C.]

The printer is identified correctly and the pxlmono driver is suggested. Getting it to print is the big problem and it's just guesswork when it will works and when it will not. Usually it just spits out garbage

When it does that, the first page that comes out has this on it

"PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCLXL
                                                           ) HP-PCL XL;1;1; Comment Copyright Artifex Software"

And then it proceeds to empty the tray and every page that comes out has a bit of garbage printed at the top. I've tried switching driver to ljet4 and some others but none solved my issue. Printer used to work in previous versions of Ubuntu.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: cups 1.6.2-1ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-22.33-generic 3.8.11
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon May 27 15:35:38 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-24 (183 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
Lpstat: device for Lexmark-International-Lexmark-E230: usb://Lexmark/E230?serial=72289MP
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
MarkForUpload: True
Papersize: letter
PpdFiles: Lexmark-International-Lexmark-E230: Lexmark E230 Foomatic/pxlmono (recommended)
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-22-generic root=UUID=3333650b-595f-4055-9fc0-5672bc780767 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: cups
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-04-26 (31 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/27/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1104
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P8P67 LE
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0X
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1104:bd10/27/2011:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnP8P67LE:rvrRevX.0X:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Silviu C. (silviucc)]

After asking it to print a test page, the status of the printer changes from Idle to Idle - Sending data to printer. See attached screenshot

[Silviu C. (silviucc)]

Adding a detailed error_log file generated by cups.

[Vic Kumar (vickumar)]

Same issue with Lexmark S415 (S410 Series).

If I use a browser and goto the CUPS administration page, http:[computername]:631/, then I can get the Status to revert back to just "Idle" if I reject all jobs, and then accept jobs again.

This must be done after each print job, otherwise subsequent print jobs will print out garbage.

[Silviu C. (silviucc)]

The same happens on Ubuntu 12.04 and I confirm what Vic describes

[Silviu C. (silviucc)]

It seems I have finally fixed my problem. I was having issues like those described on bug #872483. What worked for me was doing:

lpadmin -p <printer> -o usb-no-reattach-default=true

where printer is what is listed by the lpstat -p command.

In my case:

printer Lexmark-E230 is idle. enabled since Wed 19 Jun 2013 03:35:49 PM EEST
 Sending data to printer.

so the above command becomes:

lpadmin -p Lexmark-E230 -o usb-no-reattach-default=true

Turned the printer off, waited a bit, turned it back on and the tried running some print jobs. It stopped printing gibberish after completing the first print job

Here's the relevant lsusb printout:

Bus 002 Device 009: ID 043d:009a Lexmark International, Inc.

Maybe the relevant workaround for this printer can be applied in further Ubuntu releases.