Comment 76 for bug 872483

I started having exactly this problem when I moved the connection to the printer to be direct through my computer (connected via USB), instead of via the network to another older computer (where it was connected via USB). Up until then it printed flawlessly, after connecting it directly I basically have to power cycle between each print. The newer computer is running Ubuntu 14.04.

I have noticed that when I print something and the print panel appears and offers me the choice of printers, next to the printer it says "Sending data to printer" when it's sending the data, and it stays like that even after the job is finished. If I then print anything, I get garbage.

I tried unplugging the USB and re-plugging: the "Sending data to printer" message vanished. I then printed a tiny email message: the printer showed it was receiving USB data for a minute or two (weird, for a 10 line text email message!), but did print it correctly. But afterwards, the print panel showed the "Sending data to printer" message, and again the next print appeared as garbage.

The old Ubuntu system had CUPS 1.3.7, the new has CUPS 1.7.2. On the old Ubuntu system, I installed the .PPD file from Lexmark; when I configured it on the new system, it auto-detected the model correctly as a Lexmark c543 (it's a c543dn).

I tried installing the same PPD file as I used on the old Ubuntu system (8.04.), and re-did the tests, but the situation was unchanged.

It seems a completely reliable indicator of whether the next job will fail or not is if the print pane says "Sending data to printer" even after the job is complete. At that point, unplugging/replugging or power cycling is needed.

I'm pretty sure I had no problems printing from the old Ubuntu even though on that system of course the printer was connected locally, not via the network.

I hope this information is useful in developing a good fix for it. It does sound to me like it's a problem with a later Linux USB system.

luke