Ubuntu
cups package

  1. Bug #959676
  2. Comment #38

Comment 38 for bug 959676

Revision history for this message
Drew Peters (drewpeters-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

I recently acquired a new PC, installed Ubuntu 12.04 and found myself with the same problem as reported by Daniel Llewellyn back in March. The only minor differences are that I have the 32-bit version of 12.04 and a slightly newer version of CUPS. Further details of my computer, printer and USB<->parallel cable are :

Release 12.04 (precise) 32-bit
Kernel Linux 3.2.0-33-generic-pae
GNOME 3.4.2

CUPS version : 1.5.3-0ubuntu4
     & system-config-printer 1.3.8

Printer Description : Samsung ML-4500
Device URI : usb://Samsung/ML-4500
Make and Model : Samsung ML-4500 Foomatic/gdi (recommended)

$ groups
drew adm lp cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare
$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 067b:2305 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2305 Parallel Port
$ usb-devices
T: Bus=02 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=05 Cnt=02 Dev#= 4 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 1.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=067b ProdID=2305 Rev=02.02
S: Manufacturer=Prolific Technology Inc.
S: Product=IEEE-1284 Controller
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 1 #EPs= 2 Cls=07(print) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=usblp

The USB<->parallel cable was purchased recently from a firm called CableStar, and the printer is known to work.

Daniel did a very good job of describing the problem, so I will just repeat his words here :

"Cups recognises the printer model and gnome correctly lists the printer in system-config-printer. Any attempt to print to the printer, however, results in the printer spinning up it's cooling fans and heating the fusing lamp while the "data" led on the front flashes for about 5minutes. In the cups admin screen the print job is listed as "Sending data to printer." The printer eventually stops whirring and shuts back down into standby with the Data led remaining static to indicate that the printer is idle. At no point does the printer actually begin, or finish, printing anything."

Has anyone found out if the PL2305 chipset and Samsung ML-4500 have a hardware incompatibility ?
Otherwise, is there some way I can assist in investigating what this printing problem is ?