cannot create printers in live system

[John Doe]

I am using the Ubuntu 6.06 Beta Live CD. On it, I went to "System", then "Administration", then "Printing". I, then, double-clicked "New Printer". On Step 1 of the "Add a printer" dialog ("Printer Connection"), I chose "Local Printer" for the printer type and "Use detected printer" and selected my printer model which is a Canon S600. Then, I clicked the "Forward" button. On Step 2 of the "Add a printer" dialog ("Printer Driver"), I chose the manufacturer "Canon", model "S600", driver "bj8pa06n.upp", and then I clicked the "Apply" button. My printer never shows up in the "Printers" window, even after waiting several minutes. I also, don't see any CPU activity under "System Monitor" other than that used by the system monitor itself and of X.org.

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

Cups "access_log"

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

Cups "error_log"

[Ante Karamatić (ivoks)]

Try running gnome-cups-manager with sudo from terminal:

sudo gnome-cups-manager

and repeat procedure and report results.

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

I did "sudo gnome-cups-manager" on an Ubuntu 6.06 beta 2 Live CD. The last line of the output when I hit Apply was: "** (gnome-cups-add:7121): WARNING **: IPP request failed with status 1280"

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

This is the full output of "sudo gnome-cups-manager"

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

6.06 beta 2 Live CD's error log during the failure of adding a printer. (I attempted several times.)

[BenSimpson (csu16451)]

I can confirm the same error as John Doe's error_log at http://librarian.launchpad.net/2419144/error_log

I tried the command "sudo gnome-cups-manager" with the same output. I even tried creating the "/var/cache/cups/ppds.dat" file with "sudo touch /var/cache/cups/ppds.dat" and it still reports:

[cups-driverd] Unable to write "/var/cache/cups/ppds.dat" - Permission denied
E [01/May/2006:00:33:36 +0000] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Can you please try beta2? It got a lot of bug fixes.

[Daniel Robitaille (robitaille)]

I have the exact same problem and same error with Dapper Flight 7 when trying to add a Lexmark z53 from a LiveCD session:

E [07/May/2006:09:00:10 +0000] [cups-driverd] Unable to write "/var/cache/cups/ppds.dat" - Permission denied
E [07/May/2006:09:00:23 +0000] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Fresh installs of cupsys get this right now, so this is apparently an upgrade problem from earlier dapper installs. I will add a preinst snippet to fix the permissions.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

 cupsys (1.1.99.rc3-0ubuntu3) dapper; urgency=low
 .
   * debian/cupsys.config: Print migration note to stderr, not stdout, to not
     confuse debconf. Closes: LP#41716
   * debian/cupsys.postinst: Fix ownership of files in /var/cache/cups/ so that
     they are writable by non-root cupsd. Earlier dapper versions got the
     ownership wrong, so fix this for intra-dapper upgrades. Closes: LP#40795
   * Add debian/local/{sharing_status,enable_sharing}: Scripts to control
     printer sharing (by opening or closing the TCP port). Thanks to Ante
     Karamatić for his initial scripts and research!

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

If this is fixed already, then I am seeing a possible regression in the Ubuntu 6.06 i386 Daily Live CD 20060514 from http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/daily-live/20060514/

I tried adding my printer again and it still fails on that Live CD. Last line of output from "sudo gnome-cups-manager" on this Live CD is:
** (gnome-cups-add:8003): WARNING **: IPP request failed with status 1280

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

"cupsys" version on the 20060514 Ubuntu 6.06 i386 Daily Live CD is "1.2.0-0ubuntu2"

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

cups access log from 6.06 20060514 i386 daily live CD.

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

cups error log from 6.06 20060514 i386 Daily Live CD.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

John,

are you sure that is due to wrong permissions in /var/cache/cups? Can you please copy the output of

  ls -lR /var/cache/cups/

here?

[John Doe (johndoedoejohn)]

$ ls -lR /var/cache/cups
/var/cache/cups:
total 3344
drwxr-xr-x 4 cupsys lp 0 2006-05-11 10:49 ppd
-rw------- 1 cupsys lp 3412992 2006-05-18 19:05 ppds.dat

/var/cache/cups/ppd:
total 0

[joosteto (ubuntu-joostje)]

The bug seems to be marked as fixed, but I just booted from ubuntu-6.06-desktop-i386.iso (release), and I got the same.

root@ubuntu:/var/cache# chmod a+rw -R /var/cache/cups
root@ubuntu:/var/cache# /etc/init.d/cupsys restart
 * Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [ ok ]

Then pressing "OK" and apply everywhere (reasonable defaults come up for my PSC 2175), gnome-cups-add prints as last line:
** (gnome-cups-add:9563): WARNING **: IPP request failed with status 1280

In /var/log/cups/error_log I get:
E [04/Jun/2006:17:00:34 +0000] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized

This is with the released CD, as far as I can tell:
o# dd if=/dev/hdd bs=1 count=731744256|md5sum
e2e5e0bfb2edffd2ce02dd77bda4558e -

(/dev/hdd contains the CD I just booted up from)

[Martin Bergner (martin-bergner)]

reopening then, it doesn't seem to be fixed

[Sebastian (mdkuser)]

I got the same Problem with the official final Desktop-CD of Ubuntu 6.0.6 LTS.
So the bug isn't fixed now.
However this bug does not occur on an machine upgraded from Breezy to Dapper.
What is wrong with the Desktop-CD?

[joosteto (ubuntu-joostje)]

In debian, using hplip 0.9.7-4, I experienced excactly the same thing (That's why I tried ubuntu).
But once I tried hplip 0.9.11-2 (from unstable), it all seems fixed. the cups http printer page immedeately showed the printer (HP-2175, connected via USB), and printing now works OK.

Maybe I'll try the ubuntu live CD again later today, and install the same lplip 0.9.11-2 (from debian) in it (if that's at all possible), and see if hat solves the problem.

[joosteto (ubuntu-joostje)]

I just tried on the live Ubuntu 6.06 CD:

  dpkg --force-depends -i hplip_0.9.11-2_i386.deb hplip-data_0.9.11-2_all.deb

but that didn't solve the problem. Unfortunately the debian unstable packages want to pull in different python and libc versions, so I haven't tried using apt-get or friends.

To resume:
  Ubuntu 6.06: problem as described above
  Debian-testing (as of last weeks): Same problem.
  Debian-unstable (tried hplip-0.9.11-2): Works OK.
  Ubuntu 5.10: Works OK.

[Sebastian (mdkuser)]

Someone can confirm if it works ok, AFTER INSTALLING from the Live (Desktop)-CD to hard disc drive, or is the bug still present even after an install of Dapper Drake by using the Desktop-CD?

[Mark Stosberg (markstos)]

This person seems to be experiencing the same issue, and confirms that is still present after an HD install:
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2076

I have also confirmed silent failure at the end of the printer wizard with the 6.06 official LiveCD.

[Sebastian (mdkuser)]

I can confirmthe bug does't occur AFTER Installing Dapper to hard disk drive. So it must have something to do with lack of write permissions in the live CD session.

[magnus (magnusanderssen)]

my system is currently a Dapper release (with latest updates installed). It has been upgraded from breezy.

I have the same issues when trying to add a printer as a user:
access_log:
localhost - - [09/Aug/2006:10:57:59 +0200] "POST /admin/ HTTP/1.1" 401 368 CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer successful-ok
localhost - root [09/Aug/2006:10:57:59 +0200] "POST /admin/ HTTP/1.1" 200 368 CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer client-error-not-possible
error_log:
E [09/Aug/2006:10:57:59 +0200] CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer: Unauthorized

and when launching the gnome-cups-manager with sudo:
** (gnome-cups-add:5579): WARNING **: IPP request failed with status 1028

Existing printers work fine.

I have tried the same on another machine with the same 'history' and it works on that one, eventhough I get the Unauthorized message!

btw: on both machines I get these in syslog:
Aug 9 10:48:17 mini hp: unable to open /var/run/hplip/hpiod.port: No such file or directory: prnt/hpijs/hplip_api.c 84
Aug 9 10:48:17 mini hp: unable to connect hpiod socket 50000: Connection refused: prnt/hpijs/hplip_api.c 703
Aug 9 10:48:17 mini hp: unable to send ProbeDevices: Broken pipe

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Does this problem still occur with Edgy live CDs?

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

With the current edgy beta live CD I get:

E [28/Sep/2006:10:59:41 +0000] [CGI] foomatic: There is neither a custom PPD file nor the driver database entry contains sufficient data to build a PPD file.
E [28/Sep/2006:10:59:41 +0000] copy_model: empty PPD file!
E [28/Sep/2006:10:59:41 +0000] PID 28281 (/usr/lib/cups/daemon/cups-driverd) stopped with status 9!

with two different drivers for my Samsung ML-1610 (both the new ML-1610 driver, and the ML-1510 driver which has worked fine for ages in an installed system).

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

After setting a password for the ubuntu user, I can create a printer in the web interface (I just get the usual 'unauthorized' log messages, but they are bogus -- cupsd always seems to try unauthorized access first, and then requests credentials if that fails; it happens all the time without a visible negative impact).

After the printer is created in the web interface, I can exercise ubuntu's lpadmin group powers with cupsenable/cupsdisable, can use gnome-cups-manager to print a test page, and so on.

So only creating a printer fails in the live system, the log messages point to some problem while copying the PPD file.

Till, do you have an idea about that?

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

This message

foomatic: There is neither a custom PPD file nor the driver database entry contains sufficient data to build a PPD file.

means that the user has chosen a printer/driver combo for which the GhostScript command line in the Foomatic driver XML file is empty and for which there is also no ready-made PPD file.

To avoid such problems foomatic-db-engine needs to be updated to the version with my last fixes. I already made a freeze exception request (Martin, you should have been CCed on it). The fixed foomatic-db-engine makes CUPS not listing such printer/driver combos any more.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

In the current state of Edgy, foomatic-db-engine is fixed, so that CUPS does not list any printer/driver combos any more for which no PPD file is available. So for an installed system, update foomatic-db-engine (and also foomatic-db, or better do a full "sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" as many other printing bugs got fixed, too), then remove your non-working print queue(s) and re-create it/them. For further tests on a live CD, try to get the newest ISOs (I hope there are already ISOs with the stuff which got uploaded last week).

[Sebastian (mdkuser)]

It's fine to hear the issue is worked on and is fixed in current state of Edgy already, however the initial bug report was filed for DAPPER and since DAPPER is A long term support release, I would like to get this fixed in DAPPER TOO!
So it doesn't help very much saying it's fixed in Edgy, since some of us have good reasons not to change to Edgy but say with the LTS Dapper and want to see this issue will be fixed for the current stable version of Ubuntu (which is actually Dapper NOT Edgy) too.
Thank you for your understanding.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

If there are new upstream fixes, they usually get packaged and tested in the current development branch. Depending on the importance of the bugs they get backported to the released versions afterwards.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Hi,

Sebastian [2006-10-09 15:45 -0000]:
> It's fine to hear the issue is worked on and is fixed in current
> state of Edgy already, however the initial bug report was filed for
> DAPPER and since DAPPER is A long term support release, I would like
> to get this fixed in DAPPER TOO! So it doesn't help very much
> saying it's fixed in Edgy, since some of us have good reasons not to
> change to Edgy but say with the LTS Dapper and want to see this
> issue will be fixed for the current stable version of Ubuntu (which
> is actually Dapper NOT Edgy) too. Thank you for your understanding.

Right, but it only affects Dapper's live system. Once it is installed,
it works fine. We cannot fix the live system with a simple -updates
upload, that would require a point release and pressing new CDs, which
is not planned ATM. On the other hand, it has *not* been decided to
*not* do another point release, either. :)

Martin

--
Martin Pitt http://www.piware.de
Ubuntu Developer http://www.ubuntu.com
Debian Developer http://www.debian.org

In a world without walls and fences, who needs Windows and Gates?

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Fixed in edgy, opening dapper task.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Closing in edgy.

[Antoine Amarilli (a3nm)]

Hello,
I confirm that printing is not operational on Dapper Live-CD as far as I'm concerned.
I understand that no new point release is planned, however I would appreciate some help to get it working with my current Live CDs. The reason for this is that I have a computer on which I have not installed the system through the normal way : I'm using a live-CD image on an external USB disk with persistent mode following the instructions at <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveUsbPendrivePersistent>. I am therefore stuck to the cups version shipped with the LiveCD. Is there any way to fix cups on this installation ?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Ken Takusagawa (ken-takusagawa-2)]

Is there a workaround for Dapper Live CD? Surely I can go in and manually change some permissions or install some software onto the unionfs.

Exactly what was the fix that makes it work in Edgy?

[Sebastian (mdkuser)]

I am sorry that I must say, the only workaround would be to trash those buggy Ubuntu Dapper Desktop-CDs into the bin and use other live CDs instead!!
The developers seems to don't care about provinding those informations. I never get some useful, technical information or reply as an respond to my bug reports.
(I suppose that is because they are thinking about it's users that they are dump users)

It's nice to hear they fixed the printing problem in edgy, but are they are going to provide a solution for dapper as well?
Hey, come on man, Dapper is your LTS version you SHOULD provide fixes for known bugs (or at least information how the users can solve it by themselfes).
But all you are doing is concentrate of the new upcomming release leaving the bugs of the LTS version.
It's not acceptable. If you fixed the bug in edgy you know what was wrong in dapper, so at least write a small note here on lanchpad about how users can solve the problem by themselves!

[Duncan (duncan-rowland)]

Sorry I'm unable to help with this as I'm new to Linux, but I though I'd pass on my thoughts...

For your interest, I like to run ubuntu off a pendrive, so that I just carry my desktop and work around with me...
However,
   according to the above: printing is broken in Dapper [Bug 40795]
   but additionally, persistence is broken in Edgy [Bug 84591]

The combination of these two bugs (and surprising lack of support for something with Long Term Support) means I'm currently disappointingly unable to do this. Back to windows for now :(

[Duncan (duncan-rowland)]

(I meant persistence is broken in Fiesty [Bug 84591])

[Zachary Uram (netrek)]

I am trying to get my HP Deskjet 960c color inkjet printer working on Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) Live CD with CUPS. I have tried everything but nothing works :-(

I booted up, hooked my printer up to the parallel port and powered it on, added paper, printer's green light is on.

I then went to System -> Administration -> Printing in GNOME
Clicked on New Printer and it ran gnome-cups-add and read the printer database

Then the Add a Printer dialog box says:
Step 1 of 3: Printer Connection
Printer Type: local printer
Use a detected printer: HP DESKJET_960C

It has in Printer Port: (greyed out so I can't change it):
hp:/par/DESKJET_960C?device=/dev/parport0 (HP DESKJET_960C)

So it detected my correct printer.

Then I went Forward to:
Step 2 of 3: Printer Driver
Manufacturer: HP
Model: Deskjet 960C
Driver: hpijs (recommended) - HPLIP 0.9.7 (Suggested) There is a green dot after this showing it is installed.

Then I went Forward to:
Step 3 of 3: Printer Information
Name: Deskjet
Description: HP-DESKJET
Location: home

So after I filled those in I clicked Apply.

But when I go back to the Printers control panel I don't see any printer in there. It just says has the New Printer icon to create a new printer. It should have created the printer I setup. And when I try to print it said in the console: lpr: Error - no default destination available. So apparently it is not setting it up. Booted up, hooked my printer up to the parallel port and powered it on, added
paper, printer's green light is on.

I then went to System -> Administration -> Printing
Clicked on New Printer and it ran gnome-cups-add and read the printer database

Then the Add a Printer dialog box says:
Step 1 of 3: Printer Connection
Printer Type: local printer
Use a detected printer: HP DESKJET_960C

It has in Printer Port: (greyed out so I can't change it):
hp:/par/DESKJET_960C?device=/dev/parport0 (HP DESKJET_960C)

So it detected my correct printer.

Then I went Forward to:
Step 2 of 3: Printer Driver
Manufacturer: HP
Model: Deskjet 960C
Driver: hpijs (recommended) - HPLIP 0.9.7 (Suggested) There is a green
dot after this showing it is installed.

Then I went Forward to:
Step 3 of 3: Printer Information
Name: Deskjet
Description: HP-DESKJET
Location: home

So after I filled those in I clicked Apply.

But when I go back to the Printers control panel I don't see any printer in there. It just says has the New Printer icon to create a new printer. It should have created the printer I setup. And when I try to print it said in the console: lpr: Error - no default destination available. So apparently it is not setting it up.

I verified I have the correct drivers installed:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ dpkg -l|grep hplip
ii hplip 0.9.7-4ubuntu1 HP Linux Printing and Imaging System (HPLIP)
ii hplip-data 0.9.7-4ubuntu1 HP Linux Printing and Imaging - data files
ii hplip-ppds 0.9.7-4ubuntu1 HP Linux Printing and Imaging - PPD files
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ dpkg -l|grep hpijs
ii foomatic-db-hpijs 1.5-20060318-1 linuxprinting.org printer support - database
ii hpijs 2.1.7+0.9.7-4ubuntu1 HP Linux Printing and Imaging - gs IJS drive

Here are my cups packages:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ dpkg -l|grep cups
ii bluez-cups ...

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

hi Yoda,

Yoda [2009-01-21 2:28 -0000]:
> I am trying to get my HP Deskjet 960c color inkjet printer working on
> Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) Live CD with CUPS. I have tried everything
> but nothing works :-(

Since this bug is marked fixed in later releases, any chance you could
try to setup your printer on an 8.04.1 or 8.10 live CD? Does that
work?

Thanks, Martin

[JC Hulce (soaringsky)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu. The version of Ubuntu referenced in this issue has reached end of life, and the issue is fixed in newer versions of Ubuntu. Therefore, I am closing the Dapper task.
Please see this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases