hp-toolbox constantly shows printer as unavailable, but printer prints and hp-info / hp-doctor see the printer

[Sergio Callegari]

Seen with hp-toolbox on disco.

HP-toolbox constantly indicates printer as "busy, powered down or unplugged" with an HP Color Laserjet Pro M281 connected to the network via wifi.

Printer uri is like hp:/net/HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281?ip=xxx.yyy.zzz.www

Notwithstanding the hp-toolbox failure, printer prints, scans and other hp- tools seem to work.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.04
Package: hplip 3.19.1+dfsg0-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.0.0-20.21-generic 5.0.8
Uname: Linux 5.0.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Fri Jul 5 09:10:45 2019
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-12 (2030 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MachineType: Notebook W740SU
Papersize: a4
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.0.0-20-generic root=/dev/mapper/zagar_ssd--vg-root ro quiet splash resume=/dev/zagar_ssd-vg/swap_1 acpi_backlight=vendor
SourcePackage: hplip
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to disco on 2019-06-12 (22 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/02/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 4.6.5
dmi.board.asset.tag: Tag 12345
dmi.board.name: W740SU
dmi.board.vendor: Notebook
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Notebook
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr4.6.5:bd10/02/2013:svnNotebook:pnW740SU:pvrNotApplicable:rvnNotebook:rnW740SU:rvrNotApplicable:cvnNotebook:ct9:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.family: Not Applicable
dmi.product.name: W740SU
dmi.product.sku: Not Applicable
dmi.product.version: Not Applicable
dmi.sys.vendor: Notebook

[lotuspsychje (lotuspsychje)]

Please try if you can resolve your issue with the latest HPLIP version
its possible your printer is not added by default yet

see my recent bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hplip/+bug/1812392

[Sergio Callegari (callegar)]

I am currently using hplip 3.19.1 which is not exactly the latest and greatest, but should be fairly recent being the version provided by ubuntu 19.04. In fact, the latest hplip is 3.19.6.

The printer I am encountering issues with hp-toolbox is an HP Color Laserjet PRO M281fdw, which should be in full support in hplip 3.19.1. As a matter of fact, support for this printer was introduced with hplip 3.18.5.

Incidentally, I have tried hp-toolbox with a network connected HP laserjet pro M201dw and it works with that printer.

My issue may sound like "CR 59273 – Supplies and status information are not displayed in the hp-toolbox" in the hplip release notes but this is fixed in 3.18.7 which is older than mine, so it cannot be.

The hplip release notes do not report any other bug fixed in versions of hplip more recent than mine (it is mainly the enablement of new printers and scanners), so updating to the latest hplip does not seem sensible. In fact hplip from the hplip site is not packaged and if you install it, you then risk having issues updating your distro in the future.