Re: Fwd: troubles running a printer on Mint17.3 "Rosa"

2017-02-02 11:34 GMT+01:00 Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk>:

On Wed 01 Feb 2017 at 22:27:11 +0100, albcares wrote:

> 2017-02-01 12:27 GMT+01:00 Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk>:
>
> > On Wed 01 Feb 2017 at 09:35:20 +0100, albcares wrote:
> >
> > > thanks for Ur fast answer. I'll try to do my best to explain.
> > > I correctly see Optra labelled as "generic" in the printer list. The firs
> > > print I get is generally good. But if I send another one, it jumps out as
> > > wide as if it saw only the first quarter up the sheet: wide fonts, wider
> > > grafics; the white field itself is printed with artefacts like clouds of
> > > black spots. Each time I want to print beyond one document I must turn
> > off
> > > - turn on the printer. I supposed that any process remained hanging
> > > somewhere but I couldn't find out.
> >
> > Did printing work before you "re-adjusted" CUPS? Try using the USB
> > and parallel connections to print. Is there a significant difference?
> >
> > Get yourself a few small PostScript files from different sources.
> > pdf2ps and Firefox are two ways to produce one. Plug the printer
> > into a USB port and check the device in /dev/usb (lp0, lp1?). Send a
> > file directly to the printer with
> >
> > cat <PS_file> > /dev/usb/lp0
> >
> > How does that go?
> >
> > --
> > Brian.
> >
> well, I checked as you Brian had adviced me. Firstly, I have no parallel
> port on my tiny motherboard. Then my System identifies the printer after
> "sudo lsusb" as Lexmark Optra E312, which could be correct. And indeed I
> remember that before smashing CUPS I sometimes had the same problem.
> the .ps files are printed via command-line.
> furthermore, as I am not exactly a proper device-tester, I changed the
> "driver" from *PCL-5 Printer CUPS+Gutenprint* to a *PCL-5 Printer Foomatic*
> both provided by the OS itself. And it appears running better. I want to go
> on printing a bit more before crowing.
> What do You think? could the origin of the mistakes be in one of these
> "drivers"? Has anyone the same or similar printer?

There is no PPD specifically for your printer,

which is exactly what I tried to be assured of: thanks

so one of the Generic PostScript or PCL ones is what you choose from. Problems could lie
in a number of places: the transport of data over the USB link, the
printer itself etc.

the weird is that I've been running also OpenSuSE on the same engine, obviously with the same hardware; Optra is working fine with it.

The Debian wiki deals with debugging.

--
Brian.

anyway it can be ok for now. I'll pay attention to my prints and I'll check the Debian. Thanks to all.

One more thing: do these answers mean that Mint is considered compatible with the mailing-list?

Best regards

Alberto

linux user #521635