I have an Okipage 8z printer, which has both parallel and USB
interfaces. With CUPS and a .ppd file that I got from
www.linuxprinting.org, the printer prints satisfactorily from my desktop
computer, being connected to it via a parallel cable. (The computer's
using Fedora Core 3.)
The printer manual lists, under "Features", "Interfaces that switch
automatically". It then continues, "A parallel and USB interface, which
is automatically switched according to the data source, comes standard."
I take that to mean that I can have two computers connected to the
printer simultaneously and print from either.
I installed Damn Small Linux on an old laptop. I downloaded to it CUPS
and the same .ppd file that I'm already using successfully on the
desktop computer. I then connected it to the Okipage 8z via a USB cable.
I then issued the following command as root:
lpadmin -p Okipage_8z -E -v usb:/dev/usb/lp0 -m Okidata-Okipage_8z-oki4w.ppd
The only difference between that command and the one I issued when
setting up the desktop computer is that, instead of using
"usb:/dev/usb/lp0" with the desktop computer, I used "parallel:/dev/lp0".
When, on the laptop, I open CUPS in my web browser and go to "Printers",
I get the following information:
"Printer
Default Destination: Okipage 8z
Okipage_8z Okidata Okipage 8z Foomatic/oki4w (recommended)
Description:
Location:
Printer State: idle, accepting jobs.
Device URI: usb:/dev/usb/lp0"
However, when, on the laptop, I create a test file in a text editor and
try to print it, the text editor says, "Problem encountered when trying
to print" and nothing prints out.
Then, when I open CUPS in my browser and go to "Jobs", I'm told "No
Completed Jobs" and, when I click on "Show Active Jobs", nothing opens.
I don't have sufficient knowledge to know what to try next in an attempt
to get the printer working with the laptop.
If anything is apparent to those more knowledgeable, I'd be grateful for
some advice.
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