cups, and hplip too, fail to recognize printer when I try to print

[Patrick Hess]

Thomas Mueller wrote:
> I get Idle: Filter failed 
> on http://localhost:631  status page.

Just looked up the data sheet and it seems like this "professional"
printer doesn't even understand PostScript. Instead, it requires a
filter that converts the PostScript used within the printing systems
on any *nix box to whatever the printer can handle. I would assume
that hplip did install the necessary filter, but either CUPS can't
find it or the filter itself has an issue. One of the various log
files in /var/log/cups might provide some more detailed information
on what exactly is going on in the background.

By the way, this is the exact reason why I don't buy printers without
PostScript support any more. Getting this whole filter mess set up
feels like an unnecessary pain that can easily be avoided by spending
a few extra bucks. That's not of much help to you right now, of course,
but maybe something to consider the next time you're looking to get a
new printer.

> But it still seems that /usr/local/sbin and /usr/local/bin in FreeBSD, 
> or /usr/pkg/sbin and /usr/pkg/bin in NetBSD, should properly be at the 
> front of the path

I just deleted /usr/bin/lpr and /usr/bin/lp on my systems. Certainly not
the proper way to handle things, so don't tell anybody... ;-)

Patrick