Printing to a network photosmart printer

Louis LeBlanc freebsd at keyslapper.org
Tue Jun 8 16:00:09 PDT 2004


On 06/07/04 05:18 PM, Warren Block sat at the `puter and typed:
> On Sun, 6 Jun 2004, Louis LeBlanc wrote:
> 
> > Since I've just gotten hold of a shiny new HP PSC photosmart 2510
> > printer, I'd really like to get some use out of it from my FreeBSD
> > system (don't want to waste it on the Windoze box).  Does anyone know
> > if and how this can be done?
> 
> First, check for information on that printer on
> 
> http://www.linuxprinting.org
> 
> There's no PSC 2510, but there is a PSC 2500, which is probably close 
> enough.  It uses the hpijs driver.
> 
> > BTW, it is network capable, and is plugged directly into the hub, with
> > the link indicating 100TX half duplex.
> >
> > I've tried apsfilter, and a good many of the ghostscript drivers, but
> > no good has come of it so far.
> 
> See /usr/ports/print/hpijs.

This certainly claims to work.  I'm not understanding something
though.  I'm trying to set it up through /etc/printcap as described,
but I still get the same problem after restarting lpd.

I've downloaded the ppd, done the edits as recommended, and the
/etc/printcap entry is as follows:

lp|HP PSC 2510:\
    :lp=/dev/null:\
    :rm=printer:\
    :if=/usr/local/bin/foomatic-rip:\
    :af=/usr/local/etc/cups/ppd/HP-PSC_2500-hpijs.ppd:\
    :sd=/var/spool/lpd/lp:\
    :mx#0\
    :sh:

Here's where I'm not sure:  The command I added to the ppd file is:
*FoomaticRIPPostPipe: "| rlpr -Plp at printer"

Now, I changed this under the assumption that the queue on the printer
is named lp.  The machine is reachable (and pingable) at the dns name
"printer" so I'm sure that part is correct.

The thing is, after I start up lpd, I check the status:
# lpc status lp
lp:
        queuing is enabled
        printing is enabled
        no entries in spool area
        printer idle

Which is encouraging.  Problem is, once I try to send something to the
printer:
$ lpr -Plp flags.txt

And check the status, I get:
# lpc status lp
lp:
        queuing is enabled
        printing is enabled
        1 entry in spool area
        waiting for 10.8.20.10 to come up

Looks like it's just not able to find it.  Eventually, the IP is
replaced with the machine's name (printer).

The problem is, I don't know if the queue is really named lp.  There's
no documentation on it, and no mention in the thick book that came
with it.  Of course, it is probably worth mentioning that this appears
to be closer than I had gotten in the past (at least it's waiting :).

Can anyone give some pointers?

Lou
-- 
Louis LeBlanc               leblanc at keyslapper.org
Fully Funded Hobbyist, KeySlapper Extrordinaire :)
http://www.keyslapper.org                     Ô¿Ô¬

What no spouse of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working
when he's staring out the window.


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