Canon LBP2900 printer configuration on CUPS

[forbajato]

I am a bit stymied, hope someone can point me in the right direction.

I have a new LBP2900 that I am trying to configure on my Vector 5.8 Standard system.  The steps I have done so far:

1. Install CUPS
2. Download drivers from Canon website and convert rpms to tgz's files using rpm2tgz utility.
3. Install common module for CUPS then capt module for CUPS per Canon's instructions.
4. Continue through following Canon's instructions to set up and try to restart CUPS - no go, apparently Canon wrote their documentation for another distro (rpm based I am sure!).  In Vector we don't have a CUPS program linked in /etc/init.d directory.

Seeing that wasn't working I went to the CUPS GUI in my browser to try to finish the install there.  Selected "Add Printer" and filled out the identifying information.  Then I got a screen asking for the "Device for 'myprinter'".  There is nothing about a USB printer on the list, nothing about a Canon printer on the list.  I checked lsusb to see that the printer is reported and it is.  When I unplug the printer from the USB port then re-plug it in I have an option under the device selection box identifying my printer.  I choose it and continue installation.  Once the CUPS installation is complete I try to print a test page and get everything going normally - except no printing takes place.  The CUPS job list shows the page waiting but nothing seems to be going to the printer.

Anyone able to point me in the right direction to solve this problem?

forbajato

[bigpaws]

rpm2tgz usually works but not always.

If the only thing to stopped in the installation was starting and stopping
cups the command is /etc/rc.d/rc.cups <start,stop>.

HTH

Bigpaws

[forbajato]

That is helpful, I will try again using this start/stop sequence for CUPS.

Just in case, is there a way to extract source from a .src.rpm file?  Canon produces a source rpm that I could try compiling but only if I could figure out how to get the source code out of it.

forbajato

[uelsk8s]

use "rpm2tgz  rpmname.rpm"  that will convert the rpm to a tgz package where you can extract the source from it

[forbajato]

Thanks to everyone - got it working ... almost.

I have the driver installed and, using the instructions Canon provides have been able to verify that the printer is seen by the system and can even put it into a cleaning process.  Now when I try to print (either from command line using 'lpr -P LBP2900 filetoprint' or using CUPS browser interface and issuing a test page command) I get an error: Quota Limit Reached.

Best I can tell from looking around is that this is a CUPS 1.2x problem.  Anyone else have this problem?  If so did you solve it?  How?

forbajato

[thegeekster]

Hi,

I have two Epson Stylus Photo printers and tried using the proprietary drivers from Epson, but it didn't work out so well.......So I tried the Gutenprint drivers (formerly Gimp-print) and they work superbly, with a lot more configurable options than the Epson's drivers......

Gutenprint uses Cups' version of ghostprint (espgs) and comes with a ton of drivers for different printer brands and models.......So if you're still not satisfied, try going that route.....

---thegeekster

[forbajato]

Have you had any luck getting Gutenprint to work with printers not on the supported printer list?  My LBP2900 is not on the list but there are some other LBP printers there.  Would I just use the nearest LBP ppd file (LBP1760)?

By the way - I got this printer because of the information on this page:
http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Canon-LBP-2900

So far I am not achieving the "perfection" that page suggests.

forbajato

[thegeekster]

Possibly...........but you will need to search the 'net to see if any one else was able to use a different driver for that particular model......

What happens is the manufacturer will use the same basic printer components for a certain line, but upgrade a model by adding the ability to read flash cards, for example, so they can charge more money (memory readers use different drivers than the printer components).......

Also, you might get by with another compatible driver, but it may limit you by not supporting certain functions......

So, as a starting point, go to your favorite search engine and start the searching......

HTH
---thegeekster

[thegeekster]

Also, have you seen this page..........Linuxprinting recommends using the proprietary drivers, but according to the thread from the url, it doesn't work perfectly for everyone.............At least for the distro it was installed on.........Vector, being Slackware-based, may work better than on a Debian box......

---thegeekster