CUPS problem in Irix

Thu Aug 2 11:16:14 PDT 2007

Hello,

I am attempting to install/configure an HP Color LaserJet 3600dn printer on a Silicon Graphics (SGI) Octane system running Irix 6.5.5.  The printer and system are connected via ethernet and the printer is ping’able from the system.  I have Open SuSE 10.2 and Windows XP system that can print correctly to this printer verifying that the printer is fully operational.

My initial attempt to print from the Octane was by using an old HP LaserJet 5M postscript driver through the printers GUI from the toolchest.  This resulted in the printer printing one page with a few lines of garbage and then maybe twenty blank pages.  I then tried a few of the other available drivers with similar or no results.  I tried sharing the printer on one of the Open SuSE systems and configuring my Octane to print to another host, again through the printers GUI.  This also failed.

I have now removed all of the printing software from my Octane and installed the CUPS, Foomatic, xpp, hpijs, a2ps packages, and all package dependencies.  The installed packages are from the most recent SGI Freeware CDs.

# uname -Ra
IRIX64 Launch 6.5 6.5.5f 07151440 IP30

# versions | grep -i cups
I  fw_cups              08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 Common UNIX Printing System
I  fw_cups.man          08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 man pages
I  fw_cups.man.cups     08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 man pages
I  fw_cups.man.doc      08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 misc. documentation
I  fw_cups.man.relnotes 08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 release notes
I  fw_cups.sw           08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 execution only env
I  fw_cups.sw.cups      08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 execution only env
I  fw_cups.sw.hdr       08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 header files
I  fw_cups.sw.lib       08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 shared libraries
I  fw_cups.sw.samba     08/01/2007  cups-1.1.19 Windows NT/2000/XP drivers
I  fw_foomatic-filters  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 filter scripts for CUPS + Ghostscript
I  fw_ghostscript.sw.cups  08/01/2007  ghostscript-7.05 CUPS non-PS printer support
I  fw_gimp-print        08/01/2007  gimp-print-4.2.5 print facility for GIMP and CUPS
I  fw_gimp-print.sw.cups  08/01/2007  gimp-print-4.2.5 CUPS driver
I  fw_xpp               08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 X Printing Panel for CUPS
# versions | grep -i foomatic
I  fw_foomatic-filters  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 filter scripts for CUPS + Ghostscript
I  fw_foomatic-filters.man  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 man pages
I  fw_foomatic-filters.man.doc  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 misc. documentation
I  fw_foomatic-filters.man.foomatic-filters  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 man pages
I  fw_foomatic-filters.man.relnotes  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 release notes
I  fw_foomatic-filters.sw  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 execution only env
I  fw_foomatic-filters.sw.foomatic-filters  08/01/2007  foomatic-filters-3.0.0 execution only env
# versions | grep -i xpp
I  fw_xpp               08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 X Printing Panel for CUPS
I  fw_xpp.man           08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 man pages
I  fw_xpp.man.relnotes  08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 release notes
I  fw_xpp.sw            08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 execution only env
I  fw_xpp.sw.xpp        08/01/2007  xpp-1.1 execution only env
# versions | grep -i hpijs
I  fw_hpijs             08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 HP IJS printer drivers for Ghostscript
I  fw_hpijs.man         08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 man pages
I  fw_hpijs.man.doc     08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 misc. documentation
I  fw_hpijs.man.relnotes  08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 release notes
I  fw_hpijs.src         08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 original source code
I  fw_hpijs.src.hpijs   08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 original source code
I  fw_hpijs.sw          08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 execution only env
I  fw_hpijs.sw.hpijs    08/02/2007  hpijs-1.4.1 execution only env
# versions | grep -i a2ps
I  fw_a2ps              08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b Pretty-print files in postscript
I  fw_a2ps.man          08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b man pages
I  fw_a2ps.man.a2ps     08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b man pages
I  fw_a2ps.man.info     08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b info pages
I  fw_a2ps.man.relnotes 08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b release notes
I  fw_a2ps.src          08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b original source code
I  fw_a2ps.src.a2ps     08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b original source code
I  fw_a2ps.sw           08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b execution only env
I  fw_a2ps.sw.a2ps      08/02/2007  a2ps-4.13b execution only env

I used chkconfig to turn on fw_cups and rebooted the system.  Using the documentation I found on SGI’s Freeware website I pointed Netscape at localhost:631 to administrate CUPS.  I installed my printer using the following procedure:

1.)	Clicked on “Printers” in the horizontal link menu
2.)	Clicked on “Add New Printer”
3.)	Entered in the following information
	a.)   Name: HPLaserJet
	b.)   Location: MEI COS Lab
	c.)   Description: HP Color LaserJet 3600dn
4.)	Selected “AppSocket/HP JetDirect” in the “Device:” drop-down menu
5.)	Entered in “socket://laserjet:9100” for “Device URL:”
6.)	Selected “HP” for “Make:”
7.)	Selected “HP Color LaserJet 3600 Foomatic/hpijs (en)” for “Model:”

*laserjet is a known hostname in /etc/hosts
# ping laserjet
PING LaserJet (198.49.246.214): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 198.49.246.214: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.542 ms

That completed the installation of the printer.  When I clicked on “Print Test Page” my printer errors with “Chosen Personality Not Available”.  Further, when I type “echo hello | lp” I get the same error message.

The output of lpstat –t shows:

# lpstat -t
scheduler is running
system default destination: HPLaserJet
device for HPLaserJet: socket://laserjet:9100/
HPLaserJet accepting requests since Jan 01 00:00
printer HPLaserJet is idle.  enabled since Jan 01 00:00

I have no idea why this isn’t working.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Rob