usb-> parallel adapter how to set up

David Johnson david.johnson at lehigh.edu
Mon Jun 15 22:21:08 PDT 2009


System: debian linux (squeeze), kernel 2.6.26, x86 machine

CUPS version: 1.3.10

Printer:  HP 5000

I just got this printer -- free.  But my computer does not have a parallel port, so I got a usb>parallel (female) connector to connect to an ordinary parallel cable thence to the printer.  It's an old printer, with no JetDirect connection, no usb, only parallel and serial.  I had guessed the usb -> parallel would be the better route.

But, despite searching the net, I have yet to see how to set up cups to handle this.  The printer is not recognized by cups, and I don't quite have a correct manual configuration.  One guy said to modify the /etc/cups/printers.conf file to set Device ID = parallel:/dev/usb/lp1  --- but this version of cups does not have a "Device ID" line, and when I mess with "DeviceURI" it doesn't work.  To be specific, DeviceURI parallel:/dev/usb/lp1  does not work.

Currently when I set (within the web interface) DeviceURI usb://dev/usb/lp1, CUPS thinks things are fine, and it claims to process and get things to 23% complete when printing a test page.  Never further.

The lp1 is correct since I have another (working) printer attached, but it is possibly the slowest printer on God's green earth.  The other printer takes up lp0.

What does work is

cat filename.ps > /dev/usb/lp1  which gives great, high-quality output.

Any hints?  I mean, I could print everything to files and cat them to the device, but there has to be a better way.




More information about the cups mailing list