Brother 8840D: "usblp0: removed" endless loop

[Gurtz]

Hi all,

This is a follow-up to my original post here (https://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?s25628+gcups.general+v25647+T0).

Sorry for taking so long to respond. After posting the original, life suddenly got very busy, and I had not had a chance to try any of the suggestions until now.

Thanks so much to upscope, Johannes Meixnew, and Jiri Popelka for your replies! I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Unfortunately, I am still in much the same position as before :-(

"upscope" wrote (https://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?s25648+gcups.general+v25648+T0):

> I have a Brothers MFC-J6710DW and it works fine with the Cups driver and
> cups wrapper from brothers. Does your printer need the cups wrapper? Did
> you download it or just the ppd?

> from CUPS Download page:
> <snip>
> MFC-8840D
> Download Format Version Size Release Date
> LPR driver rpm 1.1.2-1 31 KB 2006.Mar.31
> cupswrapper driver rpm 1.0.2-1 14 KB 2006.Mar.31
> LPR driver deb 1.1.2-1 29 KB 2006.Mar.31
> cupswrapper driver deb 1.0.2-1 38 KB 2006.Mar.31
> ppd file gz 2 5 KB 2005.Dec.16
> Install Instruction : lpr driver | cupswrapper driver | ppd file |
> </snip>

> My printer uses different version of the wrapper and driver.

> Maybe a good idea to check if you have everything your printer needs.

I am using:
  cupswrappermfc8840d:i386 (v 1.0.2-1)
  mfc8840dlpr:i386 (v 1.1.2-1)

These are the drivers listed on the Brother page, and were installed by the Brother install script based on my selection of the model "MFC-8840D". As far as I can tell, all of that is correct.

Johannes Meixner wrote (https://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?s25648+gcups.general+v25649+T0):

> udev-configure-printer is a separated tool that is
> meant to do full automated printer setup.
> udev-configure-printer has nothing to do with CUPS
> and/or with your software from Brother.

> To get possible unwanted effects by udev-configure-printer
> out of the way, remove the software package that provides
> the udev-configure-printer functionality.
> I don't know which software package that is for
> your Linux distribution.
> After you removed udev-configure-printer functionality,
> re-setup your printer device as descibed by Brother.

I removed udev-configure-printer (i.e. the system-config-printer-udev package), but it did not make any difference.

> If it then still does not work, ask first and foremost Brother
> because it is their software.
> Have you perhaps already contacted Brother because you got
> the software from them and not from CUPS?
> If yes, please tell what their reply was so that we know
> about their point of view regarding this issue.

I have thoroughly studied their Linux drivers site (http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bsc/public_s/id/linux/en/index.html), and every related resource I could find, but have not contacted them directly. Honestly, at this point I just don't have the heart to spend hours on the phone with some 1st-level support person who will likely ask me things like, "Is your printer plugged in?", "Did you turn it on?". That would crush my already-fragile psyche. And I just really don't have any hope that they will be able to help me. The issue is too specific and unique for it to be something they will have any knowledge of. I don't even think printing under Linux is officially supported.

Jiri Popelka wrote (https://www.cups.org/newsgroups.php?s25648+gcups.general+v25650+T0)

> Try these instructions
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/cups/+bug/1038695/comments/2

> especially
> lpadmin -p <printer> -o usb-no-reattach-default=true
> could be useful.

I followed these instructions but, unfortunately, it didn't make any difference.

lpadmin -p MFC8840D -o usb-unidir-default=true
lpadmin -p MFC8840D -o usb-no-reattach-default=true

I did note, though, that after power-cycling the printer, the add/remove cycle (where the kernel continually removes the printer after 5 seconds) was temporarily broken. However, when I pressed the button (in the Printer GUI tool or on the CUPS printer page) to print a test page ... IMMEDIATELY a  "usblp0: removed" recurred, and the add/remove cycle was started again.

Feb  9 15:35:09 mymachine kernel: [15761.934548] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 4 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:35:14 mymachine kernel: [15766.955113] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:35:25 mymachine kernel: [15777.930225] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 4 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:35:30 mymachine kernel: [15782.950772] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:35:41 mymachine kernel: [15793.925766] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 4 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:35:53 mymachine kernel: [15805.979010] usb 1-1.1: USB disconnect, device number 4
Feb  9 15:35:53 mymachine kernel: [15805.979197] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:36:24 mymachine kernel: [15837.319102] usb 1-1.1: new high-speed USB device number 5 using ehci_hcd
Feb  9 15:36:25 mymachine kernel: [15837.417387] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:36:25 mymachine mtp-probe: checking bus 1, device 5: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.1"
Feb  9 15:36:26 mymachine mtp-probe: bus: 1, device: 5 was not an MTP device

<< printed test page ... "usblp0: removed" occurs immediately >>

Feb  9 15:37:06 mymachine kernel: [15879.260251] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:37:17 mymachine kernel: [15890.234940] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:37:23 mymachine kernel: [15895.255555] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:37:34 mymachine kernel: [15906.230619] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:37:39 mymachine kernel: [15911.251204] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:37:50 mymachine kernel: [15922.226303] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:37:55 mymachine kernel: [15927.246973] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:38:06 mymachine kernel: [15938.221978] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:38:11 mymachine kernel: [15943.242510] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:38:22 mymachine kernel: [15954.217526] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:38:27 mymachine kernel: [15959.238160] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:38:38 mymachine kernel: [15970.213203] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 5 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:38:43 mymachine kernel: [15975.233786] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:38:56 mymachine kernel: [15988.772734] usb 1-1.1: USB disconnect, device number 5
Feb  9 15:39:13 mymachine kernel: [16005.879979] usb 1-1.1: new high-speed USB device number 6 using ehci_hcd
Feb  9 15:39:13 mymachine mtp-probe: checking bus 1, device 6: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.1"
Feb  9 15:39:13 mymachine kernel: [16005.979655] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 6 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:39:14 mymachine mtp-probe: bus: 1, device: 6 was not an MTP device

<< printed test page ... "usblp0: removed" occurs immediately >>

Feb  9 15:40:43 mymachine kernel: [16095.707891] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:40:54 mymachine kernel: [16106.683129] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 6 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:40:59 mymachine kernel: [16111.703655] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:41:10 mymachine kernel: [16122.678790] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 6 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:41:15 mymachine kernel: [16127.699338] usblp0: removed
Feb  9 15:41:26 mymachine kernel: [16138.674302] usblp0: USB Bidirectional printer dev 6 if 0 alt 0 proto 2 vid 0x04F9 pid 0x0160
Feb  9 15:41:32 mymachine kernel: [16143.694995] usblp0: removed

Does anyone have any theories on what could be causing the "usblp0: removed" to occur? How can I find out what is triggering this? It seems that whenever the printer gets added, it takes a few seconds before "something" (the kernel? CUPS?) decides there is a problem and removes it again.

Also, I noticed that when using a "Mint 9" Live CD -- which supports printing to my MFC-8840D out of the box -- that it automatically installs a Foomatic driver ("Brother MFC-8840D Foomatic/Postscript"). Could that be an alternative option for me? I have tried to work out how I might install that, but no success so far.

I would greatly value any further help you can provide. I realize this could very possibly be completely unrelated to CUPS itself, but I know that those on this forum have a LOT more knowledge about Linux printing that most, and I don't know where else to turn. Please help!!

Thanks,
Greg