USB printer

Steve O'Hara-Smith wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 02:03:57 +0200
> Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
>
>>It seems that the printer can't print plain text or PS files and has to be
>>talked to in some other printing language instead. So I would need an output
>>filter program (the "of" entry in /etc/printcap) that converts some
>>well-known file format to that Epson-capable format. Has anybody an idea
>>about that?
>
> It is very rare for any commodity printer to support PostScript.
> Many cheaper printers are pretty much nothing but the print engine with
> all the control coming from the Windows driver.
>
> OK that's the bad news over - the good news is that ghostscript
> supports a good many of them and apparently yours can be driven by the
> Stylus 3200 driver in ghostscript.

A Stylus 3200 driver is listed neither in
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/printer.htm, nor by the gs binary ("gs
--help" or with the interactive command "devicenames ==") that is installed
by the latest ghostscript port (ghostscript-afpl-8.51_1,1).

There seems to be a driver for the CX3650 in the gutenprint package, but
when I start gutenprint's printer administration tool with "escputil -m
escp2-cx3650 -s -r /dev/ulpt0", it just hangs and cannot even be killed:

root# ps jc 665
USER PID PPID PGID SID JOBC STAT TT TIME COMMAND
root 665 660 665 652 1 D+ v0 0:00,87 escputil
root# kill -9 665
root# ps jc 665
USER PID PPID PGID SID JOBC STAT TT TIME COMMAND
root 665 660 665 652 1 D+ v0 0:00,88 escputil

"top" lists the escputil process with status "usbdly".

The port /usr/ports/print/pips-scx3500_3600s seems promising as well, as it
exactly matches my printer model series. But there are similar problems, and
all over this, this software contains a couple of bugs, and the source is
hard to understand because the comments are in Japanese only.

> You may find it useful to install apsfilter which is a multiformat
> print filter that should let you print just about anything directly.

The apsfilter documentation says that "It completely relies on ghostscript
to provide a driver, since it only prepares the input data, primarily by
converting it to PostScript." That would be of little use, as long as
printing PS files does not work.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
> A Stylus 3200 driver is listed neither in
> http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/printer.htm, nor by the gs binary ("gs
> --help" or with the interactive command "devicenames ==") that is
> installed by the latest ghostscript port (ghostscript-afpl-8.51_1,1).

According to LinuxPrinting.org, the reccommended driver for the Stylus
CX3200 is Gimp-Print, see
http://linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Epson-Stylus_CX3200

Gimp-Print can be an driver "plugin" for Ghostscript.
HTH
--
Torfinn Ingolfsen,
Norway
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:

> According to LinuxPrinting.org, the reccommended driver for the Stylus
> CX3200 is Gimp-Print, see
> http://linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Epson-Stylus_CX3200
>
> Gimp-Print can be an driver "plugin" for Ghostscript.

Gimp-Print has been superseded by Gutenprint, which does not work.

I would happily downgrade to Gimp-Print if this would privide a funktional
driver plugin, but the documentation about the ghostscript driver
(gimpprint_21.html) is just an empty page.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:

> According to LinuxPrinting.org, the reccommended driver for the Stylus
> CX3200 is Gimp-Print, see
> http://linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Epson-Stylus_CX3200
>
> Gimp-Print can be an driver "plugin" for Ghostscript.

Gimp-Print has been superseded by Gutenprint, which does not work.

I would happily downgrade to Gutenprint if this would privide a funktional
driver plugin, but the documentation about the ghostscript driver
(gimpprint_21.html) is just an empty page.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
> Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:
>
>
>>According to LinuxPrinting.org, the reccommended driver for the Stylus
>>CX3200 is Gimp-Print, see
>>http://linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Epson-Stylus_CX3200
>>
>>Gimp-Print can be an driver "plugin" for Ghostscript.
>
>
> Gimp-Print has been superseded by Gutenprint, which does not work.

Hmm, where did you find that information?
I can't see a FreeBSD port for Gutenprint, but the Gimp-Print port is
still alive:
http://www.freshports.org/print/gimp-print/
and the gimnp-print web page doesn't mention Gutenprint:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/

How did you install Gutenprint then?
The sf.net project page for Gutenprint:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gutenprint/

shows that this project hasn't had one single release yet.
To say that Gutenprint has superseded Gimp-Print would be too hasty, IMHO.

> I would happily downgrade to Gimp-Print if this would privide a funktional
> driver plugin, but the documentation about the ghostscript driver
> (gimpprint_21.html) is just an empty page.

Well, the gimp-print page lists the Stylus CX-3200 as a supported printer:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.php3
along with several other printer from the Stylus Scan range.

Why don't you try it and see what happens?
You can only lose some time (a few hours of testing, probably).
--
Torfinn Ingolfsen,
Norway
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:

>>> According to LinuxPrinting.org, the reccommended driver for the
>>> Stylus CX3200 is Gimp-Print, see
>>> http://linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Epson-Stylus_CX3200
>>>
>>> Gimp-Print can be an driver "plugin" for Ghostscript.
>>
>> Gimp-Print has been superseded by Gutenprint, which does not work.
>
> Hmm, where did you find that information?

The README in the Gutenprint sources says so:
"Gutenprint, formerly named Gimp-Print, is a suite of printer drivers"

> I can't see a FreeBSD port for Gutenprint, but the Gimp-Print port is
> still alive:
> http://www.freshports.org/print/gimp-print/

That's probably because Gutenprint is still beta. It is a beta4 though, so
it should be reasonably stable now.

> and the gimnp-print web page doesn't mention Gutenprint:
> http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/

The gimp-print web page has frozen on August 25, 2004. As if a neutron bomb
had blown away all human life and nobody was left to turn off the internet.

> How did you install Gutenprint then?
> The sf.net project page for Gutenprint:
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/gutenprint/
>
> shows that this project hasn't had one single release yet.

It can be downloaded here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=1537&package_id=143930

> To say that Gutenprint has superseded Gimp-Print would be too hasty, IMHO.
>
>> I would happily downgrade to Gimp-Print if this would privide a
>> funktional driver plugin, but the documentation about the ghostscript
>> driver (gimpprint_21.html) is just an empty page.
>
> Well, the gimp-print page lists the Stylus CX-3200 as a supported printer:
> http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.php3
> along with several other printer from the Stylus Scan range.

After all, I don't really have a CX-3200. I have a CX-3650 which is directly
supported by Gutenprint. Or at least, it is claimed to be supported.

> Why don't you try it and see what happens?
> You can only lose some time (a few hours of testing, probably).

Well, this is what happens:

| # /usr/local/bin/escputil -s -m CX3200 -r /dev/ulpt0
| Escputil version 4.2.7, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
| Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type 'escputil -l'
| This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
| under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
|
| Zeitlimit beim Lesen vom Drucker überschritten
| Kann nicht von /dev/ulpt0: Input/output error lesen.

....and the process locks up just as in Gutenprint.

The last two lines are localized and mean:
time limit exceeded while reading from printer
can't read from /dev/ulpt0: input/output error

Maybe I don't need the escputil at all. This utility controls the printer,
but does not send print jobs to it. To be honest, I don't know how to use
the gimp-print driver. Maybe it's because of the sparse documentation, or
maybe I am just too stupid; but I don't know how to integrate the gimp-print
driver in ghostscript, nor do I know exactly what to write to /etc/printcap
(I guess it would be some "if:gs -and -some -options").
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
> | # /usr/local/bin/escputil -s -m CX3200 -r /dev/ulpt0
> | Escputil version 4.2.7, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
> | Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type 'escputil
> -l'
> | This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
> | under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
> |
> | Zeitlimit beim Lesen vom Drucker überschritten
> | Kann nicht von /dev/ulpt0: Input/output error lesen.
>
> ...and the process locks up just as in Gutenprint.
>
> The last two lines are localized and mean:
> time limit exceeded while reading from printer
> can't read from /dev/ulpt0: input/output error

Ok, could you please show us the dmesg lines that shows that your
printer is detected?
The error means that there is something wrong with the device you are
reading from / writing to.


> Maybe I don't need the escputil at all. This utility controls the
> printer, but does not send print jobs to it. To be honest, I don't know
> how to use the gimp-print driver. Maybe it's because of the sparse
> documentation, or maybe I am just too stupid; but I don't know how to
> integrate the gimp-print driver in ghostscript, nor do I know exactly
> what to write to /etc/printcap (I guess it would be some "if:gs -and
> -some -options").

Usually, this is done through configure-time dialog boxes when you build
the port. Try 'make config' pr something like that in the port directory.

--
Torfinn Ingolfsen,
Norway
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:
> Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
>
>> | # /usr/local/bin/escputil -s -m CX3200 -r /dev/ulpt0
>> | Escputil version 4.2.7, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
>> | Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
>> 'escputil -l'
>> | This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
>> | under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
>> |
>> | Zeitlimit beim Lesen vom Drucker überschritten
>> | Kann nicht von /dev/ulpt0: Input/output error lesen.
>>
>> ...and the process locks up just as in Gutenprint.
>>
>> The last two lines are localized and mean:
>> time limit exceeded while reading from printer
>> can't read from /dev/ulpt0: input/output error
>
>
> Ok, could you please show us the dmesg lines that shows that your
> printer is detected?
> The error means that there is something wrong with the device you are
> reading from / writing to.

ulpt0: EPSON USB MFP, rev 1.10/1.00, addr 2, iclass 255/255
ulpt0: using bi-directional mode

That's all. No error message here.

# usbdevs -dv
Controller /dev/usb0:
addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
uhub0
port 1 powered
port 2 addr 2: full speed, self powered, config 1, USB MFP(0x080e),
EPSON(0x04b8), rev 1.00
ulpt0
Controller /dev/usb1:
addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
uhub1
port 1 addr 2: low speed, self powered, config 1, Sam Sung
Electronics(0x8002), Samsung Electronics(0x0419), rev 2.00
uhid0
port 2 powered
Controller /dev/usb2:
addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
uhub2
port 1 powered
port 2 powered
Controller /dev/usb3:
addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
uhub3
port 1 powered
port 2 powered

>> Maybe I don't need the escputil at all. This utility controls the
>> printer, but does not send print jobs to it. To be honest, I don't
>> know how to use the gimp-print driver. Maybe it's because of the
>> sparse documentation, or maybe I am just too stupid; but I don't know
>> how to integrate the gimp-print driver in ghostscript, nor do I know
>> exactly what to write to /etc/printcap (I guess it would be some
>> "if:gs -and -some -options").
>
> Usually, this is done through configure-time dialog boxes when you build
> the port. Try 'make config' pr something like that in the port directory.

# cd /usr/ports/print/gimp-print/
gimp-print# make config
===> No options to configure
# cd /usr/ports/print/ghostscript-afpl
ghostscript-afpl# make config
===> No options to configure

When doing a "make build" for ghostscript, I get a dialog box to select
which printer drivers to build and install. However, this does not tell
ghostscript which driver to actually use at runtime. The gimp-print drivers
cannot even be selected in that dialog box.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Friedrich Volkmann wrote:
> ulpt0: EPSON USB MFP, rev 1.10/1.00, addr 2, iclass 255/255
> ulpt0: using bi-directional mode
>
> That's all. No error message here.

I agree, those messages seem fine.

>
> # usbdevs -dv
> Controller /dev/usb0:
> addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
> VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
> uhub0
> port 1 powered
> port 2 addr 2: full speed, self powered, config 1, USB MFP(0x080e),
> EPSON(0x04b8), rev 1.00
> ulpt0

This also seems ok.

> # cd /usr/ports/print/gimp-print/
> gimp-print# make config
> ===> No options to configure
> # cd /usr/ports/print/ghostscript-afpl
> ghostscript-afpl# make config
> ===> No options to configure

Ok, they are iusing old style configuring then.

> which printer drivers to build and install. However, this does not tell
> ghostscript which driver to actually use at runtime.

No, that is normally done with the '-sDEVICE=<somedevice>' switch to gs.
Like: gs -sDEVICE=uniprint file.ps
for example.

> The gimp-print drivers cannot even be selected in that dialog box.

I checked on my box, and you are right. The only drivers with "Gimp" in
them are:
"xcf" "Gimp XCF, RGB"
"xcfcmyk" "Gimp XCF, CMYK"

and I guess those are file formats.
Hmm, interesting, the source of Ghostscript doesn't mention neither
gimp-print or gutenprint at all. Only uniprint is selectable in the
dialog box. How odd.
Gimp-Print _used_ to be a selectable option in gs devices.
Perhaps you will need to ask the developers.
Hmm, I just checked the release note for Gutenprint on sf.net (they
should have told people that they still use the gimp-print project page):
http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=326131

It seems that using gutenprint is a bit involved, because it uses the
IJS printer driver(s) in Ghostscript, and foomatic to generate the
correct printer drivers.
This isn't for the faint of heart.
--
Torfinn Ingolfsen,
Norway
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 01:57:47 +0200, Friedrich Volkmann wrote:

> The last two lines are localized and mean:
> time limit exceeded while reading from printer
> can't read from /dev/ulpt0: input/output error

Have you tried /dev/unlpt0 ?

That worked for me when /dev/ulpt0 didn't

--
Dave
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

DaveG wrote:

>>The last two lines are localized and mean:
>>time limit exceeded while reading from printer
>>can't read from /dev/ulpt0: input/output error
>
> Have you tried /dev/unlpt0 ?
>
> That worked for me when /dev/ulpt0 didn't

At least with escputil, using unlpt0 leads to the same symptoms, with the
only difference that the printer does not make that clack-roo-roo noise that
it sometimes makes when using ulpt0. I assume this is the printer reset.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 11:33:38 +0200, Friedrich Volkmann wrote:

> At least with escputil, using unlpt0 leads to the same symptoms, with the
> only difference that the printer does not make that clack-roo-roo noise that
> it sometimes makes when using ulpt0. I assume this is the printer reset.

Worth a try It solved a similar problem with My Epson R200.

--
Dave
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer 

Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote:

>> ulpt0: EPSON USB MFP, rev 1.10/1.00, addr 2, iclass 255/255
>> ulpt0: using bi-directional mode
>>
>> That's all. No error message here.
>
>
> I agree, those messages seem fine.
>
>>
>> # usbdevs -dv
>> Controller /dev/usb0:
>> addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000),
>> VIA(0x0000), rev 1.00
>> uhub0
>> port 1 powered
>> port 2 addr 2: full speed, self powered, config 1, USB MFP(0x080e),
>> EPSON(0x04b8), rev 1.00
>> ulpt0
>
> This also seems ok.

Maybe there is something wrong here already. When neither the ulpt nor
the uscanner module is loaded, connecting (or turning on) the printer leads
to the creation of a /dev/ugen0. Loading the uscanner or ulpt modules
afterwards does not do anything. If The ulpt module is loaded before the
printer is connected, the /dev/ulpt0 and /dev/unlpt0 devices appear, but I
won't get /dev/ungen* or /dev/uscanner0 anymore. Respectively, loading the
uscanner module before connecting the printer results in a /dev/uscanner0,
but I will never get a /dev/ulpt0. These devices seem mutually exclusive. I
can decide whether I want to scan or to print. If I want to use the other
function then, I must turn the printer off, unload the kernel module, load
the other kernel module an turn the printer on again.

>> # cd /usr/ports/print/gimp-print/
>> gimp-print# make config
>> ===> No options to configure
>> # cd /usr/ports/print/ghostscript-afpl
>> ghostscript-afpl# make config
>> ===> No options to configure
>
>
> Ok, they are iusing old style configuring then.
>
>> which printer drivers to build and install. However, this does not
>> tell ghostscript which driver to actually use at runtime.
>
>
> No, that is normally done with the '-sDEVICE=<somedevice>' switch to gs.
> Like: gs -sDEVICE=uniprint file.ps
> for example.

.... and the printer model must be specified with some undocumented option.
I saw it on a web page somewhere, but forgot the URL.

I wonder whether the output of the gs binary can really be directly supplied
to /dev/ulpt0 or /dev/unlpt0. Shouldn't the communication with the printer
be bi-directional? What happens with the feedback that the printer might be
trying to give while talking to it?

>> The gimp-print drivers cannot even be selected in that dialog box.
>
> I checked on my box, and you are right. The only drivers with "Gimp" in
> them are:
> "xcf" "Gimp XCF, RGB"
> "xcfcmyk" "Gimp XCF, CMYK"
>
> and I guess those are file formats.
> Hmm, interesting, the source of Ghostscript doesn't mention neither
> gimp-print or gutenprint at all. Only uniprint is selectable in the
> dialog box. How odd.

Because the dialog box ist part of the FreeBSD port, not of the ghostscript
distribution.

> Gimp-Print _used_ to be a selectable option in gs devices.
> Perhaps you will need to ask the developers.
> Hmm, I just checked the release note for Gutenprint on sf.net (they
> should have told people that they still use the gimp-print project page):
> http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=326131
>
> It seems that using gutenprint is a bit involved, because it uses the
> IJS printer driver(s) in Ghostscript, and foomatic to generate the
> correct printer drivers.
> This isn't for the faint of heart.

The main problem with that printing and spooling software is that there are
so many different programs, some interchangable, some dependent on each
other, some part of the OS, some made by the manufacturer (without
portability as a goal), some made by commercial third party vendors, some
made by the open source community. It's too much of a chaos. One program
that works would be enough. But none of those fragmented pieces of software
really does. There are bugs everywhere. I should probably file bug reports
to various FreeBSD port maintainers and the FreeBSD kernel developers as
well as to to the gs, uniprint/gutenprint and cups developers. Unfortunately
I know nothing about USB or the Epson printing protocol, so my bug reports
would not be too constructive.
 >> Stay informed about: USB printer