Filter Failed (ipp) error in CUPS BionicPup64 (Workaround)

[vtpup]

The hangup for me there is how do I know a particular ethernet/usb print server uses the socket protocol? From what I can tell most available at reasonable price on Ebay for instance don't specify.

Is the socket protocol an "HP jet" alias, commercially. I mean if a print server advertises as Hp type is this likely to be the socket protocol?

Is there some other term that would help filter for an appropriate print server?

[rcrsn51]

Is the socket protocol an "HP jet" alias...

Yes.

Any print server should offer several Linux-compatible protocols - ipp, lpd, socket.

[vtpup]

I'm afraid not, Bill. Most of the reasonably priced USB/ethernet print servers I've found on Ebay use lpr or ipp. Also reliability seems to be a big issue for users. Often these servers need to be turned off and then on again to print. I used to have a wireless parallel port print server that did exactly the same thing -- one of the reasons I'mreluctant to get back into separate print servers.

So, I decided to try a different tack today, and just use my wife's laptop (running Tahr32) as a CUPS shared print server. It's not ideal because it's not always available or turned on. But this was an early suggestion in this thread, so I decided to try anyway.

Works fine as a shared printer from Tahrpup32 on my computer-- it's automatically picked up by CUPS 1.4.8 as Dell@192.168.1.3 with an access of http://192.168.1.3:631/printers/Dell and the proper driver.

BUT, it does not get automatically detected from Bionic 64. When set up manually in CUPS 2.2.7 with exactly the same entries fails to print with an "Empty print file" error.

[rcrsn51]

I set up the same arrangement as you - CUPS shared printer on Tahrpup and the Bionic64 client trying to access it using ipp.

I got the same problem as with your router! Bionic tried to query the Tahrpup ipp server and failed.

So here is the "guaranteed" solution.

1. Remove the sharing from the Tahrpup printer - it is now just a regular USB printer.

2. On the Tahrpup machine, get the P910nd print server package from here. It will serve the USB-attached printer using the socket: protocol. Get the 32bit package and left-click-install the deb.

3. From the Network menu, start the P910nd server.

4. Go to the Bionic64 client. The Tahrpup print server will NOT be auto-detected, but you can find it using PeasyPort on Port 9100.

5. Install the printer manually in CUPS using AppSocket/JetDirect as: socket://192.168.x.y:9100

6. Select your Xerox printer driver. You will need your 32bit compat pack to make it work in BIonic64.

7. Test.

[vtpup]

Sorry Bill, wouldn't the router need to be communicating on 9100? The thought was that the Tahr32 computer would be the CUPS go-between to the wireless router from various Bionic64 boxes. I'm guessing your 9100 server requires a direct USB cable connection at the host end. But if I'm wrong, just let me know.

I did try it as suggested, with the printer still wired to the router. and the printer finished up successfully (supposedly) according to Bionic64 CUPS. But nothing was actually printed. I imagine it just sent the print job to the Tahr32 computer, but it couldn't offload to USB, because the printer isn't connected there.

[rcrsn51]

Sorry. The intent here is that the printer is connected by USB to the Tahrpup machine, NOT the router.

But if it's a laptop, that's not going to work very well.

But it doesn't matter what machine on your network acts as the P910nd server, provided that the printer is attached by USB.

[vtpup]

Well if she had a desktop computer wired to the printer that would be practical, but it's a mobile use notebook. Thehope was for wireless printer accessible from Bionic64 laptops in the house. Presently we have that with Tahrpup32. But migrating to BP64 breaks network printing. To just summarize what I've found for anyone else with similar issues, and to save some testing:

BP64 CUPS client:
ipp doesn't work
CUPS shared network printing to a working Tahr32 doesn't work
USB works (therefore the tested printer driver works)

Tahr32 client:
ipp works
CUPS shared printer works
USB works

[vtpup]

I think I've found a USB/ethernet print server that works with appsocket . I went through several online manuals at the mfr's support sites of some older devices and found that the D-link DP-301U mentions port 9100 and a long list of protocols supported. I took a chance and found and ordered a used one on Ebay. Hoping it will work with BP64's CUPS.

Most of the new cheap and frequently re-badged usb print servers are ipp lpr only and also have bad user reviews because they freeze up when the printer goes to sleep, and have to be power rebooted to print. Buyer beware.

[rcrsn51]

In the meantime, try this:

1. Printer is connected to the router.

2. Tahrpup machine has the printer installed and is sharing it.

3. Go to the Bionic64 machine. Delete any Xerox printers.

4. From the PPM, install the package: cups-browsed

5a. Open the file /etc/cups/browsed.conf
5b. Set line 35 to: BrowseRemoteProtocols cups
5c. Set line 92 to: BrowseAllow All (Uncomment it if necessary)

6. Run: /etc/init.d/cups-browsed restart

7. Wait a minute. Start an app and open its Print dialog. The shared printer from Tahrpup should be there.

Note that the Bionic64 machine does not need the printer driver or the 32bit compat pack.

[vtpup]

That WORKED!

[vtpup]

Thanks rcrsn51! Couple questions:

Had to drop firewall on client machines -- should I set port 631 open?

Also, will cups-browsed auto-start since it's in init.d?

Do you think it could successfully ipp to the router directly ("ipp" in line 35?) Would need driver and 32 bit compat, but would allow my wife's laptop to be upgraded to Bionic64 some day, instead of being tied to Tahr32.

But anyway, this is great as is!

[rcrsn51]

Excellent. In some CUPS 2.x versions, you can skip Steps 5 and 6 - the defaults will be OK.

You can use the same technique if the "server" computer is running a CUPS 2.x Puppy. It's just a matter of installing cups-browsed on it and setting some other config options.

Be aware that this system can be a bit fragile. It you make any changes to either CUPS setup, reboot both machines and wait a while for things to reset.

[rcrsn51]

Had to drop firewall on client machines -- should I set port 631 open?

Probably.

Also, will cups-browsed auto-start since it's in init.d?

It depends on how Bionic64 works. You will need to test it. Otherwise, launch it from a Startup script.

You can check if it's running with: pidof cups-browsed

[rcrsn51]

Do you think it could successfully ipp to the router directly ("ipp" in line 35?) Would need driver and 32 bit compat, but would allow my wife's laptop to be upgraded to Bionic64 some day, instead of being tied to Tahr32.

Here is something to try. On the Bionic machine with cups-browsed running, do your usual install of the printer on the router. But I suspect that it will still fail.

[rcrsn51]

Do you think it could successfully ipp to the router directly ("ipp" in line 35?)

It's not listed in the documentation, so I doubt it

[rcrsn51]

In the long term, I believe that your best solution is the separate print server box running some Puppy-compatible protocol like socket.

Be aware that you will want to give the box a static IP address so the client computers can always find it. You can probably do this through its internal web interface.

[vtpup]

1.) Yes start-up of cups-browsed is automatic on reboot, but also yes you should wait a short time for discovery.
2.) Yes Bionicpup's default firewall blocks all ports. To allow, open the firewall setup and allow CUPS.
3.) Nope the direct BP64 printer setup to the router's onboard print server via http://x.x.x.x:631:printers/Dell failed even with cups-browsed running. Error message: "Empty Print File!"

I do have a (hoped for) solution for her computer migration to Bionic64 if the ordered D-link appsocket compatible print server works out.

[rcrsn51]

you should wait a short time for discovery.

This is why I prefer the P910nd print server if it suits your hardware setup (always-on computer with attached printer).

It works more smoothly for me than CUPS shared printing.

[vtpup]

As a follow-up, the Ebay used D-link print server arrived today. I plugged it in to the router and printer, then PeasyPort scanned the LAN for port 9100. Found it at 192.168.1.2, and set up a socket printer in Bp64. Everything worked. Now I can upgrade to BP64 on all computers in the house.

We know as a result that the Xerox 6000b driver works fine with Puppy's 32 bit compatibility sfs and drives the Dell 1250c color laser printer. No need for some of the early-in-this-thread Mint 32 bit fixes. And the culprit was the new CUPS ipp implementation in BP64.

Thanks again to all who helped and especially you Bill.

[rcrsn51]

Just out of curiosity, does this print server box also offer Port 631 IPP printing?

I'm guessing that socket works while the firewall is UP because it it is a one-way outbound protocol, but IPP would require that the firewall has Port 631 open.

[vtpup]

Bill, I tried PeasyPort with Peasy Firewall Monitor both running and down for port 631 on the LAN, but the only open port reported was for the DSLmodem's printer port.

I also checked the manual here:
http://files.dlink.com.au/Products/DP-3 ... _v1.00.pdf
and didn't see anything specifically referencing 631 or ipp. lpr/lpd over tcip and appletalk were mentioned.

[rcrsn51]

So the printer works when the firewall is UP and Port 9100 is closed? I'm still not clear on this.

I'm guessing that Socket/Port 9100 is what the server calls AppleTalk.

When the firewall is DOWN, what does a PeasyPort scan of the server box for ports 10-1024 report?

[vtpup]

Peasy Firewall is set up for a trusted LAN so no, it doesn't make a difference. To clarify my ambiguous sentence above, I tried it with the firewall on and off, not the port closed.
Ports for 10-1024 scan of the print server IP:
21
23
80
139

Per the manual referenced earlier:

Ethernet Frame Types: 802.2, 802.3, Ethernet II, SNAP (auto-switching)
Transport Protocols: TCP/IP, NetBEUI, AppleTalk/EtherTalk, LPR
TCP/IP Protocols Supported: BOOTP, SNMP, Telnet, TFTP, FTP, LPD, RARP, DHCP

[vtpup]

Interesting, I just went to the printserver's status page in a browser and got the following (screenshot). Ipp is listed. Must a port other than 631.

[rcrsn51]

It's a mystery. Maybe IPP/LPD printing mean something different in a non-Linux world.

Or maybe they work over UDP and PeasyScan only scans TCP ports. I believe that nmap can scan for UDP.

[vtpup]

Well I just reset the print server to factory defaults, since I hadn't changed anything, as received.
As a result, port 515 was added to the list of open ports above.

[rcrsn51]

When you run CUPS, does it detect the server box as either an AppSocket/JetDirect or LPD/LPR device?

It sounds like the important lesson here is to buy a print server that supports AppleTalk. This makes it Port 9100 Linux-compatible.

[vtpup]

Bill, I have never had any luck autodetecting network printers (or print servers) from CUPs. I've always had to manually install from mfr specs or PeasyScan port probes.

Tried again tonight with CUPS 1.4.8 (Tahr32) and 2.2.7 (BP64) and no go.

Firewalls were down for the attempts.

[rcrsn51]

I'm not surprised. Most stand-alone network printers will advertise their presence on the LAN by their various protocols. So CUPS can auto-detect them. But my print server box, like yours, does not. So I need PeasyPort to find it.

I think that we have finally beaten this project to death.