Printing doesn't work w/32 bit driver (SOLVED)

[vtpup]

I've been using F96-CE 4 (with later kernel and additional drivers) on the laptop in signature below for quite awhile as my daily driver. But there's been one nagging problem I've never solved, printing. I've been dealing with that problem by saving files to a thumbdrive, then starting up my old Bionic notebook, and printing from that off of the thumbdrive. This is a pain, and sometimes I don't have time, when I need something fast.

I'd really like to get printing going on this new laptop running F96-CE 4. Here's what I've tried:

On this same new laptop I've booted into Bionicpup64, and Fossapup 64 9.5, and both of those DO print on this same computer. Both have updated drivers to work with the recent wifi card.

I do not think these are causing the problem, and they are essential to printing on the network. Note that these driver updates DO print properly when added to Bionic64 and Fossa64 on this same computer. It is only F96-CE that throws the "Filter Failed" message in CUPS.

Specifics:

printer is normally set up in CUPS as:

Name: Dell
Description: Laser Printer
Location: Cheryl's Office
Driver: Xerox Phaser 6000B v1.0 (color)
Connection: socket://10.0.0.15:9100

Distros tested:
F96-CE 4, Fossapup64 9.5, Bionicpup64, each set up as follows:

1.) I created a fresh instance and created a new save folder for each.

2.) I loaded linux_firmware_20240201.sfs, and I added iwlwifi-so-a0-gf-a0-71.ucode to /lib/firmware (both were needed to get wifi working for the recent Intel ax211 wifi card).

3.) I loaded a 32bit-compatibilty sfs in each, and installed the xerox-phaser-6000-6010_1.0-1_i386.deb to provide the printer driver for my specific printer.

4.) I entered the network socket connection details (see above) and chose the printer driver in CUPS to create a new printer.

5.) Printing a test page from Maintenance in CUPS failed with "Filter Failed" message in F96-CE 4.

6.) Printing a test page was successful from both Bionicpup64 and Fossapup64.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[vtpup]

I've taken apart and examined the components of the necessary driver for my printer and I think the problem is that the filters are 32 bit. F-96CE can apparently load the Fossapup64 32 bit compat, BUT it doesn't find the path to the i386 libs. See here:

viewtopic.php?p=134658

This would also explain why the printer works in Fossapup64, and Bionic64 with 32 bit compat, but not F96-CE.

Help would solving this would be greatly appreciated!

[d-pupp]

@vtpup You could try ipp.
Setup as usual with cups and pick under Make: > Generic
Generic IPP Everywhere TM

For this to work it has to communicate with the printer so make sure the printer is on and not sleeping.

[mow9902]

I too am using fossapup64 9.6 - and CUPS printing works for my hardware. On my system:

• I have the file "32bit-compatibilty-fossa64.sfs" located in /mnt/home

• I load this module on startup (see image)

I also identified the additional drivers/libraries I needed for some of my 32bit apps and located them in the directory /root/my-applications/lib (which I think gets automatically added into the system search path ...but like I said ...I'm no expert on this so don't take my word for it)

I have no idea if this is a good thing to do or not - or whether it will work for you or not - just saying it works for me, and I have been using it this way since I started with fossapup64 9.6
Perhaps you can test it out in a "test" area to see if it will work for you.

[rockedge]

@vtpup

First load the 32 bit compatibility SFS from Fossapup64.

You will use the paths that apply in your case.

add a custom .conf file to /etc/ld.so.conf.d, for example

Code: Select all

geany /etc/ld.so.conf.d/32bit_compat.conf

inside the file you are supposed to write the complete path to the directory that contains all the libraries that you wish to add to the system, for example

Code: Select all

# Multiarch support
/usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

remember to add only the path to the dir, not the full path for the file, all the libs inside that path will be automatically indexed.

Save and then run ldconfig to update the system with these libs.

[vtpup]

Thanks @d-pupp I'll try that but I have my doubts -- This is an old printer, and the wifi connection is through a separate print server, also old tech.

Thanks @mow9902 I'm not sure /root/my-applications/lib is in the path. I believe only /root/my-applications/bin is -- at least that's what /etc/profiles shows. Also, not entirely clear on your OS, do you mean F96-CE rev 4, and are you using a printer driver with 32 bit filters or a 64 bit driver?

@rockedge Sounds good, I will definitely try that, and report back.

@vtpup

First load the 32 bit compatibility SFS from Fossapup64.

You will use the paths that apply in your case.

add a custom .conf file to /etc/ld.so.conf.d, for example

Code: Select all

geany /etc/ld.so.conf.d/32bit_compat.conf

inside the file you are supposed to write the complete path to the directory that contains all the libraries that you wish to add to the system, for example

Code: Select all

# Multiarch support
/usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

remember to add only the path to the dir, not the full path for the file, all the libs inside that path will be automatically indexed.

Save and then run ldconfig to update the system with these libs.

[Jasper]

@vtpup

5.) Printing a test page from Maintenance in CUPS failed with "Filter Failed" message in F96-CE 4.

Have you tried compiling and using a newer build of Cups-Filters?

cups-filters 2.0.1 (14 Aug 2024)

https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups-filters

libcupsfilters 2.1.0 (18 October 2024)

https://github.com/OpenPrinting/libcupsfilters

[vtpup]

@Jasper, sorry, no haven't tried compiling things -- looked at it but, beyond my ability to understand, or do.

@rockedge That Worked!

My /etc/ld.so.conf.d/32bit_compat.conf file reads:

Code: Select all

# Multiarch support
/lib32
/lib/i386-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu

Then I did a

Code: Select all

ldconfig

And voila, my printer printed a test page with no problems.

Question: Is ldconfig required every time, or is that something that automatically happens at startup?

EDIT: Just tested, and yes the file is loaded automatically at startup. So that's a total solution to the 32 bit compatibility problem in F-96 CE rev 4.

[vtpup]

Further interesting info:

There is included in F96 CE rev 4 already a file /etc/ld.so.conf.d/zz_i386-biarch-compat.conf whose contents are

Code: Select all

# Legacy biarch compatibility support
/lib32
/usr/lib32

but this doesn't provide complete 32 bit compatibility. It needs both the F95 32 bit compat sfs, and then additions of

Code: Select all

/lib/i386-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu

[Jasper]

Glad you got it fixed

[vtpup]

I just made a 32bit-compatibility-F96CE-r4.sfs that I tested. It adds the i386 compat libraries and configures F96CE for them.

Don't know where to post it, in case anybody else wants it.

Usage:

You can load it via Puppy Boot Manager for use next after boot, or load it on the fly, but in that case you do need to

Code: Select all

ldconfig

for the configuration to recognize the new libraries in the current session.