Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Evening, gang.

Just thought I should resurrect this, and mention it again so others are aware of it.

I've always run Epsons. Never even considered any other printers, 'cos they work so well for me. Some consider them "agricultural", since older ones in particular often didn't come with many of the fancy flashing lights/glitzy features that others did.......but they're built like a brick outhouse, and just seem to keep chugging away forever. I like 'em.

I get my drivers'n'stuff from the Epson download site, like many do. These come as either a .deb, or an .rpm file. Most of us will want the .deb package.

Like many of us, I started with Puppy back when Pups were 32-bit only. Installing the 32-bit .deb files never presented an issue, and it was always just a 5-minute job to get the printer/scanner/all-in-one up-and-running. However, when 64-bit Puppies appeared on the scene, this 'routine' no longer worked.

.deb packages almost always include a post-install script, that executes certain commands, maybe deletes old links/sets-up new ones, tells your system to do various things, etc. I'm guessing this gets automatically run by the Debian package management system.......but it won't automatically run under Puppy. I think the reason is because the post-install script is named

postinst

.....and the post-install script that Puppy expects to find is called

pinstall.sh

Therefore Puppy doesn't "see" it.....and won't run it as a matter of course.

-----------------------------------------------

Which leaves two options. You can extract the .deb package, rename the post-install script to 'pinstall.sh', then re-pack it as a .pet package. Which is a lot of messing around, and many folks will instantly say to themselves "To hell with this. Why can't Puppy be simple?"

The other, easy option is install Bill's 'eppi' .pet. Which is a tiny wee thing that lives in /root/my-applications/bin. It's command-line, but is very simple to use. All you do is:-

• Open a terminal in the directory where your printer/scanner driver is.

• Type in "eppi[space]filename.deb". Tab auto-completion means that if the package has a long complicated name - many Epson drivers do - then part-way through typing you can just hit the 'Tab' key.....and the package name will complete itself. Then, just hit "Enter".

• "Done!" will appear to let you know the script has finished its task...

It installs the files just as dpkg will.....with one important exception. It will ALSO correctly run the Epson .deb's post-install script.....which does a shed-load of additional stuff after the files are installed, including deleting/setting-up a whole bunch of sym-links, and running a few other rather esoteric functions. It's no wonder Epsons still won't function if this lot doesn't get run!

-------------------------------------------

I had reason to be grateful for this earlier today. I've just re-installed & set-up my Xenialpup64 from scratch, a couple of days ago. (Updated the glibc to Busterpup's 2.28, and running Fossapup64 9.5's k5.4.53.....this now lets me use the HP desktop rig's built-in wifi/Bluetooth 'combo' chip here, as well). I'd forgotten about printing till this afternoon, so I thought I'd better take care of it.

It's been a few years. I knew printing worked in the old install, but I'd forgotten just how I did it. I installed the packages by clicking on the .debs, went to set it up, tried printing a test-page.......only to get the dreaded 'Filter failed' message. And THEN I remembered Eppi.

So; uninstall all the driver/utility packages again. Delete the printer in C.U.P.S. Install Eppi.

Run Eppi to install the packages again. Set everything up once more. Attempt a test-page, annnd.....bingo! Success.

As always, Bill's packages are tiny, but "do exactly what they say on the tin". Thanks again, Bill!

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I've attached the Eppi .pet to this post. I'm sure Bill won't mind.

Hope some of you may find it useful.

Mike.

Thank you (and Bill) so much for this; I was able to successfully download and install new Epson drivers on my Son-in-law's Slacko laptop today using Bill's Eppi installer script. Very helpful.

Les Kerf wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 10:31 pm

Thank you (and Bill) so much for this; I was able to successfully download and install new Epson drivers on my Son-in-law's Slacko laptop today using Bill's Eppi installer script. Very helpful.

@Les Kerf :-

Nice to hear someone else found it useful. I was certain I couldn't be the only one.....

Mike.

Hi,

Just to maybe help someone with installing an Epson printer in Fossapup64, Vanilla Dpup9 and 10
This is how I got things going. Maybe it's not the best way but at least I got it working like this
I also lost some time because the printer and scanner were not found when the firewall is ON. I set the firewall OFF before printing or scanning.

A. For fossapup, vanilla9 and vanilla10 printer

1. install eppi-1.0.pet

2. open terminal in the folder where you did download the printer driver (epson-inkjet-printer-escpr_1.8.3-1 in my case for ET-2550 printer)

3. in terminal, type: eppi followed by a space and the name of the printer driver (you could use the tab-key for autocompletion of the name).

4. then to access cups administration use your webbrowser with address: "http://localhost:631/"

5. open cups and search for new printer.

B. For fossaPup64 scanner: do nothing - xsane is installed and works

C. For vanilla9 & vanilla10:

1. Open synaptic package manager

2. Install "simple-scan"

3. open simple-scan from the menu, from the desktop or in terminal with: "simple-scan"

!!!STOP FIREWALL BEFORE PRINTING AND SCANNING!!!
Regards

There maybe an easier way
Newer printers are ipp enabled. To check if your is Google it.
If it is ipp then you don't need a ppd file cups will talk to the printer and build a ppd file.

What worked for me was.
1 I have a network enabled printer so I set a static ip address on the printer outside the range manged by my dhcp. Reason was if you don't use your printer all the time the address will change if you use dhcp.
2 for the connection type I use ipp://xx.xx.xx.xxx/ #Note the trailing slash that was needed in my case
3 for driver I used Generic IPP Everywhere TM

This worked even better than the factory ppd file.

d-pupp wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2024 8:59 pm

.....I set a static ip address on the printer outside the range managed by my dhcp. Reason was if you don't use your printer all the time the address will change if you use dhcp.

@d-pupp :-

See, now THIS is the bit I don't understand. Most folks over this side of the pond tend to stick with ISP-supplied routers; very few buy their own and set it up to suit themselves. You've mentioned this before, but I don't get it.

UK routers don't appear to have this option/feature/ability/whatever. I can't find any mention of a DHCP "managed range" anywhere in our router's quite extensive settings. Ya want a 'static' IP over here, you set it up, forget it and it just "sticks". Mine have never changed, once set.

Perhaps this is a US/Americas-only thing, or only for certain geographical areas? Or only specific to certain manufacturers?

?????

Mike.

@mikewalsh
It may be different let me explain...
I have a router from my ISP that they manage. It has a routable ip address and addresses for DNS etc.
I also have a router for my internal network. D-Link wireless and 4 LAN ports.My internal network is using one of the non-routable ip addresses like 192.168.xx.xx
This router handles my internal network. My desktop pc, my wireless laptops and my printer.
It has an internal dhcp server that I can setup so that I don't have to manage my pc's ip addresses manually. They just grab a lease from the dhcp when I boot up.

I can connect to this router only from the LAN using a Ethernet cable and my browser by typing the ip address of the router and typing a username and password.

Is that different from your setup?

@mikewalsh
I just double checked this

On my router after logging in I get a home page. From there I go Settings > Network > Advanced setting...
Then I can see the DHCP server
it has a button to enable or disable it
DHCP Range # For example x.x.x.10 to x.x.x.25 That is what I am referring to when I say managed range
DHCP Lease time is the next setting.

@d-pupp :-

Yup. Totally different.

One router takes care of the lot. If there IS an 'internal' DHCP server, it's very well hidden. Even asking for Settings->Advanced->All (inc 'hidden') shows nothing like it anywhere....

I do get what I suppose could be charitably called a 'Home page'......but no sign of a selectable manual DHCP server. I just know that 'static' IPs have always been easy to set.....and once set, they 'stick', and don't change.

Beyond that.....no idea, mate.

Mike.