[ubuntu-uk] Cannot print from Ubuntu

[David King]

Of course the printer is working. I tested it by booting the PC from a 
live Ubuntu 8.10 DVD and it printed perfectly. Ubuntu automatically 
recognised and installed the printer driver. But it is in the normal 
Ubuntu that I use that there is the problem. I did find as well, though, 
that when plugging in a USB flash drive, that was not recognised. It may 
have been because of a USB issue. When using Virtual Box I followed some 
instructions from a website to enable the use of USB flash drives in 
Virtual Box, which meant adding an extra line to fstab. I have since 
disabled that option in fstab in case that was the cause, although the 
original addition to fstab was a couple of weeks ago.

The only other USB-related cause, could be that I got a USB hub recently 
that is plugged into the PC. Maybe that has caused something to go funny 
with USB?

You mentioned toner -- the printer is flashing the toner light, 
suggesting that toner is low. But at the moment it still has enough to 
print. Maybe that caused it? But I think it would have done so sooner, 
as the toner low light has been flashing for a couple of months now.

Anyway, since rebooting the PC to the live DVD, and then back to the 
normal installed Ubuntu, printing is working okay at the moment.


David King


Paul Sutton wrote:
> David King wrote:
>   
>> I am having a problem with printing to my laser printer recently. 
>> Although it is connected, the print jobs are not being sent. The 
>> computer cannot seem to find the printer.
>>
>> The printer is a Brother HL-5150D, I am using Ubuntu 8.04.1. It is 
>> connected via USB. The last time this happened, a few days ago, I 
>> rebooted the PC and when I was logged in the page was printed without me 
>> having to reprint it at all. It is like the computer cannot see the 
>> printer, but is sending the print job, which gets stuck somewhere, and 
>> will not go through unless the PC is rebooted. I used to have this 
>> problem a few years ago, when using Windows on a different PC. I would 
>> try to print, nothing happened, until I rebooted and then it printed.
>>
>> This problem has not occurred before with Ubuntu or any other Linux 
>> distro and this printer, this is now the second time it has happened. I 
>> tried unplugging the printer USB cable and reinserting, I tried 
>> switching the printer off and on, I tried using the CUPS printer admin 
>> page in Firefox (http://localhost:631/printers) to look at what is 
>> happening, in that page I had to click on Start Printer but still 
>> nothing comes out of the printer.
>>
>> David King
>>
>>   
>>     
> Ok totally dumb suggestion time, is there any paper in the printer
>
> while windows can talk to printers and get messages back saying no 
> paper, Iam not sure if Linux does this in the same way using cups,  I 
> have a brother inkjet and it beeps if there is no paper,  but i don't 
> get a screen message,
>
> Also check ink / toner etc,  when you turn off,  just check the 
> connections, unplug and push back in so you are happy they are connected 
> properly, it rules things out.
>
> hope this helps.
>
> Paul
>
>