CUPS Disaster: printer queues going AOL or becoming disfunctional

[Tommy Trussell]

On Sun, Jun 29, 2014 at 6:04 PM, Robert Heller <heller at deepsoft.com> wrote:

> Software versions:
>    1) Host Server: CentOS 6.5 (up to date), cups-1.4.2-50.el6_4.5.x86_64
>    2) VM server:   Ubuntu 14.04 (up to date), cups 1.7.2-0ubuntu1  amd64
>    3) Diskless workstations: Ubuntu 14.04 (up to date), cups
> 1.7.2-0ubuntu1 amd64
>
> We have two networked (hard Ethernet, with static IP addresses) Laser
> printers, a HP LaserJet 4200 (old but works great) and a Brother Color
> MFC-9970CDW.
>
> What happened:
>
> I updated the Host Server (standard yum update) and then rebooted it (the
> update brought in a new kernel). And then printer queues became
> 'disfunctional'. Printing a test page resulted in a
> client-error-document-format-not-supported type of error. Deleting and
> re-installing the print queues fixed it. Why did this happen? And why does
> re-installing the print queues fix it? Followup question: is there a way
> to do
> fix this from the command line? It is a royal pain to have to do this with
> the
> web GUI, esp. since it precludes doing it remotely.
>
> Also, just as a side adventure, the Ubuntu VM system decided to (on its
> own!)
> remove the color printer. I have not clue as to  why that happened.  I did
> *uninstall* the pesky cups-browserd package (which is a total disaster for
> a
> server or even fixed desktop machines with fixed hardwired printers).
>

Since you mention the host and VM CUPS versions that cues me to suggest
first looking for an interaction between them. Think about where the print
jobs are being spooled from. Will users other than Ubuntu VM users need to
print to and manage them? If it makes more sense to support the queues from
the host, then delete all your printer definitions from Ubuntu, create them
in the host CUPS, then have the Ubuntu CUPS definitions point to the VM
printer queues. (There are a few ways to do that; which ways work for you
depend upon several factors.)

As for the HP printer, after you decide which CUPS server you are going to
support I would suggest you make sure you have all the open-source HP
printer utility packages installed, especially any packages that
specifically mention your printer. I don't know whether the versions
straight from HP have any advantages, but I would first try looking for the
ones the distro provides first. They may or may not have been installed by
default.

I have a different model Brother printer and its non-open-source software
has to be reinstalled any time the OS gets upgraded. Alternatively, it's
possible your edits to the CUPS config got blown away by a software update
or just a glitch.

I just looked up your printer at Brother's linux support site -- the url
might be:

http://support.brother.com/g/s/id/linux/en/index.html?prod=mfc9970cdw_all

(You may have to go through the Brother site first to get that link to work
because I stripped out my country and language.)

I suggest you might go through the installation instructions and see if
your edits are still in effect, and also that you have the latest version
of the driver appropriate to the printer and the OS of the CUPS server you
are supporting.

P.S.: I thought "Going AOL" was a funny mondegreen for "Going AWOL." :-)
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