Printer Problem

[Nils Kassube]

Peter wrote:
> So far as I can tell the setup for ubuntu is the same for both laptop.
> On both laptops Ubuntu can see my USB scanner. The usb settins for
> the virtual machines look the same on both laptops.

Maybe you should tell us the printer type - is it a combined printer / 
scanner? Or do you have a separate scanner, like Peter Silva presumed?  
If it is a combined device, it would be a bit strange if you can see the 
scanner and not the printer because they would share the USB ID.

> If the usb ports had been assigned to the virtual machine on the T400
> then I do not understand how ubuntu can see the usb scanner. It doe
> not make any difference whether the virtual machine is running or
> not.

If the XP guest can see the printer and the host can not see it, the USB 
ID of the printer must be assinged to the VM - unless it also has a wifi 
interface by which you can access the printer over your LAN. But if the 
VM isn't running, the USB ID of the printer is assinged to the host, so 
the printer should be visible in Ubuntu. Please check it with the 
command

lsusb

in a terminal, with and without the VM running. If a device is assinged 
to a VM, it would only be visible in Ubuntu while the VM is not running.

Then there is still the question, if there is a printer driver needed 
for Ubuntu and if it is installed on both machines. For some Epson 
printers you may need an extra driver from the manufacturer. And I 
remember that there were problems with the hplip package of some 
previous Ubuntu releases several years ago, where you had to download a 
more recent version from the hplip download page to make some HP 
printers work.


Nils