IP network printer doesn’t print, CUPS+Gutenprint

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Level 1

5 points

IP network printer doesn’t print, CUPS+Gutenprint

I’m trying to add my old printer (print server) with LPD, based on the Apple How-To, to my new Mac after resetting the printing system.

As printer software I select the appropriate Epson R200 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.9.

Everything seems to be fine so far.

But on printing a test page the print jobs goes to “paused”, not printing, and I get a nasty error message in the console:

_192_168_1_35[8136]: The function `CGContextErase' is obsolete and will be removed in an upcoming update. Unfortunately, this application, or a library it uses, is using this obsolete function, and is thereby contributing to an overall degradation of system performance.

[ Rem: The 8136 can’t be seen on my console - screen but is in my clipboard ? ]

The v5.2.9 is the current version and it appears to work with Mavericks

( see: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5534546?answerId=23705651022#23705651022 )

but may have issues with “CUPS” ?

( see: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5505965?answerId=23636523022#23636523022 )

My console “CUPS” error message says “The printer did not respond”

but that should not be true, I can ping it and the “Add printer” dialog can connect to the printer IP.

The printer works with my old Mac 10.6.8 but with driver v5.2.3.

I can print via the shared printer option of the old Mac (“v5.2.3 CUPS 1.7.0”).

Mavericks probably has CUPS 1.7.1 but I have no idea about CUPS …

What could I try to get my printer running directly from Mavericks?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), FusionDrive

Posted on Feb 6, 2014 2:54 PM

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Answer 1

May 29, 2017 5:45 PM in response to PAHU

This saved my life! (Or at least some brain cells.) Ever since my Mac was updated to Yosemite a year and half ago, my installed home printer would do this sneaky "The printer did not respond" and pause automatically. Meanwhile my installed workplace printer continued to work; Windows machines in my home network also continue to be able to print. I've done tons of troubleshooting including reinstall printer driver to no avail. I recall that when I first installed the driver (in Maverick), I also used LPD and no queue name (as suggested). And I did try to use HPjetdirect in Yosemite, also to no avail.

Fast forward to Sierra. It removed my installed home printer altogether because Brother CDP-7020 is no longer supported. (Driver installed in Windows 7 works no problem whatsoever when upgraded to Windows 10.) Today I finally decided to go to Brother site and found CDP-7030 as supported in Sierra. But my "usual" installation still went into pause any time I tried to print. Until I saw this answer. I switched to HPjetdirect and this time it worked, ending over a year of no home printer.

I then went into Windows and saw that the connection was via raw port 9100, not LPD. (For anyone paying attention, CDP-7020 is a local-only printer; I connected it to my Asus WiFi router's printing server. Not surprisingly, a lot of my suspicion went into the router firmware update performed around the same time. It may as well be that the new firmware now requires a different queue name for LPD than lpd0 or whatever OS X assumed.)

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Answer 2

May 29, 2017 6:05 PM in response to sillyvalley

Memory is tricky. After realizing a possible queue name mismatch, I went back to Asus documentation and found instructions about setting up LPD on Mac. It has a nontrivial queue name which I must have followed that many years ago.

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Answer 3

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

Feb 6, 2014 3:22 PM in response to sancho_p

Don't be concerned about the CGContentErase message in the system log. This occurs with a lot of apps and is not related to your printing issue.

The important log is the cups error log and with it showing "The printer did not respond" this can be a result of the protocol used (more so the port the Mac is trying to connect to on the printer) rather than the IP address being incorrect. With the LPD protocol, you often need a queue name. You could check the 10.6.8 Mac to see what protocol and queue you have used to connect to the Epson.

I also suggest you look at removing this queue and creating a new queue, this time using the HP Jetdirect-Socket protocol instead of LPD. This is the default protocol used by Windows and it does not require a queue name so entering the IP address and selecting the Epson R200 Gutenprint driver should suffice.

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Answer 4

sancho_p Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 7, 2014 4:06 PM in response to PAHU

Thanks for your reply, it brought me back to the track, the “Queue Name”.

The bad thing: Apple have slightly changed the dialog boxes (was it just to confuse me?) but still seem to hide the important information 😠

I used LPD because 10.6.8 has a field “URL: lpd://192.168.1.35/P1”.

Initially I left the “Queue Name” empty at set up (as somewhat suggested by the dialog box) and ended up with a “Device Name:” showing “_192.168.1.35”, exactly as my 10.6.8 displays as “”Queue Name”, with the printer showing idle (green) on both machines.

But this information is wrong or at least misleading.

The print box device name on my LAN is “PS30E245” and it must have “_P1” added (to address the single USB port), it’s a Netgear ps121v2.

When I enter “PS30E245_P1” during printer set up as “Queue Name” it still shows “Device Name: _192.168.1.35” but the printer works like a charm.

The PS30E245_P1 isn’t shown later in any dialog box, and I didn’t remember that after several years.

Also the LPD info is missing in Mavericks.

But it works!

Out of curiosity,

I’ve tried your suggestion with HP Jetdirect-Socket protocol without queue name +Gutenprint and it worked immediately, that’s much easier!

But why-o-why does the options - dialog not show what is actually set up / used to print? Next time I will have to ask again …

Anyway, thanks again - and in advance!

PS: I found that I can add some hints using the “Location” field ! 😎

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