HP error 5012 device communications error

[Qqmike]

That clears it up, knowing that what appears to be 'abnormal' is sometimes 'normal.'

I do have Skanlite already installed, and will look at that very soon, hopefully today.

Boy, in the past, I brought home an HP printer, plugged it in, used hplip to set it up and use it -- never any 'questions asked'! -- 10 minutes & done deal.
But ... without problems, how would you every learn anything?!

Many thanks for taking the time to look at this stuff.

[claydoh]

Boy, in the past, I brought home an HP printer, plugged it in, used hplip to set it up and use it -- never any 'questions asked'! -- 10 minutes & done deal.

normally, that's how it is probably working for most everyone. maybe it is your specific model, or you hit some bug in HPLIP's GUI tools.


I suspect that if you didn't have the full HPLIP suite installed, and just plugged in the printer, and checked System Settings, you'd probably have been up and printing in about 2 minutes.
Scanning, maybe or maybe not. That part may have required the hp-plugin.

I stopped using HP since they started making it more difficult to use third party ink or refill cartridges manually (embedded expiration dates on the chips), as well as disabling scanning if the ink is empty.
This may not be relevant to Linux, this 'feature' may be in the HP software for Windows.

[jglen490]

Kubuntu, since 20.04 (? or maybe a bit earlier) has used a minimal install of hplip for HP printers. When I bought my HP DJ 3755, sometime before 22.04, Kubuntu just connected via wifi without the need for USB connection. Now scanning, in my experience is different. Without installing a scanning app, all the printer would do was react to s sheet inserted into the scanning slot, but not grab it and scan. I tried a few apps including skanlite and sane. But, when I installed xsane, and figured out how to set it up (crappy to no docs), it works fine. Print and scan work wirelessly to my laptop.

[claydoh]

Without installing a scanning app, all the printer would do was react to s sheet inserted into the scanning slot, but not grab it and scan.

I almost bought a printer with a document feed option, just to see if this would work in Linux lol!
However, I was replacing a 20 dollar Christmas special, and didn't want to spend 60. I was already fuming over having to spend 40.

I wonder if Skanpage, a relatively new tool, might be useful for document feeders?
I use it for batch scanning documents on my flatbed, though this has been a fairly rare occurrence for me. It has a batch option with a time delay, which was useful for that 35 page scan.

[Qqmike]

Kubuntu, since 20.04 (? or maybe a bit earlier) has used a minimal install of hplip for HP printers.

That's interesting, and gels with what I read other people complaining about. Lots of folks are spending lots of time hacking their printing as best as they can figure out.

This is a fairly common hit when searching, but a more serious case, apparently, almost the same as mine:
xsane acquire preview ok but fail to scan
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...bug/1907113

I am so tempted to just TRY and install a recent version of hplip from the HP website, auto-install option, just to see how my new printer and the older printer would work.

My new printer is just $39 and ink just $16/$23 (regular/XL). So if by hook or by crook, I can print and scan, makes no sense to return the printer and try another printer.
You can always throw money at a problem; but I'm not convinced that doing so here would get you any further, maybe just get you * another different * set of issues.

[jglen490]

Your new one is new enough. My experience may not apply to a different model from the same printer maker - sadly.

If you install a new version of HPLIP, just be sure you nuke the old one. I'd hate to see a version conflict interfere with success.

[Qqmike]

If you install a new version of HPLIP, just be sure you nuke the old one. I'd hate to see a version conflict interfere with success.

Yes, agree. HP says that if you use their 'auto-install' method of installing hplip, it will remove the existing hplip automatically. The readout on their step-through seems to confirm this.

[jglen490]

Trust, but verify

[Qqmike]

Ha! Yeah! 😉 😅

[Qqmike]

I did some testing.

Claydoh says:

I suspect that if you didn't have the full HPLIP suite installed, and just plugged in the printer, and checked System Settings, you'd probably have been up and printing in about 2 minutes.
Scanning, maybe or maybe not. That part may have required the hp-plugin.

My conclusion after doing some testing: He's right.
It works with both printing and scanning (no hp-plugin is needed), and with both the USB mode and the wireless mode.

(Btw, not done yet: I have not tried installing the newest/newer versions of hplip from the HP website/Developers. I may or may not mess with that at this time.)

Notes:

-- I tested my USB cables, btw, and they are not defective. So my previous failed tests (starting with my OP) were not caused by a bad cable. FYI.

-- In testing, I purged hplip & hplip-gui & hplip-data using Muon.
Thus, I do not then have any hp-plugin (which might be required for scanning and is included in hplip).

-- I used only two things to manage the printers and printing:
K > Settings > System Settings > Printers
and
CUPS (enter in the browser window: localhost:631)

-- I ran tests for printing and scanning using the NEW printer and testing both connection types: USB and wireless.

-- A cool thing:
Let's say I have the printer in USB mode (connected by USB cable) and running tests. So the printer is turned ON in that mode.
I was able to pull the USB cable out and turn on wireless (by touching the wireless icon on the printer's control panel screen), and thus make the wireless mode work. When doing this, sometimes, you might have to perform a little fiddling (see definition below). Also, a NEW entry may show up in the list of printers displayed in System Settings > Printers and in CUPS (localhost:631), which is easy to deal with: you can make that new entry 'permanent' (Add printer) or just use it as a temporary entry (Remove printer) to do the print/scan job at hand. <-- EDIT: I am not real sure about all that!!!

--Fiddling, definition:

Fiddling includes:
plugging and unplugging stuff, like a power cable, USB cable, opening and closing screens or refreshing screens in System Settings > Printers and in CUPS (localhost:631);
maybe sometimes, when printing fails, try a 2nd time to print the same thing, and so on.

Grand Conclusion, so far: The only thing that remains a bit of a puzzle/quandary is whether installing newer versions of hplip (from HP website) would work with BOTH the old printer and the new printer, print and scan, USB and wireless.

In that case, I'm not real clear on how you would get the hplip-gui installed, except from scratch? AFAIK, it is not included on that HP Developer page or downloads.
Instead of the GUI toolbox, you could just use the hp commands to setup a new printer and so on, to test how the newer hplip works. Those commands, hopefully, would be in the installed hplip package.

Edit, added:

[EDIT: I am no longer real sure about all this --> Here is how the printer shows up when connected by USB:


Description: HP DeskJet 2700 series
Location: new cable (comment: I made that up for testing purposes)
Driver: DeskJet 2700 series - IPP Everywhere (color)
Connection: ipp://HP%20DeskJet%202700%20series%20%5BFA6761%5D%20(USB )._ipp._tcp.local/
Defaults: job-sheets=none, none media=na_letter_8.5x11in sides=one-sided
[
Question: Not sure what the IPP driver is!

And then here is how the printer shows up when connected by wireless:

Description: HP DeskJet 2700 series [FA6761]
Location: local-mike
Driver: HP DeskJet 2700 series, driverless, cups-filters 1.28.15 (color)
Connection: implicitclass://HP_DeskJet_2700_series_FA6761/
Defaults: job-sheets=none, none media=na_letter_8.5x11in sides=one-sided

[claydoh]

IPP Everywhere

This, I believe is from the so-called "driverless" printing protocols used for wireless printing, but used over USB, so a LOT of printers no longer require manufacturer's drivers in Linux.
This is somewhat recent, and is what the ipp-usb thing I mentioned earlier is for.

Some devices may still benefit from some features in the CUPS or manufacturer-provided drivers, if they have more advanced features or capabilities. I doubt the cheap ones do.



Using HPLIP-GUI may or may not add any useful bells and whistles. It didn't for my last two HP devices, but it has been 2 or three years since the last one died. This of course depends on the specific printer.

HPLIP-GUI doesn't provide any print (CUPS) drivers itself, those are in a separate package (printer-driver-hpcups), and usually included by default.

[Qqmike]

OK, thanks. But now I have a mess. I tried the newest version 3.23.8 of hplip at HP website, using the automatic install. It, of course, deleted my hplip 3.21.12 that I had from the repos (and it says so, it says it will).
I set up a printer with 3.23.8 using the hp-setup, and it prints and scans, but there is a problem with page margins! --> 8.5x11 versus 8x10 issues. I've tried everything to make 8.5x11 work. Instead, the printer prints as if the page is 8x10. Etc.

But now, how would I remove that new version 3.23.8 from my system? (and then I'd either use the repo version hplip 3.21.12, or MOST likely set up a "final" printer to use without any hplip (as we are discussing here)?

If I could fix that margin issue, it might be OK, but I can't make a default of 8.5x11 work, nor can I print, say, from Writer using 8.5x11 settings (the previews are 8x10! or, the preview may be 8.5x11 BUT it prints as if it is 8x10!).

It would be best to remove hplip totally, remove that new 3.23.8 completely, I think.

[Qqmike]

IGNORE this post.

It seems it applies if ...
" If you still have the source Tarball, go into the source directory--for example:" etc.

Well, I did find this:
https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-i...ll#howtocheck7
which includes How to uninstall HPLIP
... if that works ...
I'm not an expert on this, but do know I should get rid of every scrap of it, safely!

Edit1: All I have is the run file hplip-3.23.8.run

Edit2: I think i found the 'source directory' on my system, so maybe those commands will do the trick..........

[GreyGeek]

I purchased an HP Laserjet P1606dn duplex monochrome printer when I first came out, about 10+ yrs ago, IIRC.
The first time I configured it I used the WIFI connection. I set its IP address to 192.168.1.99 because I started my dhcp dispensations at *.100 and higher so that I could count on the printer being at *.99 regardless of when it or any one else connected to the network.

Then, for reasons I never figured out, the WIFI connection ceased to work and I switched to the USB connection. I had to fuss with the driver and plugin every time there was an upgrade or new drivers installed. It got to be a pain in the nether regions. When I ran Neon for 18 months it automatically installed the printer when I plugged it in. So did Kubuntu 20.04 when I switched back to it. When I switched to Debian 12.0 my laser was automatically recognized and installed via the Print Manger in System-settings.

Then an update to Debian 12.1 came down the pipe and my laser would no longer print. It would go through the motions but the queue showed jobs as "Stopped" due to a "filter error". Translation, I didn't have the magical plugin. Listing the PPD configurations, ALL of the P1606dn ppd's had "requires proprietary plugin" and wouldn't allow printing at all. I was looking for a printer to replace this HP but decided to give it another try, for old times sake.

I tried most, if not all, of the solutions Qqmike tried. Nothing seemed to work. I installed, tested and purged, both manually and using muon, all the files related to installing my printer several times. I used updatedb to index my entire system and tracked down and erased every vestige of the hp files & drivers for my printer. Then, exhausting the HPLIP and SS tools, I downloaded the hplip-3.23.10.run file and ran it. Some problem, even though the Printers page in System-Settings said my printer's duplex mode was enabled. I re-purged.

I went searching for the previous driver, hplip-3.22.10.run, downloaded it and ran it. I was back to the printer being fully configured but failing the print test. I went looking for and downloaded the hplip-3.22.10-plugin.run file.
Then I ran sudo sh hplip-3.22.10-plugin.run and tried the printer. It worked! Even after I rebooted.

Now, however, I have HPLIP in my system tray that says "No installed HP devices found!" when I run it. If I use muon or a konsole to uninstall it I suspect that it will take my configuration and drives with it into the bit-bucket in the sky. This is where BTRFS will come into play. After I take today's snapshot I purge the HPLIP files (only) and retry the printer test.

I know one thing for sure - this printer is the last HP product I will ever buy.

[Qqmike]

Feels better seeing someone else has been through this, too. I think I can purge it from my system now, using the HP Developer instructions on the source directory (which I just located).

I think installing my new printer without any help from hplip is what I will do soon after purging this thing.

Thanks, GreyGeek, for your input here.

(I even think there MAY be a bug in that installer/setup program b/c of that problem with margins not sticking.)