Where is all the printer utility software?

[RLynwood]

... and to mine.
Sorry, folks, I can't seem to delete this.

[RLynwood]

Thanks Vinny ;-)
Vinny's HP-logo tray icon is identical to mine.

... and to mine.

[Qqmike]

Nice tray icon, huh?

But I have been concerned about the ink-level graphs because they make it look like I'm running out of ink awfully quickly.

Yeah, that's the other direction the imprecision can go. Looks like you're using up ink too fast, and yet, sometimes, the darned cartridge seems to last forever.

[jlittle]

Yeah, that's the other direction the imprecision can go. Looks like you're using up ink too fast, and yet, sometimes, the darned cartridge seems to last forever.

With my HP 6500, the ink levels always show low on the printer, in CUPS, and in the GUI significantly before they run out. I just have to keep printing until something doesn't print properly. It's not a problem with Kubuntu, but sometimes the error condition upsets the family's windows laptops.

[RLynwood]

this is an old screenshot ,,,,,I do not have an HP printer any more ,,,,,,,,but this is the hplip-gui tool that you can install with your package manager (muon) ,,,,you should always look to the package manager first for software for kubuntu ,,,,,,then to external sites if not their .



VINNY

This is EXACTLY the Device Manager that I get with the hplipopensource-installed software, but I still don't understand how to install it. I believe that at least three of you keep saying, hplip-gui. Fine, but how do I get that. It's already installed according to the Package Manager, but it doesn't show up in my menu, and I don't have the HP icon in my system tray. Alternatively, there's terminal->sudo install hplip-gui. Is that how one does it? Btw, I also have "HP Toolbox (Printer toolbox)" listed in my menu, but clicking on it yields nothing.

If I install the printer with Kubuntu's (automatic) discovery-installer, it finds the unit almost exactly, even to HP 6110 (which is pretty close; it's a 6110xi all-in-one; not 6100 Series, which is what I usually find) but as a cups file, not the hpijs file (which is better?), but it doesn't install the fax/scanner, and there's no Device Manager or system-tray icon even though the Package Manager says hplip-gui is installed and the HP Toolbox (presumably the same thing) is installed. The Software Center says all components are installed, too, as does the Package Manager. I've tried 'sudo install hplip-gui' and 'sudo hplip-gui', even just 'hplip-gui' in the terminal; none of these works. And I see nothing in the Kubuntu Printer display that lets me install that stuff; it's as bare as old mother hubbard's cupboard. What am I supposed to know/do that I'm obviously missing?

[RLynwood]

P.s. The reason I'm pursuing this is that I want to know how to use the distro. software to install my HP printer completely, properly. It appears that just using the hplipopensource protocol, though taking longer, is complete, leaving absolutely everything installed, in place, and working, and it notifies of and gives the latest HP updates. So, in the end, it's easier and better. But I want to know how you all got yours installed that way by the Kubuntu means because that has the advantage of staying within the distro. Besides, I just want to know what I'm not seeing.

[Snowhog]

Installing a package from 'outside' of the *buntu repositories always has the potential for upsides and/or downsides.

I would suggest that you use Muon Package Manager or the command line, and install hplip-gui, which you stated the package manager shows as not installed. You'll end up with the icon in the System Tray.

[RLynwood]

No, I said both the pkg mgr and the Software Center say it IS installed, but, no, there is NO indication of that except that those two utilities say it all is there, installed; indeed, they both say that the entire suite of software except the programming components are installed. Yet nothing shows up in the System settings/Printer window, nothing in the K menu except an entry for HP Toolbox, which is inert: clicking it yields nothing. And, of course, no system tray icon. So, what song am I not singing, dance I'm not dancing. Did I do it out of order or miss a step?

Oh, and as for installing it with the terminal, I already have done that, twice on this distro. and at least three times in other distros., one time each on three distros.. It works and very well; I've said that. But I've done that every time with the hplipopensource site's instructions and download, not with any distro's built-in utilities. Again, I just want to know how to do the same thing with the distro. software as hplip makes so almost faultless, though somewhat complicatedly with their instructions.

What's occurred to me is that, either my having chosen the JFS in Kubuntu's installation instead of ext4, together with the way I've done things, the sequence I've done what I've done in, might have messed up something critical, or I confused the system by trying to install the same printer by both means at the same time. I don't know.

The next step that I can think of is to delete Kubuntu's Printer entry, then, using the Pkg. Mgr., uninstall absolutely everything. Then start all over. But, if I do that, what do I do first? I assume that, first, I install all relevant software, then try to have Kubuntu's printer installation utility recognize the printer, right? Oh, and, when I get to the step where it asks me to identify the printer model and I see two entries for the same model, one with the word cups in it and the other with hpijs in it, which of those do I choose?

[RLynwood]

One other telling thing: You all say that Kubuntu's printer installation is exactly the same as the hplipopensource software, that they're identical. Yet, when I had installed the hplipopensource software from its site, with its download/installation protocol, and everything (except showing the color cartridge's ink level) was installed and working right, including the fax and scanner software, which don't get installed when I install the printer from the distro's software, the Package Manager showed almost all of the hplip software as not being installed, though it clearly was, including, of course, hplip-gui. That has to mean that the hplipopensource protocol is using different storage locations or program(s)-components than the distro. uses, probably different storage locations. Any other idea of why the Pkg Mgr didn't see the hplipopensource's installed software?

[RLynwood]

Ok. I tried starting all over. Here's the story.

I removed the printer from Kubuntu's Printers window. Then, with the Package Manager, I uninstalled installed ALL hplip components. Turned off the computer, then after a minute or so, turned it back on. Installed ALL pkg mgr-identified hplip components except -dbg, the debugging program, and -dev, its development libraries. Then, in the Printers dialogue/window, I clicked 'Add' and followed its steps.

It seemed to go normally, appropriately, as before. But when it got to the next-to-last step, which had three fields, Name, Description, and Location, all of which were open to modification, the first two of which it had filled in and with what appeared to be appropriate information, the Location field was blank and the Next button (lower, right corner) was inactive. It appears to be looking for something before it'll activate the Next button. I've tried entering 'lynn-White Box', following the pattern of the entry it installed in my Mint installation (the hdd then was in a Dell Optiplex 755, and that is what appeared in that field), I typed in 'lynn-White Box'. The Next button remained inactive. I don't know what it's looking for. So, having entered usb and 'lynn-White Box' in different tries then clicking Finished, it shows the apparently properly labeled printer but no fax printer icon and virtually nothing else. It also has an HP Toolbox entry in the K menu, but it's inert: clicking it yields nothing; nothing happens.

So, clearly, it's looking for something I haven't given it, and I don't have a clue what. And, again, I see no way to activate hplip-gui: entering it in the Konsole in any form I can think of yields nothing, and I don't see any button or dialog that allows its recognition or activation. How does one do this?

Finally, with the printer installed this way, the Printers window/dialogue shows the same basic three buttons: Maintenance, Configure, and Open Print Queue. Maintenance yields only a 'print test page', which works fine; the printer prints an Ubuntu test page. Configure yields a dialog window with two panes. The left one's selectable entries are Modify printer, Printer options, and 'Banners, Policies, and Allowed Users.' The Modify Printer selection shows four entries in the right pane: Description, Location, Connection, and Driver. Description contains my chosen description. Location contains the entry I put in: lynn-White Box. And the Connection's contents are a technical, apparently correct looking long string of characters: usb://HP/OfficeJet%206100%20Series?serial=MY38FH71DQ2R&inte rface=1. The fourth, Driver, is a dropdown/combo box with two entries, the first and selected one being 'Current - HP Officejet 6110 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.10', and the other being 'Select custom driver'. I don't see anything wrong with any of this information except for my Location entry since using it didn't activate the Next button in the installation dialog's next-to-last step.

Selecting the second entry in the Configure window/dialog, Printer Options, yields a button labeled 'Query printer for default options'. Clicking it also yields nothing, i.e., nothing happens.

And the left pane's 'Banners, Policies, and Allowed Users' selection yields a right-pane with a lot of appropriate looking information that I have no idea what to do with. Besides, all of it looks appropriate, and none of it looks relevant to my problem(s).

Who can tell me what all I'm doing wrong or incompletely?

[RLynwood]

Has everyone given up on this thread?

[SecretCode]

I was inspired by it to try to get some ink level monitoring software for my network-attached Epson Stylus printer.

None of it worked at all.

[Qqmike]

I have nothing new to add. This should be a straight shot: install our software and go; HP says your old printer is "fully supported", so that implies that is not a problem. Claydoh showed you how to remove HP's software. Muon gets you Kubuntu's package(s): hplip and hplip-gui. Maybe to get more help you should now provide more info:
Kubuntu version you are using (why is this not appearing and working from the K-menu?).
Kernel version.
Your computer model/type/details.

And you did attach this printer, plug it in to the electrical, turn it on to get recognized, right? In fact, your printer may/should be set up automatically, I would think, by the hplip (mine have been for some years now--no manual setups).

Maybe someone fresh can figure this out.

[RLynwood]

Thanks for responding, Qqmike. At least that's one response. It appears, though, that you didn't read my last three posts, at least not in detail. Admittedly, they're very long. I tried to be detailed and careful. I've done what you just described, and I described that in detail above, and--never mind; I'm repeating. All of my situation was described in those last three posts. I'll repeat this much: Pkg mgr says all software is installed. Printer icon in System Settings/Printers, but right clicking it does NOT give any context menu, let alone a Properties entry. There is NO fax icon, No Device Manager, and no System tray icon. I don't know what to do with the assertion to use/do(?) hplip-gui. I've explained all of this and more above. So, if you or whoever takes the time to go/comb through it all will see my problem and source of frustration.

Regarding your questions, of course it's plugged in, and it prints in other multi-booted distros, but the ONLY installation that is complete and completely functional is the one I got from hplipopensource. It's Kubuntu's and Ubuntu's software that I can't get to yield the complete HP-software installation. But I explained all that above, too.

[Qqmike]

Oh no, I read every word, which is why I had the suggestion to now provide:

Kubuntu version you are using (why is this not appearing and working from the K-menu?).
Kernel version.
Your computer model/type/details.