Where is all the printer utility software?

[RLynwood]

Kernel 3.16.0-31-generic (x86_64)
Compiled #42-Ubuntu SMP Tue Mar 10 17:37:36 UTC 2015
Default C compiler GNU C compiler version 4.9.1 (Ubuntu 4.9.1-16Ubuntu6)
Distribution 14.10
This is as displayed in System Profiler and Benchmark's Operating System page.

The computer is a white box. Our local LUG put it together for me on 3-2-'15. I bought the components on the advice of a comp. shop owner who offered to help and selected the components for me based on what I told him I wanted to do with it.
It's a Cooler Master N200 case with an Asus Gryphon Z87 board, with an Intel i7-4790 processor, and 32GB G.Skil 1866MHz ram (I do have the bios' memory set to XMP to accommodate the speed greater than 1600). (I plan to run a lot of software at the same time, including at least one, maybe two or more, VMs). It seems to be working very well; I'm using it now.

But this shouldn't matter; I'm having the same problem with Ubuntu (I don't plan to use that anymore; I'm trying this there for comparison). I think the problem is some detail that I'm not doing or following correctly. That's why I gave all that detail. Also, the reason I'm posting in Transitioners is that I'm new to the KDE version of Ubuntu, hence the new installation, and so far sufficiently happy with it that I'm planning on making my regular, normal distro from here on and stopping experimenting with all others (I still have a little question, not much, of whether to use the regular Ubuntu version, Kubuntu, or the Mint version).

The printer is a very old, hand-me-down HP Officejet 6110xi all-in-one, but it works.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Why is this not appearing and working from the K-menu?"

[Qqmike]

Now, I'm not really here, ok? We are waiting on a REAL Helper^TM. While we await his/her arrival, I'll spell out how I would have done this (and many or most of us do this these days with improved HP support).


1 But since we are not sure if you got rid of the two versions, make sure you removed HP's website software using Claydoh's post (you never indicated whether this was done or not). And remove all the hplip stuff from Muon's list.

2 Fresh start, you just installed Kubuntu, ok?

3 Hook up but do not turn on the printer: the data cable (e.g., USB or the older type) to the correct PC port, the power cable to an outlet. The printer is Off.

4 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip
5 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip-gui.
6 Close Muon Package Manager.

7 Turn On the printer.

8 Open Printer Toolbox [HPLIP Toolbox] from the K-menu (on my 14.04 OS, under: K > Applications > System).

9 Do you see that your printer was properly detected? If not, click Device > Refresh Device.

10 -- If it is properly detected and configured, then we have a game to play: see if, in fact, you can print something. Also, check the settings and configuration. Explore it but do not change anything if it is working. If it is working but not all Actions show up, address that later (e.g., install xsane using Muon to get Scanning).
-- If the printer is not detected automatically, then, well, then we have a problem to solve. Likely, may have something to do with the fact that it is an older model; however, we checked HP''s website which said your printer is fully supported. If you must get into configuring it manually, using CUPs backends and all that stuff, well, that's what must be examined next. Although ... in the old days, 2006, Kubuntu 6.60, when that happened to me (no automatic detection & configuration), I manually set things up by trial-and-error guessing of my options in the HP Toolbox drop-down menus, until I got it, even if it made no sense, as long as the printer did, actually, work then.

[RLynwood]

1 But since we are not sure if you got rid of the two versions, make sure you removed HP's website software using Claydoh's post (you never indicated whether this was done or not). And remove all the hplip stuff from Muon's list.

\
Yes, I did follow his instruction, and it worked perfectly, and I said that in all those words. In fact, in one post, I enumerated the steps I took.

2 Fresh start, you just installed Kubuntu, ok?

\
Recently, on the date given in that last post, not 'just'. But I did totally remove all hplipopensource software, then all Muon Pkg. Mgr. hplip software before reinstalling all Muon Pkg. Mgr's hplip software; I detailed this above.

3 Hook up but do not turn on the printer: the data cable (e.g., USB or the older type) to the correct PC port, the power cable to an outlet. The printer is Off.

\
I may have left the printer on. I'll follow these instructions now. Under the circumstances, thanks for all the time it's taken to write these specific steps.

4 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip
5 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip-gui.
6 Close Muon Package Manager.

\
This I did not do. As I wrote in that long, detailed post, I installed *everything* that looked relevant, including the scanning and fax components, except two packages, a dev. one and I've forgotten the other; neither seemed like anything I'd need.

I'll stop here, follow your instructions, and return when they're completed, with the results. Btw, the Muon-installed software does run the printer. I just printed a proof-of-insurance page for my car/wallet. I just don't have any of the other stuff. Oh, and I no longer have any vestige of the hplipopensource software. As I said, I did use claydoh's terminal command for removing it and posted that and thanked him for providing it. That was great.

10 -- If it is properly detected and configured, then we have a game to play: see if, in fact, you can print something.

\
Detecting the printer isn't the problem; it does that every time, and the printer prints (just mentioned that at no. 6 above).

Also, check the settings and configuration. Explore it but do not change anything if it is working. If it is working but not all Actions show up, address that later (e.g., install xsane using Muon to get Scanning).

\

-- If the printer is not detected automatically, then, well, then we have a problem to solve.

No problem here; it detects and connects every time; I explained that in one or more of my three over-the-weekend posts. In fact, as I said, it identifies it as a 6110, just not the "xi all-in-one" part. One time it saw it simply as a "6100 Series."

Likely, may have something to do with the fact that it is an older model; however, we checked HP''s website which said your printer is fully supported.

\
Indeed it is.

If you must get into configuring it manually, using CUPs backends and all that stuff, well, that's what must be examined next. Although ... in the old days, 2006, Kubuntu 6.60, when that happened to me (no automatic detection & configuration), I manually set things up by trial-and-error guessing of my options in the HP Toolbox drop-down menus, until I got it, even if it made no sense, as long as the printer did, actually, work then.

We sure shouldn't have to do this.

Now I'll proceed to following your instructions to the letter and report back when finished.

[Qqmike]

RLynwood, I'll try to check in now and then, but not sure how late I'll be around this evening, so I'll drop this post (not that I'm a REAL Helper^TM ).

I hope you made some progress and are satisfied.
If so, Stop.
If not, then
Two things, possibly.

(1) (Optional) To get more specific attention here, perhaps start a new thread with a title something like Anyone have an HP Officejet 6110 All-in-One Printer or similar? Maybe someone does, but they haven't delved into this deep and lengthy thread.

(2) Have you read everything at HP?
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/p...&product=79477
Or considered their offer for Contact:
https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact...76/model/79478
You'd have to be brief. Following standard advice at Kubuntu forums, you have setup and run your printer. But you now can't do xyz. Et cetera, like that.

[RLynwood]

Sorry, Qqmike, but I didn't get to it right away. I took a break to rest, then got a call that took a looong time, then I had to go shopping for a temporarily housebound friend. That took me through the entire evening. Now I'm back.

One repetition: I never have had any trouble with hp's software as supplied by hplipopensource. It's K-Ubuntu's CUPS-based implementation of it that I can't get to work. So it wouldn't have occurred to me to go to HP's site or the hplipopensource site. In fact, their detection-installation software is so precise that it recognized my exact model, not just the series (though their software is general, for the series).

I have thought of starting another thread, but I was getting pretty good response from you an about three others, and I certainly didn't want to offend any of you. I guess I'll have to start another thread since I've posted so much stuff, with such long explanations that ploughing through it would try a saint. But there were three others who were trying to help, and I hoped that they would try some more. In any case, I'll follow your instructions now and see what happens. But I expect no difference since your instructions were essentially the same as what I've done, with perhaps a minor difference or two. But it/they could have been critical, so I'll do it again.

[RLynwood]

... (and many or most of us do this these days with improved HP support).

And thank heavens for that.

3 Hook up but do not turn on the printer: the data cable (e.g., USB or the older type) to the correct PC port, the power cable to an outlet. The printer is Off.

Done.

4 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip
5 Use Muon Package Manager to install only hplip-gui.
6 Close Muon Package Manager.

First I used the Package Manager to remove all of the hp software I had installed. Then I installed just the two named packages, though one of them added a bunch of others, leaving six packages installed.

7 Turn On the printer.

Done.

8 Open Printer Toolbox [HPLIP Toolbox] from the K-menu (on my 14.04 OS, under: K > Applications > System).

I clicked on it, but, as before, nothing happens--nothing!

9 Do you see that your printer was properly detected? If not, click Device > Refresh Device.

You forgot to tell me to use the Printers component of the System Settings to discover and install the printer, but I did that.

10 -- ... see if, in fact, you can print something.

The problem never was printing. I printed something this afternoon, as I said in my last post. It always would print. The problem has been that the detection-installation process didn't tell that my printer is an all-in-one and therefore had fax and scanning capability, and it didn't install a fax printer icon, and the regular printer icon didn't have any context menu associated with it, there was no Device Manager installed (see your no. 8 above), and there was no HP icon put in the system tray. I.e., the software discovered and activated the printer, and it works. That's all, period.

Also, check the settings and configuration.

Here's where you may lose me. The "Configure" button on the Printers dialog yields a window labeled "HP_Officejet_6100_Series" which has the two panels, horizonally, which I described thoroughly in a post above. No difference here, now. It appears to be fine. But there still is no Device Manager or System tray icon, and I can't right click the printer icon (in Printers) to get a context menu in order to look at its Properties.

Explore it but do not change anything if it is working. If it is working but not all Actions show up, address that later (e.g., install xsane using Muon to get Scanning).

I'm stopping here to see if you've seen this tomorrow and what your response is. It doesn't seem to be too important to install the scanning software since it seems that the basics aren't installed.

[Qqmike]

Well, I don't know. Sounds like you need a printer surgeon. The standard GUI things have been done correctly. You are not even getting the HP icon in system tray or the Device Manager anywhere, right (not in the K> menu somewhere; not in the system tray)? HP says the printer is supported, which is why I had the idea to send them an email on that support page I linked to above. Your printer is simply not being detected as an all-in-one, as you've said. I haven't looked into manually configuring printers (you know, choosing the backend, CUPS, whatever) for a long while, but that may be where the solution lies. As I said, in the old days, sometimes one simply had to guess it right from the drop-down choices offered.

[RLynwood]

Well, thanks for all your persistance in this problem. I actually think that the problem may lie in my using (mistakenly chosen) the JFS instead of the ext4 FS, but I don't see what that should have to do with it. I'm also having other problems, ones with updates (though I think I'm getting them all, just with error messages). So there may be some central corruption with my installation that's causing a number of problems. Regarding the HP icon and Device Manager, right.

[Qqmike]

We have some file system experts here. You could post the question in a new Topic. Or, simply re-install, using ext4 if it's not too much work to re-configure all your apps and such. And/or ... pose the question by help email to HP ... ? Maybe you just need some cryptic device config file or some such.

[RLynwood]

Well, I think that, since 15.04 will be out in a month or so, I'll just wait till then and install it fresh on my now-unused SSD, which is where I've intended all along to put my main OS. If that, installed with ext4 still acts the same way, I'll start this question all over. I just can't get over how at least four of you say that Kubuntu (and presumably Ubuntu) should just discover the printer and with my clicking a few buttons, install it all, as the hplipopensource protocol does. I guess I/we will have to see.