Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:28 am Post subject: can't get it to print
Hi folks,
Just tried printing first a page of mailing labels and then a page from a letter document, but nothing happens. I made sure to select my printer (Epson CX4600) rather than the default "generic printer". Printer is on and has printed other stuff successfully from other applications. USB cable is connected (just covering the basics so nobody has to ask). This was my first attempt at printing from OOo. Any ideas? I'll go review the FAQ's, too.
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:58 am Post subject: "print center" from FAQ's on printing
Hi folks,
Rather than be a slacker and make someone give me an answer that's already been given, I went to the FAQ's about printing. All sorts of informative info, but I can't get down to work trying solutions until I figure out what is the "Print Center" mentioned in the FAQ on printing? There seems to be no such named menu choice or window or preference in OOo 1.1.2 nor did a search of my iBook hard drive come up with a utility or application or preferences panel called Print Center. I explored StartOOo as well, looked thru the Configure Printer choices, even tried to load the Epson CX4600 (couldn't do it) or else specify the "Generic Printer" as my local Epson CX4600. Then tried to print a page of text, no success.
So I guess I really need to know what the "Print Center" is so I can follow the directions and do it right.
For the record, iBook g4/933, OSX 10.3.8, OOo 1.1.2 for Mac, Epson Stylus CX4600 USB.
Perhaps they are referring to "Printer Setup Utility" of OS X or to "OpenOffice Adm" under "Applications" in the X11 window for the X11 version of OOo.
"Print Center" in 10.2.x was renamed (and retooled) "Printer Setup Utility" (in /Applications/Utilities) in 10.3.x.
I have recently developed a theory about why certain inkjets don't print in OOo, although I don't have daily access to one to test.
Go to http://localhost:631/printers (this is the CUPS--OS X print system--webadmin/status page on your Mac). Find your printer. What does the "Device URI:" line say?
My theory is this: I have noticed that two Epsons I've set up on my Mac have a device URI of /dev/null (UNIX circular file), but these have always been at "remote" locations so I haven't had the chance to print from OOo once I discovered this.
I did discover on return from my grandparents' that when GIMP-Print also installed drivers for my grandfathers's Stylus C60, it gave a URI that seemed similar to my own USB HP LJet. Epson's own drivers (the C60 and my dad's C84) set both to /dev/null when they install.
If you could report back the "Device URI:" line as well as whether you're using the Epson's own or the GIMP-Print drivers (the "Kind" column in Printer Setup Utilitiy's "Printer List" window), that would be helpful in working with this theory (and perhaps ultimately revising the OOo Mac printing FAQ).
Finally, in case it wasn't clear, in the OOo Print Dialogue, you should select the <Your_Printer_Name> entry when printing (unfortunately there's no way to set these as default printer in OOo...there's a complex work-around that allows for laser printers to be set as the default printer, but I don't know if it works for inkjets or not.... If you want something that "just works," check out NeoOffice/J instead )
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
In trying to use http://localhost:631/admin I am asked for a userName and passWord. My account passwords do not work. What do I use?
Apple "broke" the admin functions in one of the 10.3 updates to provide additional security. There's recent discussion and work-arounds at MacInTouch. I'm not sure the admin functions will let you fix the Device URIs, but I don't know, and I don't know how you determine what the correct Device URI is, either.
Anonymous wrote:
(1) The first one has no location. What does that mean?
That you didn't enter anything into the "location" field when you set the printer up in Print Center or Printer Setup Utility. It's a field solely for user benefit, helping you to distingish printers based on physical location ("Living Room", "Basement", "Optics Lab", "Education Lab") and has no OS/printing function.
It's essentially a UNIX trash can (or even more like a black hole). You use it to discard things (like error reports in the example at the site above) you don't want. You really don't want to be using it for things you really want to print, but AFAICT, the driver is poorly written (it's written well-enough to work with Cocoa and Carbon apps but not command-line or X11 apps) and doesn't set up a proper device.
Anonymous wrote:
If this is not the nplace to ask these questions, I apologize in advance and ask where to direct them.
It's certainly a Mac OOo problem, so this is the "best" place. However, it's a real UNIXy problem and we're short on real UNIX-heads atm. Hopefully this thread will attract the attention of Dan or Ed or Terry, who will know more than me.
My suggestions, though:
1) Try to install the GIMP-Print driver, if any, for your Epsons. It set up the correct (well, at least non-/dev/null; I didn't try printing from OOo) Device URI for my grandfather's Epson.
2) Visit http://linuxprinting.org/macosx/ and see if they or their forums have any info.
3) Export your files to PDF and print them from Preview
4) Use NeoOffice/J, which uses the native Aqua printing layer (as opposed to raw CUPS + funky work-arounds in OOo/X11)
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
Joined: May 31, 2003 Posts: 219 Location: French Alps
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:07 am Post subject: a few hints about cups
1) You should be able to login in administration section with any login/password of an admin group user.
2) I already warned in another thread about using the web interface to cups. Do it if you know what you are doing. If not stay away, you'd probably mess it up.
3) As an example, a device URL set to /dev/null is perfectly normal. It only means that the "filter" chain of cups doesn't use its output, rather using a call to an executable from the filter script or binary. Again, do NOT change this setting, unless you are certain you have to.
Here is what I found to by pass the password problem.
I do not know how dangerous it is.
Quote:
CUPS printing administration and Root (#3): Another solution
We previously noted that CUPS, Mac OS X's built-in printing architecture (which will not allow you to access printer settings unless a root account is enabled with a password) may not recognize the root password, or the root password may be deleted entirely for some reason.
We subsequently noted a method that avoids enabling root and allows you to use CUPS by simply providing your admin account credentials when prompted -- a workaround that involved editing the file /etc/cups/cupsd.conf.
However, MacFixIt reader Matt Broughton notes that the previously published modification will also allow any username and password to work. Even a nonexistent user can log in. He writes:
"Try using a username of 'a' and a password of '2.' See my webpage about the topic."
"To avoid the pretense of having to enter a username and password, the entire block should be commented out or deleted:
#<Limit GET>
#AuthType Basic
#AuthClass System
#</Limit>
"Also, there is no need to restart the computer. All you need to do is to restart the CUPS daemon. In the Terminal use the following command: sudo killall -HUP cupsd"
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