# CUPS doesn't show all printer drivers

## fikiz

Hi all.

I've got a little question for you. I hope you can give me some hints  :Smile: 

I need to configure an USB printer using the 'HP Photosmart C4100 series' driver. Ubuntu 9.04 lists this driver in the 'add printer' section of CUPS' web interface. My Gentoo box doesn't.

Searching for a ppd file named something like *C4100*, I found the file is /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/printer/HP-PhotoSmart_C4100.xml.

Ubuntu says this file is installed by the package foomatic-db:

```
root@u9:~# dpkg -S /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/printer/HP-PhotoSmart_C4100.xml

foomatic-db: /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/printer/HP-PhotoSmart_C4100.xml
```

Same for my Gentoo machine:

```
pc ~ # qfile /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/printer/HP-PhotoSmart_C4100.xml

net-print/foomatic-db (/usr/share/foomatic/db/source/printer/HP-PhotoSmart_C4100.xml)
```

but I don't see the printer driver in the CUPS' driver list.

these are my USE flags for CUPS and foomatic:

```
pc ~ # eix foomatic -I

[I] net-print/foomatic-db

     Available versions:  3.0.20060720 ~3.0.20070508 ~3.0.20080507

     Installed versions:  3.0.20060720(09:17:44 AM 10/23/2009)

     Homepage:            http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html

     Description:         Printer information files for foomatic-db-engine to generate ppds

[I] net-print/foomatic-db-engine

     Available versions:  3.0.20060720 ~3.0.20070508 ~3.0.20080507

     Installed versions:  3.0.20060720(09:17:21 AM 10/23/2009)

     Homepage:            http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html

     Description:         Generates ppds out of xml foomatic printer description files

[I] net-print/foomatic-filters

     Available versions:  3.0.20060720 ~3.0.20070501 3.0.20080507 {cups}

     Installed versions:  3.0.20080507(09:16:23 AM 10/23/2009)(cups)

     Homepage:            http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html

     Description:         Foomatic wrapper scripts

[I] net-print/foomatic-filters-ppds

     Available versions:  20060720 20070501 ~20080507

     Installed versions:  20070501(09:16:54 AM 10/23/2009)

     Homepage:            http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html

     Description:         linuxprinting.org PPD files for non-postscript printers

Found 4 matches.

pc ~ # eix cups -I

[I] net-print/cups

     Available versions:  1.3.10-r2!t ~1.3.11!t ~1.4.1!t {X acl avahi dbus debug gnutls java jpeg kerberos ldap linguas_de linguas_en linguas_es linguas_et linguas_fr linguas_he linguas_id linguas_it linguas_ja linguas_pl linguas_sv linguas_zh_TW pam perl php png ppds python samba slp ssl static tiff xinetd zeroconf}

     Installed versions:  1.3.10-r2!t(09:14:38 AM 10/23/2009)(X acl jpeg perl png ppds python samba ssl tiff -avahi -dbus -gnutls -java -kerberos -ldap -linguas_de -linguas_en -linguas_es -linguas_et -linguas_fr -linguas_he -linguas_id -linguas_it -linguas_ja -linguas_pl -linguas_sv -linguas_zh_TW -pam -php -slp -static -xinetd -zeroconf)

     Homepage:            http://www.cups.org/

     Description:         The Common Unix Printing System.
```

Any ideas?

Thanks.

----------

## xaviermiller

Disable your usblp kernel module, CUPS will work  :Wink: 

(yet an other "Apple has decided to break the world by changing CUPS without coordination with other projects as sane, ...")

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## fikiz

 :Shocked: 

My Ubuntu installation has usblp kernel module loaded (even the /dev/usb/lp0 device is present when the printer is connected) and CUPS still show that driver. My Gentoo machine's kernel has this module built-in. Could be this the problem?

Also, I can't disable the usblp module (for some reason).

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## xaviermiller

Yes, but which version of CUPS is used by UBUNTU ? Probably < 1.4  :Wink: 

CUPS 1.4.1 refuses to work if usblp is loaded. That's the Apple way of life.

if you NEED usblp, you must disable cups 1.4 in /etc/package.mask

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## fikiz

Ubuntu runs CUPS 1.3.9, Gentoo CUPS 1.3.10 (as you can see in my first post)

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## xaviermiller

Oh sorry...

The cups 1.4 problem is for testing architectures, not the stables.

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## fikiz

Does anybody have "HP PhotoSmart C4100 series" available in the CUPS' driver list?

thanks.

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## Roman_Gruber

 *XavierMiller wrote:*   

> Yes, but which version of CUPS is used by UBUNTU ? Probably < 1.4 
> 
> CUPS 1.4.1 refuses to work if usblp is loaded. That's the Apple way of life.
> 
> if you NEED usblp, you must disable cups 1.4 in /etc/package.mask

 

Hello, I am a lazy guy and so I masked cups 1.4. Does this really work, then I will try this with my usb printer. The easiest way for me was to mask newer cups version. LOL.

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## kernelOfTruth

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

>  *XavierMiller wrote:*   Yes, but which version of CUPS is used by UBUNTU ? Probably < 1.4 
> 
> CUPS 1.4.1 refuses to work if usblp is loaded. That's the Apple way of life.
> 
> if you NEED usblp, you must disable cups 1.4 in /etc/package.mask 
> ...

 

you might need to update to latest udev (for fixed / changed permissions), 

 *Quote:*   

> # CONFIG_USB_PRINTER is not set

  in your kernel-config and re-add the printer but then it should work

no guarantee though ...

I struggled for some time to get it working but with latest udev in tree and disabled usb-printer support (usblp) it should be easy to get it working ...

----------

