# Printing Problem is Driving me CRAZY!!!

## jamesshuang

Hello everyone,

I'm at the end of my rope with my printing problems. I've set up my computer with CUPS for printing, but whatever I try, I perpetually get the "client-error-not-possible" problem. A quick look in the log reveals the real underlying problem: "Unable to convert file 0 to printable format for job x!". Yes, I've read all the other posts, I've downgraded to 1.1.14. I had it working for one session, but right after I rebooted, it started giving me the same error again. This time, no matter how much I unmerge and emerge it, upgrade or downgrade it, it still does not work. I've unmerged/emerged ghostscript, gimp-print-cups, and both versions of cups. Nothing works! I have an HP DeskJet 692C and I'm using the driver included with CUPS, although I have tried the GIMP-Print version as well. My parallel port does work, cat test.txt >> /dev/lp0 works perfectly fine, but not a single application can print. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

-James

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## paul138

I was minutes away from the same post.

I've got an Epson Color 740 (USB) and a HP Laserjet (at work) and both of them return the same errors.

It's making me insane for sure. When visiting the support site for CUPS all it states is that we need the espgs software installed. Well, it seems that Gentoo is installing this when you build ghostscript (see text before configure runs).

What ever happend to the normal printing subsystem I used on my old Red Hat systems?

Does anyone have a difinitive answer to this printing fiasco? The new printing howto is less than helpful since it seems Gentoo prefers to install CUPS as it's default system.

Anyone have good solid answers?

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## jamesshuang

I'VE FINALLY FOUND IT!!!! After a last ditch effort of browsing through the forums, i've found the answer to my woes! You have to set the USE variable in /etc/make.conf to cups and then reemerge ghostscript. After the recompilation, you will find that with CUPS 1.1.14, you can print normally! I'm never touching those settings again!

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## base_extip

Yup I did the same, added the USE variable, masked cups-1.1.15-r2

re emerged gimp-print-cups and cups-1.1.14-r4. 

Prints like a charm. However I haven't emerged ghostscripts yet.

 :Confused: 

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## mavos

It will work fine with CUPS 1.1.15 as well. Just make sure you have the cups USE flag set and emerge ghostscript after CUPS.

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## paul138

Well that's a GOTCHA for sure. Maybe it should be added to that 'Printing HOWTO'

I'll give it a try myself.

I did some searching for the problem on this board but never managed to dig out that data. Good work!

NOTE: cups is already in /etc/make.profile/make.defaults but I'll give it shot anyway.

BUILD DONE: Nice work. Placing cups in make.conf did the job.

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## Lasker

YES! Finally...

Same issue what paul 138 already told:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> NOTE: cups is already in /etc/make.profile/make.defaults but I'll give it shot anyway.
> 
> BUILD DONE: Nice work. Placing cups in make.conf did the job.
> ...

 

But if it dosn't work with cups already (and only) in make.defaults, it seems to be something wrong with make.defaults, isn't it?

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## Steve Folta

Thanks guys, this fixed the same problem for me also.  I would have found this thread sooner if only the forum search worked on "client-error-not-possible".

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## Lasker

 *Steve Folta wrote:*   

> Thanks guys, this fixed the same problem for me also.  I would have found this thread sooner if only the forum search worked on "client-error-not-possible".

 

There are already so much tips and hints around that problem, so

"set the USE variable in /etc/make.conf to cups"

should be sticky on top of the hardware forum.

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## scottro

Tonight I will either praise you people or complain that you wasted my time.

I too was searching first on client-error.

Scott

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## scottro

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!  Yes, I'm shouting.   :Smile: 

I think it should definitely be made a sticky. 

Also, re ghostscript--it seems to get emerged first as a dependency for cups.  On one machine, I emerged cups, then unmerged and re-emerged ghostscript. On the other machine, that wasn't necessary, though I left the command as emerge cups && emerge ghostscript (I then had to do something so didn't watch the actual process. 

Edited Sept. 7 

Did another fresh install last night. This time, at least, I definitely had to unmerge and re-emerge ghostscript. However, as I said above, last time I guess it would have just re-emerged without unmerging first (as I'd typed emerge cups && emerge ghostscript).  So, it seems as if the ghostscript being emerged after cups is a definite factor

Anyway, you guys are great. Thanks.

Scott

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## noizeez

I, sadfully, still get the same 'client-error-not-possible', i merged cups-1.1.23, do i have to downgrade, and how to do it ?

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## Cintra

quite a lot of ideas can be found with http://www.google.no/search?num=30&hs=FNQ&hl=no&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aunofficial&q=site%3Aforums.gentoo.org+%22client-error-not-possible%22+solved&btnG=S%C3%B8k&meta=lr%3Dlang_da%7Clang_en%7Clang_no%7Clang_sv

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## reaz82

 *noizeez wrote:*   

> I, sadfully, still get the same 'client-error-not-possible', i merged cups-1.1.23, do i have to downgrade, and how to do it ?

 

I'd like to know as well. I am having difficulties downgrading.

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