# Printer install - /dev/usb folder does not exist? - [solved]

## insane_rosenberg

Hey All,

I've spent far too much time trying to get my USB printer going, and I know one of you will know the answer so here goes.

First of all, i'm running a Canon PIXMA iP1500 printer, throught my USB port. This is a not a readlily availible driver, and I had given up and was looking for instrctions on turboprint, when I stumbled across the solution to my driver issues:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-221486.html

So i've got CUPS, got my driver, installed it all as as per the last post on the above page. Add my printer using either the CUPS web interface or the K Printer Manager. Print a test page, and nothing happens. On returning to the web interface, in the manage printer section I am greeted with: "Printer not connected; will retry in 30 seconds..." 

So, i've spent too many hours trying to sort this out. But I realised very early on that the "usb:/dev/usb/lp0" link that CUPS points to is rather stange, seeing that when I go to the /dev folder using Konqueror, there is no usb folder!!!!

So I went back through a few things, and ended up at the USB setup guide (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/usb-guide.xml). There I realised that Genkernel had not activated "USB Printer support" So I made it a module, exited, and ran "make modules_install".

Now, being a genkernel kid, i'm not sure whether this has really activated the module or not. As "make modules_install" is the only thing I did after running the:

```
# cd /usr/src/linux

# make menuconfig
```

commands. But when i restarted, there was still no /dev/usb folder, the printer still didn't work, and when I ran make menuconfig again "USB Printer Support" was still set to Modular.

So yeah, i'm a noob, and kernels aren't really my thing. But i've put about 14hrs into trying to get this printer working, so if anyone knows whats up it would be greatly appreciated.

Later,

Insane.Last edited by insane_rosenberg on Sun Aug 07, 2005 3:47 am; edited 1 time in total

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## NeddySeagoon

insane_rosenberg,

It sounds like your usb subsystem is not working at all.

Do you have a /proc/bus/usb/devices file ?

When you do 

```
make menuconfig
```

you are picking and choosing the pieces of the kernel you want.

To build modules only, you need to do 

```
make modules
```

then you can install your modules with 

```
make modules_install
```

That command puts the modules in the right place for modprobe to find them, so 

```
modprobe usblp
```

will then load your new module.

----------

## insane_rosenberg

Ok, 

the /proc/bus/usb/devices file does exist, and i'm not sure if its relevant but here are the contents:

```
T:  Bus=04 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=12  MxCh= 2

B:  Alloc=  0/900 us ( 0%), #Int=  0, #Iso=  0

D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06

S:  Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 uhci_hcd

S:  Product=UHCI Host Controller

S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:10.2

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr=  0mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   2 Ivl=255ms

T:  Bus=03 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=12  MxCh= 2

B:  Alloc= 93/900 us (10%), #Int=  1, #Iso=  0

D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06

S:  Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 uhci_hcd

S:  Product=UHCI Host Controller

S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:10.1

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr=  0mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   2 Ivl=255ms

T:  Bus=03 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=12  MxCh= 0

D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=04a9 ProdID=1091 Rev= 1.00

S:  Manufacturer=Canon

S:  Product=iP1500

S:  SerialNumber=301PNC

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr=  2mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=07(print) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=(none)

E:  Ad=01(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms

E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms

T:  Bus=03 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=02 Dev#=  3 Spd=1.5 MxCh= 0

D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=046d ProdID=c03d Rev=20.00

S:  Manufacturer=Logitech

S:  Product=USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr= 98mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID  ) Sub=01 Prot=02 Driver=usbhid

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   4 Ivl=10ms

T:  Bus=02 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=12  MxCh= 2

B:  Alloc=  0/900 us ( 0%), #Int=  0, #Iso=  0

D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06

S:  Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 uhci_hcd

S:  Product=UHCI Host Controller

S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:10.0

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr=  0mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   2 Ivl=255ms

T:  Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 6

B:  Alloc=  0/800 us ( 0%), #Int=  0, #Iso=  0

D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS= 8 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=0000 ProdID=0000 Rev= 2.06

S:  Manufacturer=Linux 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 ehci_hcd

S:  Product=EHCI Host Controller

S:  SerialNumber=0000:00:10.3

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=  0mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   2 Ivl=256ms

T:  Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 0

D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1

P:  Vendor=05e3 ProdID=0702 Rev= 0.02

S:  Product=USB TO IDE

C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=c0 MxPwr= 96mA

I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=08(stor.) Sub=06 Prot=50 Driver=usb-storage

E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms

E:  Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=125us
```

Beyond the ones that refer to my external hard drive I dont really know what the rest of them mean.

I'll give those Kernel config things a try and see what it does. Thanks man.

-Insane.

----------

## insane_rosenberg

Awesomeness!

Big thanks NeddySeagoon, that solved it for me. And luckily I had actually got my driver settings and things right and it actually prints. Again, big thanks!

So yeah, if your /dev/usb/lp0 doesn't exist, check your kernel for the USB Printer Support module, and make sure you load it using the method described by Neddy above, then it should be all good (well, that was my problem anyway)

Many thanks,

-Insane.

USB guide: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/usb-guide.xml

CUPS Howto: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/printing-howto.xml

----------

## NeddySeagoon

insane_rosenberg,

You can automate the module loading if you need to.

Add usblp to /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6

----------

