# SOLVED: /dev/lp0 missing

## jmtuley

Hi,

I have an old Dell box with a Pentium II in it.  It had Windows 98, but was going unused for a couple years and so now I'm trying to breathe new life into it by turning it into a household server (print, filesharing, maybe mail).  I'm trying to connect an HP Deskjet 160 printer to it, but not having any luck because /dev/lp0 isn't there, and /dev/printers is empty.  (Of course, the machine does have the physical port built onto the motherboard; i have the printer plugged into it and on, waiting for success.)  I have compiled parallel support into the kernel.  From my kernel .config:

```

CONFIG_PARPORT=y

CONFIG_PARPORT_PC=y

CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_CML1=y

CONFIG_PARPORT_SERIAL=y

# CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_FIFO is not set

# CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_SUPERIO is not set

# CONFIG_PARPORT_OTHER is not set

CONFIG_PARPORT_1284=y

```

I also have CONFIG_PRINTER set as built-in.

I don't know exactly what motherboard/chipset this machine has.  Here's what I get from lspci:

```

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge (rev 02)

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX AGP bridge (rev 02)

0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02)

0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01)

0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01)

0000:00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 02)

0000:00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Linksys NC100 Network Everywhere Fast Ethernet 10/100 (rev 11)

0000:00:10.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 07)

0000:00:10.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game Port (rev 07)

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVidia / SGS Thomson (Joint Venture) Riva128 (rev 21)

```

Based on this information, I went with all the kernel options for Intel PIIXn and the Intel 440/* hardware.  I'm pretty sure I got it all -- probably more than is really necessary, but right now I'd rather have a beefy kernel that works than have a pared-down nonfunctional one.  (I can always trim the fat later, and probably will, once it all works.)

Any suggestions?

--JohnLast edited by jmtuley on Sat Dec 25, 2004 9:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## NeddySeagoon

jmtuley,

What does dmesg show about detecting the printer?

```
dmesg | less
```

It was common for the printer and network cards to fight over the same IRQ, so you may find the athe parallel port is disabled in the BIOS.

----------

## jmtuley

All I see mentioned about printing is the line "lp: driver loaded but no devices found."  There's nothng mentioning the network card up to that point.

Thanks,

--John

----------

## NeddySeagoon

jmtuley,

check that you are running the kerenl you think you are. Does the date in 

```
uname -a
```

 look right?

Does the parallel port show in /proc/interrupts ? It shoyld be IRQ 5 or IRQ 7

----------

## jmtuley

NeddySeagoon,

Yep, uname indicates the correct kernel, and 

```
 cat proc/interrupts 
```

 yields

```

            CPU0

  0:    1641739          XT-PIC  timer

  1:       3733          XT-PIC  i8042

  2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade

  9:         48          XT-PIC  acpi, uhci_hcd, EMU10K1

 10:       8760          XT-PIC  eth0

 12:      30990          XT-PIC  i8042

 14:         11          XT-PIC  ide0

 15:      14611          XT-PIC  ide1

NMI:          0

LOC:          0

ERR:          0

MIS:          0

```

Thanks,

--John

----------

## NeddySeagoon

jmtuley,

Hmm,

The parallel and serial ports are all missing. They would be IRQ 3,4 and 5 or 7.

Do you have the right Bus Options selected further up the kernel config?

You want PCI and ISA, unless the machine has one of the rarer buses (MCA EISA), in which case, choose that too.

----------

## jschellhaass

Are the ports enabled in the bios?

jeff

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## i92guboj

 *jmtuley wrote:*   

> All I see mentioned about printing is the line "lp: driver loaded but no devices found."  There's nothng mentioning the network card up to that point.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> --John

 

If the driver is loaded and no devices are found then this can be one of these:

1. printer unplugged

2. incorrect bios settings

3. one of the involved drivers is not correctly compiled, or, maybe, you haven't choosed the right one.

----------

## jmtuley

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all your help.  It was in fact the BIOS setting.  The port was set to "auto," but setting it to "enabled" forced it on, and /dev/lp0 suddenly existed.  I added the printer (via gnome-cups-manager, since I was feeling lazy Christmas morning) and the test page came out just like it's supposed to.

Just wanted to say thanks for all your help! 

--John

(PS: is it necessary to mark this thread as "closed/solved" or anything?  If so, what do I need to do?  Thanks again!)

----------

## i92guboj

 *jmtuley wrote:*   

> Hey everyone,
> 
> Thanks for all your help.  It was in fact the BIOS setting.  The port was set to "auto," but setting it to "enabled" forced it on, and /dev/lp0 suddenly existed.  I added the printer (via gnome-cups-manager, since I was feeling lazy Christmas morning) and the test page came out just like it's supposed to.
> 
> Just wanted to say thanks for all your help! 
> ...

 

If your mark it as solved maybe more peopel with similar problems will find it easily. Just edit your first post and change the tittle, than will change the tittle of the whole thread, please. Glad you found it.  :Very Happy: 

----------

