Zorin Not Detecting Printer

I just did a new install of Z9, and it can't find my printer, a HP 940C deskjet. This is strange, because in my other installations of Zorin it has had no problem finding it, and installing drivers. The printer works fine with Windows. Thank you.

Some more detail on this: What is happening is, sometimes when I try to add the printer, it does show up in the wizard. I hit next, and I get a screen that tells me something about duplex installation, and I can check a box (or not). Either way, there is no way to go forward from there, and if I close out and run the "add printer" dialogue again, it now won't recognize it. if I restart, it will recognize it and search for drivers, but then the same thing happens with the duplex thing. So it's a revolving door at this point.

Hi, wondering if installing 'hplip-gui' might help?



Also see if you get better results starting the printer installation by opening a terminal and entering:

Code:

sudo system-config-printer

Thank You Swarf. I actually had found an old tutorial and tried to install that, with no success. I didn't realize it was in SPM. Well, I installed it, and it finally recognized my printer. Here's how it went: As before, I got the screen about duplex installers being available. I checked it, but no way forward again, so I went back, and then forward (or next) was available. I was able to complete the process, and now have all the HP goodies on my computer. However, it wouldn't print a test page, or a document. It reported that the job was complete, but the printer would not start. (It is on and does work). I'm going to fool around with the HP controls and see if I can get it to work.

From what I can see, I may need to change the printer's URL address. But I have no idea what to change it to. I know where to make the change, I just don't know what to put in as the new URL.

Hi, is this wireless or just a straight usb connection?

It's an older printer and is connected via the parallel port. It doesn't have USB.

This is what I did (without the printer!):











Only check mark the duplex item if you have one fitted. Does this help? Don't forget to click on 'Apply' - just like that other OS!

Yes I did all that. Zorin does recognize the printer. But I keep getting a communication error (5012) whenever I try to print. I actually ran Ubuntu from an old install disc, to see if the printer worked on it, and if so, copy the URI info. (I think I said URL above). Anyway, it did work from Ubuntu, but the URI info was the same, so that apparently wasn't it.

Hi, Please take a look here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions ... 175547778/

Also, you did do a full update after reinstall? Might be worth disconnecting the printer, fully update the system, remove the printer from Printers and then shut down the machine, attach the printer, boot the printer first, then the machine - just like you would in that other OS! Something I was always taught to do - switch on powered peripheral devices first before booting a PC. Keep us posted!

Swarf, I did as you suggested above. This time, I got a lot farther, all the data seems correct, but when I printed a test page, it said the printer may not be connected. It has already "discovered" it, so it "knows" it is in fact connected. This is a different error, not 5012, no number given. Weird, because it really looks like it did all it needed to do recognize and set up the printer. I'll reboot machine and see if that helps. If not, maybe it still needs drivers?

All I can suggest now is to go to HP web site to see if they have any '.deb' packages?

I'm pretty sure the printer worked in an earlier Zorin install, as it did in Mint and Ubuntu. I'm wondering, should I go back to an earlier kernel? Another thought I had, is to use another distro until the next LTS Zorin, which I think is this summer?

You could try an earlier kernel - see what earlier kernels you still have installed and see if it works - other than that you can do that - install different OS that you know works 'out-of-the-box'. This is what I hate about the IT industry - upgrade, upgrade, upgrade - if something works why replace it when the worlds resources are ever shrinking?

I feel your pain about the endless updates. A major reason I am leaving windows for linux. But here's what helped me to deal with it: We live in a universe that is itself constantly changing. There is no stability, no status quo, not even a here and now. In the time it took me to write "here and now," here and now has moved both spatially and temporally.

Sorry about the philosophizing, but I thought it might help.

No worries, roll on en...