[RESOLVED] LaserJet 5MP printing blank pages

A Linux newbie here.
Just installed Zorin OS 8 Core on a DELL OptiPlex GX520, and love the new OS (replaces Windows XP).
My only problem: my printer is now a paper weight.

It is a LaserJet 5MP, connected via parallel port. When I tell Zorin to ADD a printer, it finds the printer and installs a driver.
However whenever I try to print anything from any application, all I get is blank pages.
On the printer itself I can press a button to print a test page, and it prints normally.
When I open System Settings and click on Printers, I can see my printer. The dialog box says "Hewlett-Packard-HP-LaserJet-5MP" and "Connected to localhost."
When I open this printer's Properties dialog, I can click a "Print a Self-Test Page" button, which produces a white page with a black printed boarder and some text upper left that says:

HP LaserJet 5P
2014.103 41
138757

However when I click the "Print Test Page" button (for a CUPS test page) from the same Properties dialog, I get a blank white sheet with nothing on it.
Any ideas you have for how I might rectify this situation would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. Zander

Hi and welcome to Zorin!

Try this method:

1. Remove the printer you have installed.

2. Be sure to read Wolfman's excellent tutorial on adding all the HP stuff in his 'Post-install' tutorial here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2054

3. After you have followed Wolfman's guide, open a terminal (Accessories | Terminal or Ctrl+ Alt+ T) and enter:

Code:

system-config-printer

Then just follow the steps to install the correct driver for your printer!

Keep us posted!

Hi,

Swarf has already pointed you to the post install guide, you must make sure that you install the package "hplip-gui" (HPLip-Toolbox) which is HP's own software for Linux, your printer should run fine after that!.

Code:

sudo apt-get install hplip-gui

Follow the steps laid out in the guide for HP printers!.

Regards Wolfman

I did install hplip-gui, and used it to install the printer (after removing the prior install). Same problem. However by chance I discovered that if I install the printer as an HP LaserJet 1100, it works fine. Weird, but I'm not going to argue with success.

Have marked as [RESOLVED] as technically not the correct driver - I suspect, like other manufacturers, there will be some emulation of earlier laser models - the 1100 replaced the 5 and 6 models - I remember installing both as an installer!