xfprint4 problem

[purslow at sympatico.ca]

040130 Brett I. Holcomb wrote:
> purslow at sympatico.ca wrote:
>> usually, i use XPP + CUPS to print things on my HP DeskJet 500 printer.
>> i tried the drag'n'drop printer Xfprint4 & it refuses to print.
>> i used Print Manager to define a PS printer
>> with alias name 'HPDeskJet500' (as in XPP) & system name 'lp'.
>> then i tried (1) drag'n'drop from Xffm , (2) the menu item in Xffm ,
>> (3) 'xfprint4 filename' from CLI : all call up an XPP-like window
>> with 'HPDeskJet500' in the box at the top & other settings unaltered by me,
>> but when i click 'Print', it says 'Unable to sent job to printer' [SIC].
>> yes, the printer is switched on & 'lp filename' from CLI works properly.
>> i've tried calling the printer 'HP' & 'djet500' (XPP's driver name).
> I don't know what XPP is but I use cups.
> the printer name (not the alias) must be whatever the cups name is.
> I have Epson1280 as my cups printer name
> so that's what I put in the printer setup printer box, not lp.

i found the solution by many trials & all-but-one as many errors.
apparently, you can call the printer whatever you like ('Alias'),
but the 'System name' is what you have to get right.
the default is 'lp' (for whatever reason),
but the name needed is given in  /etc/cups/printers.conf :

  # Printer configuration file for CUPS v1.1.19
  # Written by cupsd on Tue Oct  7 04:31:55 2003
  <DefaultPrinter HP>
                  ^^ my emphasis
  Info HP DeskJet 500
  DeviceURI parallel:/dev/lp0
  State Idle
  Accepting Yes
  JobSheets none none
  QuotaPeriod 0
  PageLimit 0
  KLimit 0
  </Printer>

it's also what you get if you enter 'lpq': "HP is ready, no entries";
XPP says "Printers: HP: HP DeskJet 500, Foomatic + djet500",
which is the 'Nickname' in  /etc/ppd/HP.ppd .  so 'HP' does show up.

however, it wb v helpful for new users of Xfprint4 
if there were some elementary documentation somewhere.
i've spelled out fully what works, so other can now see it in the archive.


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