Solved CUPS ... yet again: SOLVED

KenGordon · Dec 29, 2019

Boy! What a PITA. :-(

OK. I pkg install cups, gutenprint, etc., supposedly every necessary support file. I edit the correct rc.xx file to add the line cupsd_enable="YES", then reboot. I see cupsd service start.

Firing up CUPS in Firefox, it can't find some necessary files, especially those needed to get my printer working.

I finally find the various .conf files and read them, then go looking for those files mentioned there. Not only are some of the files not where they are supposed to be, but various files and directories are simply not on my system: like /admin.

Eventually, after editing one of the .conf files, I broke the damned thing completely: now the cupsd service will no longer start, even manually, but the localhost:631 fires up just fine.

At this point, I am almost ready to start completely over from scratch, including FreeBSD.

Gee...

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 29, 2019

KenGordon said:
Eventually, after editing one of the .conf files, I broke the damned thing completely: now the cupsd service will no longer start, even manually, but the localhost:631 fires up just fine.

OK. I fixed the cupsd not starting issue: I had to correct a bad pointer to the .conf files in cups-files.conf. All better now....except that I still can't add my printer...

Martin Paredes · Dec 29, 2019

KenGordon said:
I finally find the various .conf files and read them, then go looking for those files mentioned there. Not only are some of the files not where they are supposed to be, but various files and directories are simply not on my system: like /admin.

Apparently you've been reading non-specific documentation for FreeBSD, using CUPS on FreeBSD is documented in a separate article: CUPS on FreeBSD

I also recommend using CUPS documentation but remember that FreeBSD install the packages inside of /usr/local, so every reference to a file/directory in the documentation add /usr/local to it.

To add a printer, use the CUPS web interface ("http://localhost:631")

Is there a message error when you add the printer?

KenGordon · Dec 29, 2019

Martin Paredes said:
Apparently you've been reading non-specific documentation for FreeBSD, using CUPS on FreeBSD is documented in a separate article: CUPS on FreeBSD

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/cups
No, I have only read the CUPS on FreeBSD docs so far. I have a printed copy of that.

Martin Paredes said:
I also recommend using CUPS documentation but remember that FreeBSD install the packages inside of /usr/local, so every reference to a file/directory in the documentation add /usr/local to it.

That info is a BIG help, thanks. But even so, there was no admin directories anywhere, so I made them. That only helped a little bit. I have not yet dug into that CUPS documentation you mention, though.

Martin Paredes said:
To add a printer, use the CUPS web interface ("http://localhost:631")

And that is where I get the error message, "Unable to get a list of printer drivers." I have the printer drivers for my XP-830 in /usr/local/share/cups/model/epson-* but so far have not figured out where to put that in any of the CUPS .config files....IFF that is where it goes.

Martin Paredes said:
Is there a message error when you add the printer?

Yes. See above.

Ken Gordon

Martin Paredes · Dec 29, 2019

I search for "/admin" in the article, but I can't find it, maybe was a reference to http://localhost:631/admin

Are you using root to login to the CUPS web interface?

Martin Paredes · Dec 29, 2019

KenGordon said:
I get the error message, "Unable to get a list of printer drivers."

Try uninstalling and installing again print/cups

Code:

service cupsd stop
pkg delete cups
rm -rf /usr/local/etc/cups*
pkg install print/cups
service cupsd start

scottro · Dec 29, 2019

For what it's worth (and you may have already done this) but I always find it necessary to install cups-pdf and cups-filters for cups to work

shepper · Dec 29, 2019

You may be making this way too complicated.
The driver you are looking for is in print/epson-inkjet-printer-escpr
See the pkg-plist - line 562.
https://svnweb.freebsd.org/ports/he...r-escpr/pkg-plist?revision=511922&view=markup

I would delete all the "admin" directories you made and start from scratch. You should just need cups, cups-filters and the epson escpr driver. The freebsd package should install to the correct directory. cups-pdf (prints to a pdf) is optional.

PMc · Dec 30, 2019

I have CUPS running without any "admin" directories. I agree its a PITA, but then mangling with the installed files does generally not make anything better. It works as installed, and it does so via the web interface. Only thing to care for is to add cups-filters pkg and the proper driver for a printer.

Martin Paredes · Dec 30, 2019

The log files of CUPS are in the subdirectory /var/log/cups

Check the CUPS section Debug Logging and Troubleshooting

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

Martin Paredes said:
I search for "/admin" in the article, but I can't find it, maybe was a reference to http://localhost:631/admin

No. I found several pointers to a /admin directory and following directories within more than one of the various CUPS .conf files. I can quote them here if you wish to see them, but there are a lot of them.

Martin Paredes said:
Are you using root to login to the CUPS web interface?

No, although I can...

I didn't deem it necessary.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

Martin Paredes said:
Try uninstalling and installing again print/cups

Code:

service cupsd stop pkg delete cups rm -rf /usr/local/etc/cups* pkg install print/cups service cupsd start

OK. That sounds like a good idea. I'll do that and report back. Thanks...again.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

scottro said:
For what it's worth (and you may have already done this) but I always find it necessary to install cups-pdf and cups-filters for cups to work

I have installed cups-filters, and I MAY have installed cups-pdf. I'll check on that. Thanks.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

shepper said:
You may be making this way too complicated.

Oh, I certainly agree!!!

shepper said:
The driver you are looking for is in print/epson-inkjet-printer-escpr
See the pkg-plist - line 562.
https://svnweb.freebsd.org/ports/he...r-escpr/pkg-plist?revision=511922&view=markup

Oh, I have that file all right, and know exactly where it is: my problem is that CUPS can't find it and I have not yet discovered where the pointer to it is and in which .conf file, if it is there at all.

shepper said:
I would delete all the "admin" directories you made and start from scratch. You should just need cups, cups-filters and the epson escpr driver. The freebsd package should install to the correct directory. cups-pdf (prints to a pdf) is optional.

Starting from scratch was a conclusion I came to about a week ago. Deleting the /admin files and directories also "occurred" to me. Again, thanks.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

PMc said:
I have CUPS running without any "admin" directories. I agree its a PITA, but then mangling with the installed files does generally not make anything better.

...quite obviously... :-(

PMc said:
It works as installed, and it does so via the web interface. Only thing to care for is to add cups-filters pkg and the proper driver for a printer.

As I mentioned earlier, I did add the cups-filters pkg and the driver pkg. Still wouldn't work because CUPS cannot find the drivers, and I have yet to find the pointer within any of the CUPS .conf files which would point to any drivers directory.

At this point, I am going to do as suggested and start it from scratch.

Again, thanks....to all.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 30, 2019

Martin Paredes said:
The log files of CUPS are in the subdirectory /var/log/cups

Check the CUPS section Debug Logging and Troubleshooting

Yes. I have those and they work. Thanks.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 31, 2019

OK. I started from scratch. I nuked the HD and started completely over.

CUPS (web) no longer sees my networked Epson XP-830.

And cupsd.conf still contains multiple pointers to /admin directories. There are no /usr/local/admin directories on the system or any admin directories anywhere, except one for something like kte-foo.....admin.

The epson-yada-yada-escpr file downloaded and installed in various places, at least one directory CUPS eventually found which contains those files, although it didn't enter it.

But despite not yet attempting to install ANY printer, I get an error message "...no ppd."

I then moved the EPSON-XP-830.foo..ppd file to, supposedly, where CUPS can find it, but since it can't see my networked XP-830, that doesn't do me much good.

Gee. This fun. Kinda like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you quit.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 31, 2019

Edited my hosts file. Now my networked printers show up. Still getting "...Driver Not Found" error.

Looking at the CUPS error log, we see this: "
Returning IPP server-error-internal-error for CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer (ipp://localhost:631/printers/EPSON_XP-830) from localhost."

Also an earlier error msg gave me this: "[cups-driverd] Unable to open \"/usr/local/share/cups/model/-v\" - No such file or directory"

But that directory DOES exist, and contains the correct Epson XP-830 ppd file.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 31, 2019

Can't add my HP Office Jet Pro 8610 either. Still getting "Unable to get list of printer drivers:" error.

Ken Gordon

shepper · Dec 31, 2019

The web interface:
https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/cups.html#cups-web
In the web interface there is a screen where you select the make/ppd from a drop down box.
https://unix.stackexchange.com/ques...-for-manual-placement-of-individual-ppd-files

There is also an option to browse for the ppd which can be in your home directory. Also, the root login for localhost:631/admin is a pop-up window. If pop-up's are disabled in your browser, you will not gain admin permissions

Martin Paredes · Dec 31, 2019

KenGordon said:
And cupsd.conf still contains multiple pointers to /admin directories. There are no /usr/local/admin directories on the system or any admin directories anywhere, except one for something like kte-foo.....admin.

Those are reference to the web interface http://localhost:631/admin

Sevendogsbsd · Dec 31, 2019

Maybe I am lucky but I have never had an issue with cups or setting up my printer, both when it was local and networked. Never once touched a cups config either. I do have to use an alternate ppd/driver because one for my specific printer model is not available but everything still works perfectly. I always use the web interface for management.

KenGordon · Dec 31, 2019

shepper said:
In the web interface there is a screen where you select the make/ppd from a drop down box.
There is also an option to browse for the ppd which can be in your home directory.

Although I have seen this/these drop-down box(es) in another instance of CUPS on a different computer, that has never shown up on this one: not once.

shepper said:
Also, the root login for localhost:631/admin is a pop-up window. If pop-up's are disabled in your browser, you will not gain admin permissions

Pop-ups are enabled, and I login as root.

Again, thanks.

Ken Gordon

KenGordon · Dec 31, 2019

Sevendogsbsd said:
Maybe I am lucky but I have never had an issue with cups or setting up my printer, both when it was local and networked. Never once touched a cups config either. I do have to use an alternate ppd/driver because one for my specific printer model is not available but everything still works perfectly. I always use the web interface for management.

Yes. IMHO, you are lucky. And I have both of the correct PPD files for my printers. The issues are that 1) CUPS can't find them, 2) the drop-down boxes never show up, and 3) CUPS continually responds with "Printer drivers not found.".

Ken Gordon

shepper · Dec 31, 2019

KenGordon said:
Although I have seen this/these drop-down box(es) in another instance of CUPS on a different computer, that has never shown up on this one: not once.

I wonder if there are permission issues with the web content? Two things to try:
1) Try https://localhost:631 and click the web page tab to login as admin. It will place a cookie in your browser. If cookies are disabled that could also cause problems.
2) Try a root login in a X window and start the browser as root. You should not have to provide additional authentication as root and should have access to all files. Once you get the printer configured, you should have access to it as a user.