Multiple Printers


Forum: Printers
Topic: Multiple Printers
started by: joeo

Posted by joeo on April 02 2006,17:47
I am a Linux and DSL dummy. I have a frugal install using 2.2. I installed an Epson network printer following the excellent HOWTO for printers. I just got a Brothers MFC420CN printer and have it working as a Network printer on Win XP Home. I want to install it as a network printer on DSL. I cannot find this printer using APSfilter.

I downloaded a Debian  lpr driver from Brothers. I then opened a terminal as root and did the following:
dpkg -i --force-all mfc420cnlpr-1.0.2-1.i386.deb
Seemed to work.
The following was added to /opt/printcap
MFC420CN:\
             :mx=0:\
             :sd=/var/spool/lpd/MFC420CN
             :sh:\
             :rm=192.168.xxx.xxx  *I added this
             :rp=BRN_A2xxxx:\      *I added this
             :lp=/dev/usb/lp0:\     *I know this is wrong so
             :lp=:\                      *I changed above to this
             :if=/usr/local/Brother/lpd/filterMFC420CN:\
I did export=MFC420CN
I still print to the EPSON. How do I get to choose my printer or print to the Brothers printer?
Thank you for you help!

Posted by roberts on April 02 2006,19:04
You can test the printer by manually specifying the printer as defined in printcap so...

lpr -h -P MFC420CN somefile.txt

Now you can only have one default printer using

export PRINTER=MFC420N

or if the printer is named lp then you don't need the export command.

Then the apps should print to this default printer.

Some apps allow you to specify the print command as shown above.

Posted by joeo on April 02 2006,21:03
HI Roberts,
Thanks for the fast response. I tried the lpr command. It was accepted but nothing happened. I edited the bootlocal.sh file:
deleted export PRINTER=EPSON_850
Added   export PRINTER=MFC420CN
rebooted
edited /var/spool/lpd/MFC420CN/status.pr and found errors:
IF filter 'filterMFC420CN' filter msg - '/usr/local/Brother//lpd/rastertobrij2: error while loading shared libraries: libbrcompij2.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory' at 2006-04-02-14:31:37.195 ## A=dsl@DSL1+188 number=188 process=1277
IF filter 'filterMFC420CN' filter msg - 'GNU Ghostscript 7.05: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1' at 2006-04-02-14:31:41.199 ## A=dsl@DSL1+188 number=188 process=1277
IF filter 'filterMFC420CN' filter exit status 'UNKNOWN STATUS '127'' at 2006-04-02-14:31:41.216 ## A=dsl@DSL1+188 number=188 process=1277
subserver pid 1277 exit status 'JFAIL' at 2006-04-02-14:31:41.220 ## A=<NULL> number=0 process=1189
job 'dsl@DSL1+188', attempt 3, allowed 3 at 2006-04-02-14:31:41.222 ## A=dsl@DSL1+188 number=188 process=1189

The above is a cut and pasted of some errors. Looks like I am over my head here. Does my printcap file in the first post look OK? I sure hope that you or someone can help.

Posted by roberts on April 02 2006,22:56
The first issue is the missing library  
Quote

libbrcompij2.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


Doesn't look like fun. Probably forcing the install of their .deb package resulted in this missing libary to be not loaded. On the otherhand, allowing Debian to fetch all dependencies might result in a broken system? Might try it on a liveCD system and see what happens.

Otherwise, a piecemeal approach of finding that missing library and see how far it goes.

Or possibly try the cups.dsl extension.

Posted by cbagger01 on April 03 2006,17:15
Either go to the Debian package site and download the package containing that library and then dpkg -i it, or as roberts said, give cups a try.
Posted by joeo on April 03 2006,18:40
Hi Roberts & cbagger01,

Thanks for the help. I was able to solve the "lpr" command problem. the library was /usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1.0.2. The error we saw was a symlink libbrcompij2.so.1 -> libbrcompij2.so.1.0.2. Put both in the .filetool.lst and the "lpe" command now works.

I still have a problem trying to make the MFC420CN the default. I have a export PRINTER=MFC420CN in the bootlocal.sh and it still prints to the EPSON. I think it may be the way the apsfilter configured the EPSON and lp.
Do you or anybody have 2 printers configured, working and be able to swith the default printer? If you do, please email me the /opt/printcap file.
Thanks again!

Posted by joeo on April 03 2006,20:50
I am confused. If I do export PRINTER=MFC420CN and then
lpr myfile
It prints on the MFC420CN. So that is the default. When I try to print in Firefox it goe to the EPSON. How do I get Firefox to print to the MFC420CN?
Maybe this will help?
lpc>client
MFC420CN
lpc>server
EPSON
Please excuse my ignorance!

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