Troubles with HP OfficeJet 6500 E710n-z on Arch Linux

jeadorf · 2013-01-05 16:05:59

Recently, I have tried to use my printer after five months break. It used to run smoothly on Arch Linux with hplip. However, now, I have not managed to make it print properly with hplip again. This is my configuration, as seen from the CUPS web interface:

Driver: HP Officejet 6500 e710n-z hpijs, 3.12.11 (color, 2-sided printing)
Connection: hp:/net/Officejet_6500_E710n-z?ip=192.168.1.4

After trying to print some test page, the jobs listing in the CUPS web interface showed me a error message "Filter failed". I deleted my .cups and .hplip directories in my home folder and reinstalled cups and hplip. The same symptoms appeared again after restarting and a fresh installation.

HP_Officejet_6500_E710n-z-400 Unknown Withheld 98k Unknown pending since Sat 05 Jan 2013 04:22:46 PM CET "Filter failed"

My Arch system is up-to-date. I heard that it might have become necessary to install the hplip-plugin somewhen in the last month for some HP printer models. If I understand the table at the bottom of http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/mo … 10n-z.html correctly, then the hplip-plugin is neither required nor available for my printer model. I tested also installing it from AUR, just because it was worth a try (https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/hplip-plugin/), but this made matters worse, having my printer to madly produce almost-empty paper with some crap characters at each page top. As expected, the hplip-plugin was a dead-end, and I uninstalled it to continue some experimentation with printing test pages (all on the same page, mind the trees!). Resuming the printer, CUPS prints

***** Unable to open the initial device, quitting.

Looking at the number of hits on Google, this seems to be one of the favourite error messages. I looked at the output in /var/cups/error_log

D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Spooler: cups
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Printer: HP_Officejet_6500_E710n-z
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Shell: /bin/bash
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] PPD file: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_Officejet_6500_E710n-z.ppd
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] ATTR file: 
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Printer model: HP Officejet 6500 e710n-z hpijs, 3.12.11
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Job title: Leafpad job 5
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] File(s) to be printed:
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] <STDIN>
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Ghostscript extra search path ('GS_LIB'): /usr/share/cups/fonts
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Printing system options:
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'number-up=1'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Unknown option number-up=1.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'job-uuid=urn:uuid:ac6ebe82-17e5-3f8f-49ec-01820c35ea2e'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Unknown option job-uuid=urn:uuid:ac6ebe82-17e5-3f8f-49ec-01820c35ea2e.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'job-originating-host-name=localhost'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Unknown option job-originating-host-name=localhost.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'time-at-creation=1357400341'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Unknown option time-at-creation=1357400341.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'time-at-processing=1357400341'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Unknown option time-at-processing=1357400341.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Options from the PPD file:
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'InputSlot=Default'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'Quality=FromPrintoutMode'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'MediaType=Plain'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'PageSize=Letter'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'PrintoutMode=Normal'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'DryTime=Zero'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Pondering option 'Duplex=DuplexNoTumble'
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] ================================================
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] File: <STDIN>
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] ================================================
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Filetype: PDF
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] PID 28827 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/pdftopdf) exited with no errors.
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Storing temporary files in /var/spool/cups/tmp
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] File contains 1 pages
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Starting renderer with command: gs -dFirstPage=1  -q -dBATCH -dPARANOIDSAFER -dQUIET -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=ijs -sIjsServer=hpijs -dDEVICEWIDTHPOINTS=612 -dDEVICEHEIGHTPOINTS=792 -sDeviceManufacturer="HEWLETT-PACKARD" -sDeviceModel="HP Color LaserJet 2600n" -dDuplex=true -dTumble=false -r300 -sIjsParams=Quality:Quality=0,Quality:ColorMode=2,Quality:MediaType=0,Quality:PenSet=2,PS:MediaPosition=7 -dIjsUseOutputFD -sOutputFile=-   /var/spool/cups/tmp/foomatic-3lyFKy 
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Starting process "kid3" (generation 1)
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Starting process "kid4" (generation 2)
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Starting process "renderer" (generation 2)
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] JCL: %-12345X@PJL
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] <job data> 
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] prnt/hpijs/hpijs.cpp 269: unable to set device=HP Color LaserJet 2600n, err=48
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] prnt/hpijs/hpijs.cpp 290: unable to set device=HP Color LaserJet 2600n, err=48
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] renderer exited with status 1
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] prnt/hpijs/hpijs.cpp 697: unable to read client data err=-2
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] Possible error on renderer command line or PostScript error. Check options.Kid3 exit status: 3
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] STATE: +connecting-to-device
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] PID 28828 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip) stopped with status 9.

Indeed, some errors show up. I find it strange that ghostscript is called with a parameter -sDeviceModel="HP Color LaserJet 2600n" -dDuplex=true even though I clearly have an inkjet printer and no laser printer – and also specified the correct printer model. Also later, I can see the two lines

D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] prnt/hpijs/hpijs.cpp 269: unable to set device=HP Color LaserJet 2600n, err=48
D [05/Jan/2013:16:39:10 +0100] [Job 407] prnt/hpijs/hpijs.cpp 290: unable to set device=HP Color LaserJet 2600n, err=48

which to the best of my knowledge indicates some internal mess. Raising the debug level in cups.conf did not tell me anything new.

Notably, using the hpcups driver at least makes the printer print pages properly, but the wonderful (mind the trees) duplex-mode seems to only be available when using hpijs when selecting the PPD file in the add printer wizard. That is why I want to stay with the driver mentioned above.

The trouble for me is that the printing pipeline is so complex and so many components are involved that I have no real good starting point to where exactly post bug reports. I would appreciate if some fellows with the same printer and the same errors could confirm my description. Or even point out how to get that organism to paint ink properly on the paper. Any ideas where to start? Or references to better resources regarding the combo of HP OfficeJet 6500 E710n-z and Arch? Is it just an regression bug and will be fixed? Is my system corrupted in some way? There is lots of open questions I don't quite feel able to answer all by myself. Any hints for troubleshooting appreciated!

Edit:

After some more reading and troubleshooting, I have filed the following two bug reports at hplip:

Last edited by jeadorf (2013-01-05 19:30:19)

Arch Linux

#1 2013-01-05 16:05:59

Troubles with HP OfficeJet 6500 E710n-z on Arch Linux

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