Printer driver issues

[ColinWhite]

Please bear with me. I'm pretty green on these things:
Once I had installed Mint Maya cinnamon (lovely!) I switched on my HP wireless printer/fax/copier (B109n-z) and it found the driver and all was hunky-dory.
BUT, I needed to clean the print heads and the only way I can do this is from the software (I think) and I read the best way was to go the HPLIP route which I duly did. As I remember all was well and there was a head-cleaning icon on the HPLIP software which worked. This was some time ago. Now i need to clean the heads again and the head-cleaning icon is now missing from the panel.
I wonder if there is some contention between two drivers as there seems to be two B109 printers labeled thus
-Printers (CUPS)-
Photosmart-Wireless-B109n-z
Photosmart_Wireless_B109n-z

I tried uninstalling (completely) the HPLIP software and reinstalling it and now the HP Device Manager package refuses to launch completely.One of the printer selections sometimes work (depending on the client application i think -libreoffice print ok, but GIMP not).

I'd appreciate any advice, perhaps on how to wipe out all evidence of the printer and start all over, but I'd appreciate it if you keep it simple for me!
Thanks. Appreciated

[DrHu]

If it was there and is no longer there, make sure you used the correct driver files
http://www.hplipopensource.com/hplip-we ... 09n-z.html

• Distro Version Installer GUI Scan Fax Status Photo Card USB Parallel Network
  Ubuntu 14.10 Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

--I'd probably pick the Ubuntu 14x version: seems to have head cleaning and scanning available..

Just like windows OS, I'd start with a reinstall of the driver file(s) and overwrite any existing's ones: that should give the new settings
--then you have to see that your software connects with the driver, in your case HPLIP

• Again the procedure could be as simple as a reinstall of that program
  --but I would get the driver file(s) installed first

[ColinWhite]

Thank you. I'll try this. But should I uninstall anything first? I used synaptic manager to instal the HPLIP that now doesn't work but I also wonder if there's some other driver installed but I can't quite see how to check and uninstall that. Or should I just go ahead and install what you suggested?
Thanks for prompt response

[DrHu]

No, as I said a reinstall should be enough: you should only need a purge of the program and a fresh install if some settings seem to be stuck with old values
--normally a reinstall is sufficient for most OS and programs: Linux isn't an exception to that, and it is a little quicker(although not by much) as a complete delete and new install

• If you need to go that route remember to remove(delete) any dot (hidden) files belonging to HPLIP in your /home directory .hp (something, probably)

The only other program that might be there is CUPS, I believe it comes installed by default in Mint, but never checked to make sure of that..
--in synaptic you can search for CUPS

• And if it is needed it could be installed again
  --I presume HPLIP manages the whole of an HP printer setup, but again never checked that..

Additionally before doing anything else I would update the system: that might even (by itself ) fix the problems with print

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

--That's the method I normally use, but you could use your package manager GUI instead if you wished..


It won't take that long to do the suggested process and find out if AOK!

[ColinWhite]

Wonderful!
Thank you. Much appreciated.
I'll have to try all that tomorrow now.