SOLVED: DESKJET d4360 Very strange printer problem

[gyozu]

New user.
Just upgraded from Ubuntu 9.04 to Linux Mint 12 64bit DVD install.
Install went fine, no other problems so far.


Problem.
HP deskjet d4360 is recognized by system.
When it prints, the printhead moves, but no ink goes on the page.
It prints fine in Win7

I've been reading the past forum entries, but no luck so far.

[xenopeek]

Moved here by moderator

I'm not sure if this may resolve it, but a kernel update is noted to fix some problems with USB printers. Have you already tried that?

See here http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 19#p524337

[gyozu]

Thank you for the lead.

No, I had not tried that. I did spend a couple of hours with some of the HP leads from the various forums, but no luck.

So,I had to get some work done so I blew away Mint and installed Ubuntu 10.04 LTs and did all the updates.
I again had the same printer problem of print head and paper moving correctly, but no ink being applied.
I found a thread that suggested installing hplip-cups then going in through System>Administration>Ptinting etc to change the print driver to
d4360 hpcucps 3.10.2 [en].
I can print now in Ubuntu in draft grayscale which is all I use at this time. No color used.

I tried to do this using the Live CD for Mint 12 and I can't find the way to do this. Seems that I can only access one style of menu. Can't get to MATE.

I really wanted Mint to work since I like the multi media direction, but I need a printer.
I really don't want to go through the gyrations of getting UBUNTU to do all the Multimedia work.

Any suggestions? Can I try that kernel update with the Live CD?

[xenopeek]

Can't get to MATE.

That is a known issue from the Live DVD. It works once installed to hard disk though.

I really wanted Mint to work since I like the multi media direction, but I need a printer.
I really don't want to go through the gyrations of getting UBUNTU to do all the Multimedia work.

Any suggestions? Can I try that kernel update with the Live CD?

You can do a kernel update from the Live DVD, but it requires a reboot to activate IIRC. So that won't actually help you.

Perhaps you can install Linux Mint alongside Ubuntu to try? Or install it inside VirtualBox on Ubuntu. You need to add yourself to the vboxusers on Ubuntu, so Linux Mint can directly access the USB printer. See here: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 47#p527487

[gyozu]

VirtualBox will not boot MINT 12. Starts with Casper then gives error message.
"requires x86-64 only detects i686."
Seems to need some sort of Virtualiztion tech as it only sees 1 processor not 4.
I check the bios and HP site for info on CPU (Q8200) and that option is not available on that CPU.

So, I want to remove the partition generated by Virtualbox. Will it go away on it's own when I uninstall it or will I need to do something else.

I am not proficient enough to set up MINT along with UBUNTU and WIN7.

Not sure what to do now.

[xenopeek]

VirtualBox will not boot MINT 12. Starts with Casper then gives error message.
"requires x86-64 only detects i686."

The problem here is you have downloaded the 64 bits version of Linux Mint 12, but apparently you have created a 32 bits virtual machine in VirtualBox. Your CPU can handle it just fine, that is not a problem.

Open VirtualBox, highlight the virtual machine you created, click Settings (in the toolbar), and in the new window change the Operating System to "Linux" and the Version to "Ubuntu (64 bit)". Close that window, and then try the virtual machine again. That should solve it.

[gyozu]

So close, yet so far.

I have VirtualBox ver 3.1.6 available int the repository.
It does not have a 64bit version tab.
Seems like the most recent is 4..1.8 in and amd64 version.

I looked over the page and it is not clear to me how to proceed.

It looks like it is a multi-step process to get Ubuntu to recognize and install the latest version.

[gyozu]

OK

Managed to figure out how to add deb to sources list.
Managed to upgrade and install VB 4.1

Still no 64bit block to mark.
When I boot it gives same error message as before.

The package architecture has to match the Linux kernel architecture, that is, if you are running a 64-bit kernel, install the appropriate AMD64 package (it does not matter if you have an Intel or an AMD CPU). Mixed installations (e.g. Debian/Lenny ships an AMD64 kernel with 32-bit packages) are not supported. To install VirtualBox anyway you need to setup a 64-bit chroot environment.

Am I right in thinking that I need to somehow add the AMD64 10.04LTS package to my system?
How do i do that?
Do I need to have a 64-bit chroot environment set up. or is that already active?

[xenopeek]

I think you installed the 32 bits version of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, that would explain all the problems. Suggest you download Linux Mint 12 also in 32 bits to work around that. You can't host a 64 bits virtual machine on top of a 32 bits operating system, even though your CPU is 64 bits... I thought you had installed Ubuntu also in 64 bits version, as that was how you installed Linux Mint...

[gyozu]

I checked my system here are C&P from terminal.

markg1@markg1-desktop:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS"

markg1@markg1-desktop:~$ file /sbin/init
/sbin/init: ELF 64-bit LSB shared object, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.15, stripped

markg1@markg1-desktop:~$ file /usr/bin/file
/usr/bin/file: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.15, stripped

So, the above does mean that I have a 64bit install, doesn't it?

I will go ahead and download the 32bit MINT and try that.

If I can get the printer to work in the 32 bit, then the same fix should work on the 64bit. ???

[xenopeek]

If I can get the printer to work in the 32 bit, then the same fix should work on the 64bit. ???

Yes.

[gyozu]

Managed to get Mint 12 32bit installed on VB and got things set do that Deskjet was a recognizable printer.

Tried the cups labeled driver and that did not work. Went back and loaded the other choice, hplips(?) and that got the printer to function properly.

Now I have to reinstall Mint 12 and rebuild my system.

Thank you.

[xenopeek]

Now I have to reinstall Mint 12 and rebuild my system.

Thank you.

That sounded like somehow it is our fault you have to reinstall Linux Mint Glad it works though Non-working printers can be a pain...

[gyozu]

No, that is a sincere THANK YOU. The reinstall is painless. Certainly nothing like the 12+ hour insanity of upgrading Vista to Win7. An hour or two, if that much, and good to go. Plus more positives than I can count over Windows.