Epson WF-3540, an idiots guide to drivers installation?

[FrederickBloggs]

It appears I have stumbled upon the exact same problem as described here-

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=237452&p=1290830&h ... 0#p1290830

Today I installed Mint 18.2 Cinnamon 64 bit. It works perfectly except I cannot install the Epson WF-3540 multifunction printer drivers. I have tried with both USB and LAN connections. Both ways the device is correctly identified and the Epson drivers are located. When I click to install the drivers the progress bar stops at around 20%. I have to cancel the installation. Mint says the printer has stopped responding and I have to click to force the installation to abort. I am a first time Linux Mint user. It would be a crying shame if I have to give up just because my printer won't install. Everything else works really well. Can anyone please offer an idiots guide to applying what apparently solved the problem in the "solved" post? I read the fix posted in the link. I just do not understand any of it.

Thank you.

Bloggs..

[Pierre]

from that link of yours:-

pcd_2, could you do the following for me?

1. Install the WF-3540 driver from Epson's website on your system in Linux Mint 18 (assuming you have version 18 installed)
2. Add a printer (for this test, it shouldn't matter which printer you add).
3. When the Printer tool gets to the point of selecting a driver, manually search for the newly installed driver by selecting "Epson" and scrolling down to WF-3540.
4. Tell me if you see the driver in that list.

I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

typically, you have to install at least Two Drivers - - Step One:
http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/searc ... archModule
- this is were it gets confusing - - which one, you have to search for it . . WF-3540 / Linux
( their site won't allow the search to be saved )
& generally, you would install the first one on their list - - the latest driver.

but, if that didn't work, then you would try the next older driver, instead.
- then follow steps 2 -4 in the instructions from mfreeman

[FrederickBloggs]

Thanks. I have managed to manually install the 64 bit printer driver from the Epson website. The printer is now installed. When I print a page, any page the print status immediately goes to "STOPPED" and the status message from the printer is "Filter Failed". Everything seems to work right up to the point of printing when it falls over. I have text file called "TROUBLESHOOT.TXT" but I am unsure about pasting it here, is that OK?

Thanks.

Bloggs.

PS - The print driver I used is - Epson-WF-3540_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz

[Pierre]

when you make any reply, then down the bottom of that screen is Two Tabs:
- Options
- Attachments
click on that Attachments Tab.
then, underneath that is an option to Add Files

click on that option, then browse to where that "TROUBLESHOOT.TXT" is located.
then complete your reply & Hit that Submit icon.

[FrederickBloggs]

Thanks! See pdf attached.

[FrederickBloggs]

OK, I deleted the printer and started again. I get the message -

"Printer 'EPSON-WF-3540-Series' requires the '/usr/lib/cups/filter//opt/epson-inkjet-printer-201212w/cups/lib/filter/epson_inkjet_printer_filter' program but it is not currently installed. Please install it before using this printer."

I have the "epson_inkjet_printer_filter file", from the cups folder in the drivers package, but I have no idea how to install it. Copy and paste doesn't work. What do I do to install this filters file please?

Bloggs.

[pdc_2]

so to install the drivers; I see Epson supply 2 drivers; one they call a full feature, and the other is more generic

for the full feature from here, http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/du/02 ... 1c41e74b71 for a 64bit Mint one should opt for epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb and when one clicks to DOWNLOAD, then the box that appears should offer to SAVE or OPEN ... the option to OPEN should mean that gdebi installer is offered; this should allow one to install the deb package there and then ......... if gdebi is not the preferred option for the OPEN option ...... one needs to search through the list of packages that one could use, and select gdebi installer

if you just want the generic driver, get it from here http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/du/02 ... d956e1ea7f

________________
BACKGROUND

to have a printer "set up" on a system, ...... so you can use it to print .............. there are usually 2 steps:

1) install the driver(s)
2) register the printer with the lpadmin system .............. lpadmin being the linux printing admin system ...........

when one downloads the Epson driver, step 2) may not happen so one needs to ....
a) go to the PRINTERS folder; ............ inside ADMINISTRATION ............
b) select ADD at the top left, and
c) point the system towards the WF-3540 ... let it look for it ..... be patient ... which if wireless needs to be accepted by the router first of all, before any drivers are installed;

______________________________

if one opens the PRINTERS folder; and sees how many icons there are for the WF-3540 as Mint may well make an initial attempt to set it up automatically; and will choose what it thinks is the nearest driver that might do .........

so if one RIGHT-CLICKS on each icon that there may be; selects PROPERTIES ........ and looks in MAKE & MODEL ........ drag the window to the right so you can see all the writing ............. I would suggest deleting any icon that does not have

epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2

.. if you install the full feature Epson driver, that is epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2

when I look in the pre-installed drivers that Mint has for Epson, there doesn't seem to be one for the WF-3540
________________--
and as an attachment, I enclose a screenshot of the two drivers that Epson offers for the WF-3540

[FrederickBloggs]

Thank you that's very helpful. I will give it another go as you describe. You are correct, Mint does not have a preinstalled driver for the WF-3540. I will try again and see how I go.

Thanks.

Bloggs.

[FrederickBloggs]

Well, that's two wasted days now. I have installed Mint 17.3 Rosa 64 bit Cinnamon since in the other thread he said it worked with a WF-3540. It doesn't work for me. I have EXACTLY the same error message about a filter missing as before. If no one here knows how to install the filter file that I have in the drivers package, then I give up. I'll just go back to Windows 7. Error log file is attached.

troubleshoot.pdf

[pdc_2]

sorry to hear of all your problems; please let us know a little of what you have done: eg how did you install the Epson driver; and please; how many icons for the Epson are there in your PRINTERS folder? Did you need to create a registration manually?
ie did you need to open the PRINTERS folder and click the ADD button? .. We understand it is all very frustrating .. let's see if you we help a little;

_______________

the Epson files you mention should all be created by the install of the driver; eg in our /usr/lib/cups/filter we have

Code: Select all

rastertoepson

..... that was triggered from the driver install; and then registration;

can you open a terminal please; please COPY the command below; and paste this command into the terminal; (paste into a terminal can be done by right-clicking at the text prompt and selecting PASTE from the menu that appears ..)

Code: Select all

dpkg -l epson-inkjet-printer*

...... that command is asking dpkg (debian package manager) to LIST what it has with epson-inkjet-printer*

___________

there must have been some copying error in the message you gave in an earlier post

"Printer 'EPSON-WF-3540-Series' requires the '/usr/lib/cups/filter//opt/epson-inkjet-printer-201212w/cups/lib/filter/epson_inkjet_printer_filter' program but it is not currently installed. Please install it before using this printer."

has several bits to it; I think they may be

Code: Select all

/usr/lib/cups/filter

and then

Code: Select all

/opt/epson-inkjet-printer-201212w/cups/lib/filter/epson_inkjet_printer_filter

........ the latter was created by driver install in our system and the first maybe needs rastertoepson

[FrederickBloggs]

Thank you for the support. It is appreciated.

Neither Mint v18.2 nor 17.3 seem to have a native driver in the Mint driver database for the WF-3540. I tried letting Mint automatically identify and download the drivers but it hangs when installing. I can leave it installing for an hour but it makes no progress. So, I downloaded the correct Epson drivers as above. I installed the printer again but this time selecting a local driver and browsing to it, then applying it. This installs OK but Mint reports the missing print filter file. The path you pointed out to the cups directory where the filter file "should be" is correct, I copy/pasted from the error message. There is just one instance of the printer installed.

Within the last few minutes, I have actually made some progress, I think.

I am not sure what I am doing here but the Ubuntu forum suggests applying the cups package from the synaptic package manager. I have no idea what I am doing, but have nothing to lose. So I searched the synaptic package manager for "cups" and I identified an Epson package with WF-3540 in the title. I selected and installed it.

Not knowing what I am doing here but I seem to have done some good. The printer now does not throw an error message. But...... It is continuously asking for the password in order to print. I tick "remember password" but it doesn't do anything. The print queue does show a queued document and says it is printing. But it does not actually print. It seems to be in a loop just asking for the password. The print filter issue seems to have gone only to be replaced by a password loop problem.

Any thoughts on solving this new problem please? Thanks.

Bloggs.

[pdc_2]

I did ask you to report on some things in the previous post I made; if you can please go back to that and tell what we requested please;

If below I give you a suggested pathway ....................

1) I think you would be best to download the package epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb that you can get from here; http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/du/02 ... 1c41e74b71 ....... that is, if you have a 64bit Mint install .......... please confirm this please ...................

2) I think if you select to SAVE this package when you click to download it, and it ....... should ........... end up in your Downloads folder

3) Please tell us how this printer is set up: ie is it usb or already connected to your router?

4) Either way, I would suggest then going to your PRINTERS folder; deleting any icons for the WF-3540 then

5) open your Downloads folder from your Desktop; selecting the package epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb and right-click on it; select INSTALL WITH GDEBI INSTALLER ..... and it should ask you for your sudo password; and it should install this driver; and set it up for you;

6) next step will likely be registering the printer; done from the PRINTERS folder; but when you open that, has installing the driver created a new entry? If so, right-click on that entry; select PROPERTIES; drag the window to the right; to make all the words visible; look in the MAKE & MODEL box; does it say

epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2

....... if it does, then it has been registered and one can try a trial print from say .. LibreOffice .............

[FrederickBloggs]

OK, apologies for not answering properly.

I did ask you to report on some things in the previous post I made; if you can please go back to that and tell what we requested please;

If below I give you a suggested pathway ....................

1) I think you would be best to download the package epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb that you can get from here; http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/du/02 ... 1c41e74b71 ....... that is, if you have a 64bit Mint install .......... please confirm this please ...................

Yes, that is exactly what I have and yes, 64 bit.

2) I think if you select to SAVE this package when you click to download it, and it ....... should ........... end up in your Downloads folder

Yes, exactly.

3) Please tell us how this printer is set up: ie is it usb or already connected to your router?

Tried both, same result. Presently connected to router with LAN cable.

4) Either way, I would suggest then going to your PRINTERS folder; deleting any icons for the WF-3540 then
OK, done.

5) open your Downloads folder from your Desktop; selecting the package epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb and right-click on it; select INSTALL WITH GDEBI INSTALLER ..... and it should ask you for your sudo password; and it should install this driver; and set it up for you;

The gdebi installer says either the file is corrupt (It isn't) or I do not have permissions to run the file.

6) next step will likely be registering the printer; done from the PRINTERS folder; but when you open that, has installing the driver created a new entry? If so, right-click on that entry; select PROPERTIES; drag the window to the right; to make all the words visible; look in the MAKE & MODEL box; does it say

epson-inkjet-printer-201212w_1.0.0-1lsb3.2

....... if it does, then it has been registered and one can try a trial print from say .. LibreOffice .............

My previous attempts had exactly this, but it still went into an endless loop of requesting password before it would actually print.

BTW, I have no idea what a "SUDO password" is. Is it different to the password I set up during Mint install?

Thank you.

[pdc_2]

BTW, I have no idea what a "SUDO password" is. Is it different to the password I set up during Mint install?

the SUDO password is the password you set up when you installed Mint: it gets referred to as SUDO in Ubuntu and Mint;

The gdebi installer says either the file is corrupt (It isn't) or I do not have permissions to run the file.

........ that does not sound good; something more fundamental is wrong with your system; it seems to me; ........ but I am not clear exactly what you are describing ............

the second part of your message ..........

or I do not have permissions to run the file

........ would seem to be in keeping with your report that you are asked for a password to print; ........ which I have not seen before ............

if you are USER on your system, then it should ask you for your SUDO password; you should enter that and then gdebi installer should/will run; to install files, one should be asked to enter the SUDO password; if the correct password is entered, then the system carries out the request;


____________

you may well want to post on the install forum about the permissions issues and see if some clever soul can help you fix it; but if you can describe exactly what is happening .........

[FrederickBloggs]

Thanks, a simple question first please? Is the SUDO password set the same as the user password that you set when installing Mint? Thanks.

[pdc_2]

reply now in previous post about sudo: your post overlapped my edit

[FrederickBloggs]

reply now in previous post about sudo: your post overlapped my edit

Thank you for your assistance. I'll address the file corruption/permission question elsewhere.

Thanks again.

Bloggs.

[pdc_2]

thanks;

this sort of link https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo gives a bit of background to the sudo concept;