How Do I Clear EVERYTHING "Epson" From Mint 19.3?

[B2WJ]

I want to clear all traces of my Epson Stylus NX420 out of Mint 19.3 as I troubleshoot why proprietary drivers require constant reinstallation. After deleting the NX420 through either "system-config-printer" or CUPS (http://localhost:631/admin) I first used:

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sudo apt remove $package-name

Later I used:

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sudo apt-get purge $package-name

In each instance when I added the NX420 back all printer settings including current job number remained intact. Something printer-related remains in two exclusively Mint 19.3 PCs. What? I looked in “/usr/share/cups/model" and it was empty. I also looked in "lib64" and saw nothing obvious. Search and "greb" showed nothing obvious as well. So I tried the following cleaning options despite believing at least one is now automated:

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sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt autoclean 
sudo apt clean

Still the printer settings remain. Admittedly, I don't expect clearing the settings to help. It is only a start in determining why one or more of the following drivers keeps causing images/graphics of any size to abort until reinstalled in the involved PC -- only to abort graphics printing again the next one or two computer/printer sessions. Even the rudimentary printer "test page" aborts.

epson-inkjet-printer-escpr_1.7.7-1lsb3.2_amd64
epson-inkjet-printer-nx420_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64
epson-printer-utility_1.1.1-1lsb3.2_amd64

For those who never enjoyed the convenience, these are the Debian executable (read "double-click" ease) "Gdebi" Package Installers. Epson provides these 64bit(AMD64) files for [ deb ] Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian GNU/Linux, etc. It places two potential NX420 PPDs with 64bit(x86_64) files for [ rpm ] Mandriva Linux, Fedora, openSUSE, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, etc. Apparently the "nx420" driver negates need for a PPD. That is something I need to determine -- if necessary with a separate post -- after clearing the settings and starting over.

Thanks,
Bill B.

[sleeper12]

You have to enter the package name in that command after purge with no $.

[B2WJ]

Sorry, @sleeper12, I should have used brackets -- [$package-name] -- to indicate a blank. And should have simply written out exactly what I enter in the first place. It is:

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sudo apt remove epson-inkjet-printer-escpr
sudo apt remove epson-inkjet-printer-nx420
sudo apt remove epson-printer-utility

And:

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sudo apt-get purge epson-inkjet-printer-escpr
sudo apt-get purge epson-inkjet-printer-nx420
sudo apt-get purge epson-printer-utility

Ignore "apt" versus "apt-get" as I often find myself using the latter out of habit. In any case for these commands the terminal starts the requested process and then asks for its standard "Y/n" confirmation. I enter "Y" and the terminal proceeds to remove or purge. Yet when I add the printer back with either CUPS or the configuration tool my original settings with job count remain. So I'm somehow not getting everything out.

[sleeper12]

Ok, I don't have a solution, but you rebooted, right?

[smurphos]

Check hidden folders in your home (probably ~/.config) for any user specific config files related to those packages.

[Flemur]

To find all the packages installed, run

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dpkg -l "*epson*" | grep ii

Then purge the packages it returns. Keep an eye out for removing needed packages which might depend on the epson stuff.

Then to find all the files under $HOME, run

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find $HOME -iname "*epson*"

and delete the files.

If you really want to Clear EVERYTHING "Epson", run

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find / -iname "*epson*"

and delete the files.

[B2WJ]

Thanks to everyone. I hastily tried all of the recommendations so will be revisiting. This could take some time, especially given results from the guidance of @Flemur.

Ok, I don't have a solution, but you rebooted, right?

Well, not immediately as I do for kernel updates.

Check hidden folders in your home (probably ~/.config) for any user specific config files related to those packages.

Checked the hidden folders view to quickly scan the files. Saw nothing obvious but must return for a better look that may be aided by the readouts from Flemur's recommended commands.

To find all the packages installed, run

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william@william-Aspire-E1-731:~$ dpkg -l "*epson*" | grep ii
dpkg-query: no packages found matching *epson*

Then to find all the files under $HOME, run

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william@william-Aspire-E1-731:~$ find $HOME -iname "*epson*"
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Epson Avasys
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Epson Avasys/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420_1.0.0-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Epson Avasys/epson-inkjet-printer-escpr_1.7.7-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Epson Avasys/epson-printer-utility_1.1.1-1lsb3.2_amd64.deb
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/lib64/libEpson_Stylus_NX420.so.1.0.0
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/lib64/libEpson_Stylus_NX420.MT.so.1.0.0
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson/Epson-Stylus_SX420W_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson/Epson-Stylus_NX420_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson/Epson-Stylus_TX420W_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson/Epson-ME_OFFICE_560W_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/ppds/Epson/Epson-TX420_NX420_Series-epson-driver.ppd.gz
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/cups/lib/filter/epson_inkjet_printer_filter
/home/william/Desktop/AMD64 (DEB) Seiko Epson/epson-inkjet-printer-nx420/doc/COPYING.EPSON
DELETED:  583 REMAINING LINES

Those are the first 17 of 600 lines showing my regularly updated AMD64(DEB) installation files, retained due to the constant need to reinstall. The next command brought 3,044 lines comprised mostly of the installation files and Timeshift Snapshots. But at the beginning and end were some lines of interest I retained from the printout.

If you really want to Clear EVERYTHING "Epson", run

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william@william-Aspire-E1-731:~$ find / -iname "*epson*"
find: ‘/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-ModemManager.service-6FMZzT’: Permission denied
find: ‘/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-rtkit-daemon.service-6sR1aH’: Permission denied
find: ‘/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-ntp.service-SCbZBx’: Permission denied
find: ‘/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-systemd-resolved.service-mjEbFr’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/tty/driver’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/task/1/fd’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/task/1/fdinfo’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/task/1/ns’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/fd’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/map_files’: Permission denied
find: ‘/proc/1/fdinfo’: Permission denied

DELETED: LINES 11 THROUGH 3012

find: ‘/sys/kernel/debug’: Permission denied
find: ‘/sys/fs/pstore’: Permission denied
find: ‘/etc/ssl/private’: Permission denied
find: ‘/etc/polkit-1/localauthority’: Permission denied
find: ‘/etc/cups/ssl’: Permission denied
/etc/sane.d/epsonds.conf
/etc/sane.d/epson.conf
/etc/sane.d/epson2.conf
find: ‘/boot/efi’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/cache/ldconfig’: Permission denied
/var/cache/epson-backend
find: ‘/var/cache/lightdm/dmrc’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/cache/apt/archives/partial’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/cache/cups’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-ntp.service-fiBVw7’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-rtkit-daemon.service-vzM9Og’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-ModemManager.service-DYpmb8’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/tmp/systemd-private-8422939ec1914c7fa14861aa92490333-systemd-resolved.service-tG7DYE’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/bluetooth/60:02:B4:89:19:EA’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/udisks2’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/polkit-1’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/lightdm’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/apt/lists/partial’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/private’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/colord/.cache’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/lib/lightdm-data/lightdm’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/spool/cron/atjobs’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/spool/cron/atspool’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/spool/cron/crontabs’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/spool/rsyslog’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/spool/cups’: Permission denied
find: ‘/var/log/speech-dispatcher’: Permission denied

While it doesn't solve the effort to remove everything Epson, lines one and 3,029 referencing Modem Manager plus several references to spooling interest me. The constant aborting of graphics coincides with Comcast's delivery of an upgraded 3.1 DOCSIS wireless modem. However, I ruled out the modem or Wi-Fi because I can always print text. Likewise spooling because after I reinstall the drivers -- a process that often takes multiple re-installations -- by all indications I can print enormous graphics files indefinitely while the computer(s)/printer remain on. Much to consider.