[zenarcher]

I just installed a new HP PSC 1401 multifunction printer on my system. The printing is great, but SANE will not recognize the scanner. I've read and done everything I can think of, with no success. I probably won't give all the information necessary here, but this is what I've done.

I downloaded and installed the PPD file for the HP 1400 series, since it was not in the YAST install list. All HP software is installed, as well.

In YAST, under scanners, I see the printer, but it shows as not configured. When I attempt to configure it, I get an error: Failed to set up the ptal system - failed ptal-init setup-usb. Incidentally, this is a USB printer.

Opening a terminal as su, I run usr/sbin/ptal-init setup. Everything looks fine there shown below:
Currently defined device names ([*]=default):
"mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series"
Model is "PSC 1400 series".
Serial number is "CN591230QP04GM".

Probe for USB-connected devices ([y]/n)? y

Probing "/dev/usb/lp0"...
Found "PSC 1400 series"
with serial number "CN591230QP04GM".
This device is already set up as "mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series".

Probing "/dev/usblp0"...
Found "PSC 1400 series"
with serial number "CN591230QP04GM".
This device is already set up as "mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series".

I then ran /usr/sbin/ptal-init start which stops, then restarts.

Then, as su, from a terminal, I ran /usr/sbin/ptal-init setup-usb. Here is the result:

Probing "/dev/usb/lp0"...
Found "PSC 1400 series"
with serial number "CN591230QP04GM".
This device is already set up as "mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series".

Probing "/dev/usblp0"...
Found "PSC 1400 series"
with serial number "CN591230QP04GM".
This device is already set up as "mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series".

Starting the HP OfficeJet Linux driver.
mlc:usb:PSC_1400_series

Reading the HP driver installation information, I did go to /etc/sane.d/dll.conf and made sure the comment was removed, as advised to do in the HP instructions.

I'm pretty new with all this, so any help would really be appreciated.

zenarcher

[Dapper Dan]

Hi Zenarcher,
The only thing I can think of is, is the hpoj package installed? After running the ptal-init setup, did you try to get it going with xsane?

[zenarcher]

Yes, Dan hpoj is installed...I checked on that. Also, I deleted out the comment #, as instructed in the HP info. I also rebooted before and after all that...trying SANE both times, but SANE and KOOKA don't show, nor can they find the scanner. I'm sure I'm missing some step, but just not sure what.

Here is another oddity I'm having. I have another box, just like this one. I took my old HP T45 off this machine (where it printed fine, except the color was getting some lines through it) and moved it over to the other system. The other system is the same motherboard (MSI KT6V), same SUSE 10.0...everything the same. But, on the other machine, I cannot install the HP T45 as it doesn't find the parallel port! I'm using the same parallel cable and everything. I even went into the BIOS and made sure the parallel port is set to ECC, just as this one is. Yet, it works on this box, but not the other, if anyone has any ideas there. It is not communicating with the parallel port, as it appears to me.

zenarcher

[zenarcher]

Okay, I'm making progress on the scan problem with the PSC 1401, even if I'm not on the parallel port problem with the HP T45.

Here's the deal, so maybe Dan can help me with this. Here is what I did:

I did some more reading and found that SOMETIMES, having both HP print drivers installed creates a problem. This printer unit requires you to use the old hpoj driver. So, I went into YAST and deleted the new hpijs(or something like that). I then went back into /etc/sane.d/dll.conf and had to remove the comment again on hopj, using the vi editor.

Now, I tried once again to scan and IT WORKED! Now, here is the problem:

I rebooted the computer and could not scan, following the reboot. I then went into a terminal as su and ran usr/sbin/ and ran ptal-init start Following that, I could once again scan!

So, apparently, upon reboot, I have to run usr/sbin/ptal-init start before I can scan.

Is there something I can do so I don't have to open a terminal as su, then run usr/sbin/ptal-init start, every time I reboot the system, before I can once again scan?

Regards,
zenarcher

[zenarcher]

Got the problem resolved! Here was the resolution.....

In /etc/rc.d/boot.local I had to add this line:

/usr/sbin/ptal-init start

Once I did that and rebooted the system, the scanner worked perfectly!

Now, just to figure out the parallel port problem on the other box....

zenarcher

[zenarcher]

Well, I THOUGHT I had the problem resolved! Now, once /usr/sbin/ptal-init start is run, SANE finds the scanner and it works great. BUT, then, I cannot print. In order to print, I have to run /usr/sbin/ptal-init stop after which I can print, but not scan. Both have to be run in a terminal as "su" I can live with that, since most of the time I am only printing and can start ptal when I want to scan, then stop it when I'm finished, if there is no solution.

Regards,
zenarcher

[Dapper Dan]

Sorry, I can't rmember which distro you use. Is it Fedora? In SuSE, Fedora, Mandriva, You can go into the "services" editor and tell ptal-init to start at start up. In Fedora that would be:

Code:

system-config-services

In SuSE it would be in Yast. In Mandriva, it would be in the Mandriva control center.

I'm using Slackware so I'd likely just put the command in /etc/rc.d/rc.local If I were going to use the scanner a lot. If I used it only occaisionally, (which is what I do) I'd likely just start it up when I needed it.

Strangely enough, I had to scan 12 pages for a friend tonight. We use a HP officejet v40xi, and it scans and copies perfectly.
As a tip, Gthumb is a really good utility to scale, crop and convert images with. A lot easier to do than with Gimp. With Gthumb you do one, then click "next" and do the next one.

I'm glad you got it working! Scanner are a real pain the first time around!

[Dapper Dan]

Originally posted by zenarcher:

Quote:

Well, I THOUGHT I had the problem resolved! Now, once /usr/sbin/ptal-init start is run, SANE finds the scanner and it works great. BUT, then, I cannot print. In order to print, I have to run /usr/sbin/ptal-init stop after which I can print, but not scan. Both have to be run in a terminal as "su" I can live with that, since most of the time I am only printing and can start ptal when I want to scan, then stop it when I'm finished, if there is no solution.

Regards,
zenarcher

I'm pretty sure danleff has this very same problem with his printer/scanner. You have to stop sane in order to print and so on. Luckily enough, ours doesn't have this annoyance. At any rate, you're scanning and that's good news!

[zenarcher]

That's my thought as well, Dan. I can live with that, considering I am able to both print and scan, now. It's not all that often that I have to scan something, but nice to be able to do so. That's one of the reasons I got the printer, as I liked the flatbed scanner, rather than the one I had with the HP T-45.

Regards,
zenarcher

[danleff]

Well I actually have a flatbed and a seperate printer, but I remember a post on this a while back. I have thought about getting a combo unit, maybe today, since I have some Staples gift cards to use.

I do remember reading an article about this a while back, as well.

Maybe a couple of shell scripts, one to turn on and another to turn off sane. Not the best solution, but a little better than switching back and forth via a console.

[zenarcher]

Well, I guess it's not all that big of a hassle and I'm not adept enough with Linux to know about shell scripts, danleff.

I used to have a separate scanner and printer, but that was quite a long time ago. I went this way with the combo unit about six or seven years ago, trying to clear some desk space. One of the same reasons I went with the flat LCD monitor. I have a huge "L" shaped desk, but I still manage to clutter it up and most free space left on it ends up being occupied by our three black cats, who sleep on top of printers, computers and any other flat surface.

It just seems strange to me, especially since HP is fairly well supported with Linux, that the problem has not been addressed. It seems that the problem does not exist with high end HP units. It seems to me that these lower priced units would be the ones most often purchased by the average person. For example, this PSC 1401 is one of the "Wal-Mart Sales Items," right now. Wal-Mart is selling them for $49.95...you couldn't even buy two new print cartridges for that price, so I know a lot of them must sell. They are stacked to the ceiling in the local Wal-Mart and have been selling like mad. Due to the popularity of this and other similar models, it would really be nice to see an effort made for compatibility.

Regards,
zenarcher

[Dapper Dan]

I'm certainly no shell script guru, but maybe something like this would work...

[code]
#!/bin/bash

/usr/sbin/ptal-init start |
xsane

You could put it in your home directory and call it scannerstart.
Make an icon on your desktop with the command:
[code]sh scannerstart.

...or some such thing. Just an idea...

[zenarcher]

Originally posted by Dapper Dan:

Quote:

I'm certainly no shell script guru, but maybe something like this would work...

[code]
#!/bin/bash

/usr/sbin/ptal-init start |
xsane

You could put it in your home directory and call it scannerstart.
Make an icon on your desktop with the command:
[code]sh scannerstart.

...or some such thing. Just an idea...

Dan, I sort of understand what you're saying with the shell script, but I have one other question. How would I then turn it off, after I finished scanning, so I could print again?

Thanks,
zenarcher

Afterthought: I may have just been having a dumb moment here, Dan....I would probably create another one with "Stop" instead of "Start." Would that be correct?

zenarcher

[danleff]

That should work. Yes, another script to stop the service, just as Dan noted.

I just bought an HP Officejet 6210 this am. I am going to try the HP drivers with it and post my results.

[Dapper Dan]

I don't know what it is, but I'm sure there is a way to include code into what I posted above to shutdown ptal-init and xsane when you exit out of, "scannerstart."

If you were going to create another shell script to shut it down, you would leave off the xsane part.

Sure whish I knew more about shell scripts. I never seem to be able to find the time to study up on it though...

Dapper

[zenarcher]

Originally posted by danleff:

Quote:

That should work. Yes, another script to stop the service, just as Dan noted.

I just bought an HP Officejet 6210 this am. I am going to try the HP drivers with it and post my results.

Ahh...you probably have one of the units that is totally compatible, danleff. I sure hope so. For some reason, I vaguely recall that the 6000 series was quite compatible.

Regards,
zenarcher

[zenarcher]

Originally posted by Dapper Dan:

Quote:

I don't know what it is, but I'm sure there is a way to include code into what I posted above to shutdown ptal-init and xsane when you exit out of, "scannerstart."

If you were going to create another shell script to shut it down, you would leave off the xsane part.

Sure whish I knew more about shell scripts. I never seem to be able to find the time to study up on it though...

Dapper

Okay....I think I understand that part pretty well. The commands I use in a terminal, as su, are:

/usr/sbin/ptal-init start (that makes the scanner usable)
/usr/sbin/ptal-init stop (that stops the scanner and makes the printer usable again)

Now, what I'm not sure about. I know how to use vi to edit something...but I'm not real sure what I use to create the scripts, as you mention. Perhaps you could clarify that for me. Also, I'm figuring I would "Save As," when I finish them, putting them in the Home Directory. I guess "ScannerStart" and "ScannerStop" would be good names?

Regards,
zenarcher

[Dapper Dan]

Those names would be fine. It really doesn't matter what editor you use. Kate, Gedit will do. You will have to run as root so you could put, kdesu before the command so it will ask for root password.

[zenarcher]

Originally posted by Dapper Dan:

Quote:

Those names would be fine. It really doesn't matter what editor you use. Kate, Gedit will do. You will have to run as root so you could put, kdesu before the command so it will ask for root password.

Okay Dan, I'm having another dumb moment. I'm not real sure as to where I would put kdesu. I know you said before the command, but could you please clarify for me? Would that be the very first line, or would it be right before the /usr/sbin/ptal-init start |

Regards,
zenarcher

[danleff]

Here is is an article about kdesu usage.

Yes zenarcher, you are right, my HP Officejet 6210 works in Fedora using the HP provided drivers. The scanner works in xsane, as well.

Nice!