On Sun, Mar 22, 2026 at 10:40:30PM -0500, nwe wrote: > On 3/22/26 5:08 AM, didier gaumet wrote: > > > Le 22/03/2026 à 01:16, nwe a écrit : > > > > > This is interesting. I performed some quick testing: > > > > > > My printer is an HP_LaserJet_MFP_M426fdn. My Debian Trixie system is > > > printing via CUPS, my print driver according to > > > http://localhost:631/ printers/HP_LaserJet_MFP_M426fdn_E35487 is > > > "driverless" > > > > > > lpr myfile.pdf > > > prints portrait as expected > > > > > > echo "Hi, there" | lpr > > > prints landscape. why? > > [...] > > > > One of the possible reasons is the use of the wrong printing subsystem: > > the lpr command is not CUPS native command for printing (that's the role > > of the lp command) but is provided by the cups-bsd package as a > > compatibility layer with the old Unix lpr printing susbsystem. > > > > if the lpr or lprng package is installed on a system instead of the > > cups-bsd package, the setup used for a printer is the one from the lpr > > or lprng printing subsystem, not the one from CUPS printing subsystem. > > > > If the lp command prints in portrait mode, that means either lpr or > > lprng package is installed and must be purged, and cups-bsd package is > > to be installed. > > > > And, yes, CUPS and lpr or lprng are not conflicting packages. cups-bsd > > and lpr or lprng are conflicting packages. > > > Ah, I did not mention, I ran into all that while doing my testing. > > First I tested lp and got identical behavior as with lpr later. Next I > noticed OP says lpr. I didn't have lpr so I apt install lpr. > > That did not print at all for me. With some diagnostics I learned I need > cups-bsd instead of lpr package. So I > # apt purge lpr > # apt install cups-bsd > After which I performed the tests I reported above. > > I did not yet investigate, but at this point I suspect I have some kind of > auto-rotation going on if I do not specify which orientation to print.
I just installed the operating system on two other disks. No problem printing with lpr on either of them. Purging and reinstalling cups-bsd did not help. For my convenience, I now use a2pr to print plaint text files, for it prints as it should -- Haines Brown
