>>> I can get the Sipix Pocket Printer A6 installed in CUPS and it will >>> get about 20% through a CUPS test page, but it always stops in the >>> same spot and the LED just blinks. >> >> Does it do the same with standard printing jobs? I ask because I have an >> Epson printer that failed on the CUPS test page, no matter what I tried, >> but then I tried printing a photo from KDE and it worked perfectly. > > It works! The thing just needed new batteries. For anyone else > reading this, flashing LED = replace batteries. > > It has a few problems: > > 1. The printer doesn't show up in Print dialogs. It shows up in > localhost:631 and prints the test page and via lpr. Why wouldn't it > show up in the Print dialogs? Is it because it's a serial printer? > > 2. I'm using a USB->serial converter and I get a permissions error > when trying to print unless I chmod /dev/ttyUSB0. The file shows up > before chmod as: > > crw-rw---- 1 root uucp > > The problem with chmod is it resets after unplug/plug. My user is in > the uucp group. How can I enable printing after unplug/plug without > chmod? > > 3. lpr doesn't work unless I set: > > # export CUPS_SERVER=localhost > > which resets after reboot. This wouldn't really be a problem if I > could get #1 fixed above because then I could use the Print dialogs > instead of lpr. > > 4. The printer feeds a lot of paper before it starts to print. Should > that be fixed in the .upp or .ppd? > > 5. Quality isn't great, but there's probably not much to do about that. > > - Grant
I should include info about how I got it to work. Just follow the Gentoo Printing Guide and additionally emerge foomatic-filters-ppds (if it is not already pulled in by cups) and psutils. After adding the printer at localhost:631, the device URI should look like this: serial:/dev/ttyUSB0?baud=115200+bits=8+parity=none+flow=hard Although your serial port device file would be different if you're using a real serial port instead of a USB->serial adapter. The device URI can be verified and edited in /etc/cups/printers.conf. Restart cups after editing that file. The sipixa6.upp file is required and is included with ghostscript-gpl which should be pulled in by foomatic-filters which should be pulled in by foomatic-filters-ppds. - Grant
