can't get printer connected locally to work

[Gev]

Hey,
I'm very new to Unix, expecially HP-UX . I have a HP laserjuet 6P connected to a 9000 series Hp machine running HP-UX 11. I go throught SAM Areas: Printers and Plotters>LP Spooler> Add Local Printer/Plotter. It detects the onboard parallel port (to which the printer is connected). I add the printer with modelscript dumb. I receieve a message to connect the printer and put it online, if i have not already done so. The printer is online and connected so I continue. It restarts the LP spooler and and adds the printer to the print queue.
when I sent a job to this printer, lpstat indicates that its there watiing but it never prints. Information on th system is below. If anyone has any ideas I would really appreciate it. Please Help Me!


#uname -a
HP-UX ec1-btb B.11.11 U 9000/778 2012525712 unlimited-user license
---------------
ioscan -fn -dCentIf
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
===================================================================
ext_bus 2 8/16/0 CentIf CLAIMED INTERFACE Built-in Parallel Interfa
ce
---------------------
#lsdev -dCentIf
Character Block Driver Class
216 -1 CentIf ext_bus
-----------------------
contents of /var/adm/lp/log file

***** LP LOG: Jan 31 15:28 *****
FIFO: Jan 31 15:28 n
FIFO: Jan 31 15:32 n
FIFO: Jan 31 15:32 r radio_pr 32 root ec1-btl 0
radio_pr-32 root radio_pr Jan 31 15:32
FIFO: Jan 31 15:32 d radio_pr
FIFO: Jan 31 15:32 printer "radio_pr" now disabled

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

The very first thing to do is determine if there is a problem with lp or with your port/cable/printer. Unless you get the hardware talking directly then the rest is hopeless.

First let's try to find your parallel device node.

Based upon your ioscan output, I don't see the device node. You may have omitted the line.

It appears to be bus 2 so try, lssf c2*
and see if a Centronics device is listed.

If you don't see a device then let's make one.

mknod /dev/c2t0d0_lp c 216 0x020002
chmod 666 /dev/c2t0d0_lp

Man 7 cent to see what these minor device numbers mean.

Now load paper in the printer and make sure it is cabled and is on-line.

ls /tmp > /dev/c2t0d0_lp

If you have output then we are talking and can now try to find out what is wrong with the lp spooler but if not then you have some hardware work to do.

[Bill Hassell]

Rather than use the spooler to troubleshoot the printer, just send a short text file directly to the printer's devicefile:

ux2dos /etc/TIMEZONE > /dev/printer_file

Find the printer file with:

ioscan -knfH 8/16/0

Now if nothing prints, you are experiencing one of the many Centronics incompatibilites. If you check the man page for cent, you'll see there are several handshake methods that are controlled by the minor number. Create a separate device file for each method and try the ux2dos command on each one. When one works, delete the current printer and re-add it with the working device file. Note that the ux2dosw command is needed to provide the proper ASCII CR/LF codes when cat'ing to the device file.

Now it is certainly possible that this printer doesn't work with any of the device files. So verify that it works on a PC parallel port, and if so, you have found another incompatible parallel port for the 9000. Most sysadmins connect printers to a JetDirect external box to avoid parallel port problems and to be able to share the printer.

[Gev]

Thanks to both of you guys for your feedback. I tried all that was suggested and it seems it was the port that was/is incompatible or non functional. So I ultimately connected the darn thing to a jetadmin printer and got it working just fine that way.

Thanks again

Giovanni