can't remove printer

[John Destreel]

/usr/sbin/lpadmin: can't remove request directory because of directory not empty.

There are no files in the request directory.

Printer is not accepting prints and still is in status enabled/avccepting.

It's a remote printer.Doesn't make a difference if remote printer is up or down.

your advice pls...

[Steve Steel]

Hi


Use ls -a on the directory

Bet there is a hidden file or the directory is not set to lp bin with access for lp


steve STeel

[Victor BERRIDGE]

Hi,
Did you cancel -e first?
To be sure no queue...
then disable the printer before removing it
with lpadmin -x


All the best
Victor

[Bill Hassell]

Check on the ownership of the request directory and any contents. Someone may have decided to 'improve' the security of the lp file structure. Try:

swverify PrinterMgmt

and look for errors in the LP area.

[Sยภเl Kย๓คг]

Hi John

1.#cancel -e
2.ensure that the directory /var/spool/lp/request/3.lpadmin -x printer_name
4.lpstat -t
5.Even if u are not able to remove by normal
method use this method(not recommended)

1.#lpshut
2.Delete /var/spool/lp/request/
directory
3.Delete /etc/lp/interface/
4.delete /etc/lp/member/
5.lpsched

regards
SK

[John Destreel]

Thanks for all of your submissions, but it still doesn't work for me.

Even after a cancel -e printer the request directory isn't empty. while there are no files in it.

swverify printermgmt : no errors.

Problem remains the request directory of the printer.
I can't remove the request directory of the printer.

I'm thinking of a restore from prior to this problem of the request directory.

Is this a valid option?

Thanks.

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

As root, you can remove the request/printer_name directory and anything in it. Make sure there are no hidden files or directories inside: ll -a /var/spool/lp/request/printer_name. Sounds like corruption in the pstatus file which is binary and cannot be edited with vi. Hopefully removing the printer_name directory will allow lpadmin -x ro work and pstatus will be cleaned up. Otherwise, you'll need to dump a list of all the printers (lpstat -v for a quick list), then follow the spoolkick procedures to delte and rebuild the spooler.

[John Destreel]

Thanks Bill,

The spoolkick did the trick!

Cheers,

John