New HPPI install - print jobs won't print

[Terrence]

I've installed HPPI on several 11i machines and while the install succeeds and I can send test pages from the diagnostics, whenever I try and print files with the lp command the jobs never print. They spool up and then disappear.

The printers are all HP's with jet direct cards.

The install mentioned tftp. Is there some addition I need to make to the tftp line in inetd.conf? Right now tftp only references ignite.

[doug mielke]

Have you converted the queue's to hppi?

A quick test would be to create a new IP printer and see if that works

[Terrence]

There were no queues. These are new machines and these are the first printers ever set up.

[doug mielke]

Since the print jobs leave the queue, ( you can verify in /var/adm/lp/log) that implies that Unix recognized a print queue at that address. There are tons of permission issues that will prevent printing, but for me, they always left jobs in the queue.

When you created the printer, if given the option to choose printer model, the wrong one could have been chosen. If the system determined on it's own what the printer is, that possible mistake would be eliminated.

I'm sure you've stopped and started the scheduler and disabled / enabled the printers by now. Is this now a comms issue? Checking addressing...IP enabled on the printers, etc.?

[Terrence]

Tried all the obvious stuff. Curious though, I just went to delete the printer through SAM and it reported:

Lp destination "nb00ns1" does not exist on server

I started jet-admin and removed it that way, then reinstalled it with a different driver. Still no go.

[James Specht]

If you got "Lp destination "nb00ns1" does not exist on server " that tells me that your system can not find the printer name in DNS. Try doing an nslookup on nb00ns1. If you can't resolve it then you need to figure out if your server is resolving or if DNS was changed on your network.

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

tftp is only used when you are providing the JetDirect cards in the printer with their IP address (and subnet mask, etc) and there are additional values such as a restricted access list or location and owner info you'd like to load into the card for network monitoring via SNMP tools. This requires setting up bootpd on HP-UX, probably more details than you'd like to mess with at this point.

Let's start with the basics. Make sure you can ping a specific printer by IP address. If not successful, then the card/box has lost it's config and you'll have to configure the card or box again. Then telnet to the card/box and see if you can connect and see the help menu. Once that is working, then delete this particular printer with:

/opt/hpnpl/bin/removequeue -q thisPrinter

Now add it back the really easy way:

/opt/hpnpl/bin/addqueue -h Prn_IP_address -q thisPrinter

If addqueue returns with no errors, then byass the spooler and print direct with:

/opt/hpnpl/bin/hpnpf -x PRN_IP_address -N /etc/profile

and to simply query the JetDirect card for lots of details (or errors):

/opt/hpnpl/bin/hpnpadmin -v Prn_IP_address

If hpnpf works OK, your lp spooler is busted and probably has missing files or bad permissions. Use swverify to checkout the spool subsystem.

[Terrence]

Thanks Bill, always learning something from you.

using the addqueue command:

addqueue -h 172.24.71.10 -q nb00ns1

returns the message:

Printer not supported

It's an HP 4100N. Am I SOL? This is the JetDirect printer installer Version E.10.34.

[Terrence]

I tried another printer and this time I was able to install and print to it via Bill's commands. But still no go via lp. It spools off and disappears into the ether. The UDP numbers change when I print via lp.

UDP Statistics

1496468 datagrams received and delivered
876790 discarded due to no application at the destination port
9 discarded due to other reasons
1496379 datagrams sent