installing USB printer on OS/2 Warp 4.52

[KevinP]

I think it should work without CUPS running at all. Just install hplip and run PrinterManger /install to install the correct queue. There, you will need to specify the correct USB printer port.

Actual printing will require correct installation of the IBM USB printer daemon. I haven't done that since the 1990s, so I don't remember the details. In the 1990s it was all automatic, but we didn't have so many printer drivers.

I wonder if you have seen usbprint.txt from IBM? (attached)

One question I have is how to install hp-lip.  Do I just place the unzipped folder into "some directory"?  I have not seen an installation file in it.

I will try the usbprten.exe because I am having trouble with the CUPS Web interface.  It takes a very long time to load when I try to select Admin or Printer and it will often time out.  I do not know if that is a factor of the browser (SeaMonkey) or not.  There is no USB port driver in my Warp 4.52 installation but I see that usbprten.exe has it.  I have the other USB drivers from v10.253.

If this does not work then I may need to locate an older printer.  I no longer have any available at home.  A search of thrift stores may be in order.

[KevinP]

I got the USB printer port installed using the directions in the usbprten.exe package.  When I install the printer, though, I cannot install anything but postscript drivers.  It will not accept either the omni.drv or laserjet.drv drivers.  The notes indicate that the package supports "standard" USB printers.  Perhaps the Envy4500 is not "standard".  The hp-lip package seems only to have CUPS drivers and postscript drivers.  Would the Gutenprint/Gimp-print package have drivers that would work?

[Andi B.]

I think it should work without CUPS running at all. Just install hplip and run PrinterManger /install to install the correct queue. There, you will need to specify the correct USB printer port.

Actual printing will require correct installation of the IBM USB printer daemon. I haven't done that since the 1990s, so I don't remember the details. In the 1990s it was all automatic, but we didn't have so many printer drivers.

I wonder if you have seen usbprint.txt from IBM? (attached)

I never heard that 'host-based' 'GDI' printers like the Hewlett Packard Envy 4500 work with OS/2 without cups. I ever thought we need PCL or PS printers or anything else with an IBM supplied printer driver.

But probably Neil knows much better than me. Sorry when my post started confusion.
But that does not mean that it's not possible.

[Pete]

Hi KevinP

Probably the best way to get your printer working:-

Start ANPM
Install the hplip 3.19.12-1 package - that should pull in the rest of the hplip bits plus whatever you need from cups
With printer already powered on:
Start the cups daemon
Start Print Manager and create a printer - this should create both the OS/2 and cups printer bits for your printer, you may have to check OS/2 printer Properties, Output Port and make sure the cups port is selected

That is how it should work presuming any other necessary support files are in place... You may need to copy [UNIXROOT]:\usr\bin\lpr.exe to [BootDrive]:\TCPIP\bin\cupslpr.exe...

People seem a little confused about cups and OS/2 printers...

The above process should create an OS/2 printer object which processes a print job using a modified cups/hplip supplied ppd file.
When the OS/2 printer sends the print job to the printer it is actually passing the print job - via the cups port - to the cups printing system which converts(? - probably the right word) the print job from postscript to the printers "native" language.
Hope that clarifies the process.

You do need to check that you have the following in config.sys:-

   SET UNIXROOT=J:
This must be the drive letter of the volume that has the Unix /etc /usr /var directories

   LIBPATH=.;J:\usr\local\lib;J:\usr\lib;
The above should be at the start of libpath - change J: to your UNIXROOT

   SET PATH=H:\OS2;J:\USR\LOCAL\BIN;J:\USR\SBIN;J:\USR\BIN;
The above should be at the start of PATH - change drive letters to reflect your system


Hope the above is of some help

Pete

[KevinP]

Hi KevinP

Probably the best way to get your printer working:-

Start ANPM
Install the hplip 3.19.12-1 package - that should pull in the rest of the hplip bits plus whatever you need from cups
With printer already powered on:
Start the cups daemon
Start Print Manager and create a printer - this should create both the OS/2 and cups printer bits for your printer, you may have to check OS/2 printer Properties, Output Port and make sure the cups port is selected

That is how it should work presuming any other necessary support files are in place... You may need to copy [UNIXROOT]:\usr\bin\lpr.exe to [BootDrive]:\TCPIP\bin\cupslpr.exe...

People seem a little confused about cups and OS/2 printers...

The above process should create an OS/2 printer object which processes a print job using a modified cups/hplip supplied ppd file.
When the OS/2 printer sends the print job to the printer it is actually passing the print job - via the cups port - to the cups printing system which converts(? - probably the right word) the print job from postscript to the printers "native" language.
Hope that clarifies the process.

You do need to check that you have the following in config.sys:-

   SET UNIXROOT=J:
This must be the drive letter of the volume that has the Unix /etc /usr /var directories

   LIBPATH=.;J:\usr\local\lib;J:\usr\lib;
The above should be at the start of libpath - change J: to your UNIXROOT

   SET PATH=H:\OS2;J:\USR\LOCAL\BIN;J:\USR\SBIN;J:\USR\BIN;
The above should be at the start of PATH - change drive letters to reflect your system


Hope the above is of some help

Pete

Hi, Pete
Unfortunately that did not work on my system.  It seems that CUPS simply is not seeing or connecting to my printer.  When I try to install a CUPS printer with Printer Manager, after I click the button to create it, nothing happens.  When I try the Web interface it says there is no printer found.  I will attach some photos.  On the other hand. if I install a printer and use the USB port it will at least communicate with the printer and try to send a job to it; the printer screen will display "Now Printing" with a moving status bar but the job never actually prints because I do not have a correct driver (I assume).  It will even connect to the printer using the old IBMNULL driver.  There are some hpijs in CUPS now after I downloaded it with ANPM and even a few pcl3 options but I haven't been able to get them to work.  I will keep trying unless there is another idea.  There apparently is a pcl3 option in ghostscript but I have not tried that yet.

I should have clarified that I *can* create printers using CUPSWIZ but it does not detect the connected printer.  It will show a list of possible printers and drivers.  After it fails to detect the connected printer it indicates it will have to be set up manually.

[Neil Waldhauer]

I think it should work without CUPS running at all. Just install hplip and run PrinterManger /install to install the correct queue. There, you will need to specify the correct USB printer port.

Actual printing will require correct installation of the IBM USB printer daemon. I haven't done that since the 1990s, so I don't remember the details. In the 1990s it was all automatic, but we didn't have so many printer drivers.

I wonder if you have seen usbprint.txt from IBM? (attached)

I never heard that 'host-based' 'GDI' printers like the Hewlett Packard Envy 4500 work with OS/2 without cups. I ever thought we need PCL or PS printers or anything else with an IBM supplied printer driver.

But probably Neil knows much better than me. Sorry when my post started confusion.
But that does not mean that it's not possible.

I'm sorry. You're likely right. There has to be a part of CUPS that adds USB support.

For a printer with old IBM support, you need the USB printer daemon to run. When you plug in the printer, it will bring up a printer dialog and you are good to go. But only if you have a printer driver. HPLIP is a printer driver. Does it require CUPS to convert from it's proprietary language to postscript? I don't know.

[Pete]

Hi KevinP

Definitely something missing on your system...

Open a command window and navigate to [UNIXROOT]:\usr\lib\cups\backend
Type usb and press Enter
Does that find your printer?

If "No" do you have the following packages installed via ANPM
libusb1 (1.0.24-5)
libusbcalls (0.0-0)

Does usbresmg.sys exist in [BOOTDRIVE]:\os2\boot


I am not sure what else, if anything, is required by cups to connect to a usb attached printer - so much easier to connect to a wireless connected printer...


Regards

Pete

[KevinP]

Hi KevinP

Definitely something missing on your system...

Open a command window and navigate to [UNIXROOT]:\usr\lib\cups\backend
Type usb and press Enter
Does that find your printer?

If "No" do you have the following packages installed via ANPM
libusb1 (1.0.24-5)
libusbcalls (0.0-0)

Does usbresmg.sys exist in [BOOTDRIVE]:\os2\boot


I am not sure what else, if anything, is required by cups to connect to a usb attached printer - so much easier to connect to a wireless connected printer...


Regards

Pete

Hi, Pete

"Type usb and press Enter
Does that find your printer?"  Answer:  no

"If "No" do you have the following packages installed via ANPM
libusb1 (1.0.24-5)
libusbcalls (0.0-0)"  Answer:  yes, both are installed

"Does usbresmg.sys exist in [BOOTDRIVE]:\os2\boot"  Answer:  yes, it is there although I do not remember which version it is if that makes a difference.

I had some time yesterday to do some searching for information.  As Neil mentioned, hp-lip is the driver "but" it requires plugins to work with older printers such as this one that needs a pcl3 driver.  Judging from what I am seeing in CUPSWIZ, it seems that the version of hp-lip downloaded with ANPM has the plugins because both pcl3 and hpijs drivers appear in the list.  When I choose a printer with a pcl3 driver and then click Create, there is a message something to the effect that it cannot create a printer like that and must create an "appearance" printer to the system and gives me options of which postscript printer to choose so that does sound like that there is conversion/translation going on.

One comment I ran across mentioned that sometimes there will be two instances of the USB printer daemon, one in [root]\os2\dll and another in [root]\os2.  Would it make any difference if I place a second copy in \os2?. 

Another question:  when I set up a printer with CUPSWIZ it asks for the name of the CUPS server.  Does it make a difference what is listed there?  I have just been putting CUPS.  Should it be CUPSD.EXE or something like that?

The Envy4500 can work wirelessly although I have had that turned off in favor of the direct cable connection.  Should I try setting it up wirelessly?

Thanks,

[Pete]

Hi KevinP


The OS/2 usbprt.sys and printer daemon are not needed when using cups.
To identify which of the 2 usbmon.exe is needed for usb disks check for the existence of usbmon.ini which can be opened with a text editor and should have these lines:-
usbmsd
usbwarn.exe /A %D
usbwarn.exe /D %D


Given the problems setting up the printer to use usb I would definitely try wireless.
Give the printer a static ip address in the printer setup, power printer off and then power on.
Then try setting up a printer using Print Manager

The cups server name is localhost.


Hope wireless works as easily for you as it does me  :-)

Pete

[KevinP]

Hi KevinP


The OS/2 usbprt.sys and printer daemon are not needed when using cups.
To identify which of the 2 usbmon.exe is needed for usb disks check for the existence of usbmon.ini which can be opened with a text editor and should have these lines:-
usbmsd
usbwarn.exe /A %D
usbwarn.exe /D %D


Given the problems setting up the printer to use usb I would definitely try wireless.
Give the printer a static ip address in the printer setup, power printer off and then power on.
Then try setting up a printer using Print Manager

The cups server name is localhost.


Hope wireless works as easily for you as it does me  :-)

Pete

I have finally achieved "partial" success.  I activated the wireless on the printer and then the Web interface recognized that.  I set it up through the interface and was finally able to print a test page (see attached).  I changed the CUPS server to localhost in Printer Manager.  The Web interface now finds two printers:  the wireless setup and a local printer with two different drivers:  hpcups and hpijs.  The hpcups iteration seems to be the one that works.  I suppose that the "local" printer is what was set up through Printer Manager.  I cannot get it to print from a word processor (Star Office) so I may need to delete one in the Printer Manager screen and start over and change the driver.

[KevinP]

I haven't been able to replicate printing a test page or anything else.  The error I get on the jobs is "filter failed".  Since there were two printers showing up I decided to delete one of them first.  That did not help.  Then I decided to delete both and start over.  The printer is detected as long as the wireless capability is turned on; it is not detected as a USB cabled printer.  I tried changing the driver to a printer (HP Color Laser 4500) that was listed with a pcl3 driver but that did not work either.  I guess I never gave much thought to printer drivers before but I will now.  I wonder if it would work better as a cabled network printer.  The Envy 4500 does not have an Ethernet port but I suppose I may watch for an Ethernet-capable printer and if I find one I may try that to see if it helps.  I suppose I have almost reached the limit of what may be possible with my system and this printer.

[Dave Yeo]

One thing is it is hard to really delete and remove a printer. PMfax, IIRC, shipped with a nice utility to really remove all traces of a printer driver but I can't remember the name of the utility. Hopefully someone else will chime in with the name. If so use it to remove all remnants of the printer drivers you have been playing with and then start over. IIRC ibmnull printer can stay.
Haven't had a printer in a long time but did at one point install cups on OS/2 v4 and a Samsung laser printer and it worked fine so it should be possible.

[Tom]

One thing is it is hard to really delete and remove a printer. PMfax, IIRC, shipped with a nice utility to really remove all traces of a printer driver but I can't remember the name of the utility. Hopefully someone else will chime in with the name.

You probably mean prndrv.exe - he already has that according to this post: https://forum.os2world.com/index.php?topic=4170.msg51368#msg51368

[KevinP]

One thing is it is hard to really delete and remove a printer. PMfax, IIRC, shipped with a nice utility to really remove all traces of a printer driver but I can't remember the name of the utility. Hopefully someone else will chime in with the name.

You probably mean prndrv.exe - he already has that according to this post: https://forum.os2world.com/index.php?topic=4170.msg51368#msg51368

Yes, I have prndrv.exe.  I still wonder if there is some "failure to communicate" somewhere in the process on my system.  Identifying what it is may be the problem.  CUPS does not find the printer with the wireless turned off which made me wonder if the problem is a communication between CUPS and USB.  I can ping the IP Address of the printer on the network, when the wireless is turned on, and there is no packet loss.  The return time shows to be 20-30ms.  I wondered if, failing getting CUPS working with it, if it would be possible to set it up as a regular network printer.

[KevinP]

A couple of observations:  when I create a printer in the Web interface it does not show up in the printers under Printer Manager.  Is that the way it is supposed to be?  I may have mentioned that the Web interface is "incredibly" slow to respond/react.  I found that I "may" be able to print a test page but usually have to hit Reprint/Restart in the Web interface.  This afternoon when I was working on it I rebooted the computer and a test page printed while the computer was rebooting so it was obviously one that was in the queue.