Setting up a network printer

[Tech49]

Hello,

I'm trying to get my networked printer, a Xerox Phaser 6022, working. I have CUPS installed, as well as (I think) the GUI. The GUI app doesn't seem to do much - I tried searching for the network printer - nothing comes up. I tried entering the IP address - doesn't find it (I entered it in the box "URI").

I've been a Windows user for the last 7+ years and haven't touched Linux in that time very much, so I've forgotten most of my (minimal) knowledge of Linux CLI in that time.

Xerox shows a Debian and RedHat driver package available, but I doubt that will be helpful (I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway). I've been doing some research (starting with this: CUPS - ArchWiki), and I've ended up on this page: Avahi - ArchWiki

I'm not certain that this is the route I need to go down. Also, my CLI skills are not really good enough for me to take the instructions as listed and use them; I need to educate myself on CLI first. Also, I don't see the printer listed on openprinting.org, though there are many other Xerox Phaser models listed (like a 6100, the closest in model number). Again, I'm not at a skill level (yet) where I fully understand what I need to do here. Any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated, as for the time being, I cannot print.

Also, I have another printer/scanner (a really old Canon MP250) that I want to get working strictly for the scanning function - I remember previously having it working under LXLE years ago, so I know I should be able to use it still. Any advice on that would be welcome as well. Thanks!

I previously posted my Garuda-inxi output here (yesterday): Login issue upon return from monitor sleep?

[filo]

I think you should try this package:
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xerox-phaser-6022
To install it, user an AUR helper. E.g.

paru xerox-phaser-6022

Exit from the pkgbuild preview with button q then confirm installation with Y.

[lum1nuss]

If you use more than one network and the printer is only on one of them, make sure you're connected to that one so that Avahi can find the printer.
Also, have you checked the output of $ avahi-browse --all --ignore-local --resolve --terminate to see whether the printer is being detected?

The network thing is very simple but it drove me crazy when I was setting mine up for the first time since I forgot it was a thing! :')
Once you can find the printer on your network and get the CUPS drivers, setting it up should be pretty straightforward. If the GUI is still a bit hit or miss, try the web client: http://localhost:631/

Hope this helps. ^^

[Tech49]

@filo Thanks. I was able to run that and it installed a printer driver it appears.

@lum1nuss after following @filo advice, and running command you indicated, it appears that the printer is detected:

+ enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  UNIX Printer         local
+ enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  PDL Printer          local
+ enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Internet Printer     local
+ enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Web Site             local
= enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  UNIX Printer         local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [515]
txt = ["note=" "rp=printer" "qtotal=1" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
= enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  PDL Printer          local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [9100]
txt = ["priority=10" "qtotal=1" "note=" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
= enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Internet Printer     local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [631]
txt = ["kind=document,envelope" "PaperMax=legal-A4" "air=none" "TLS=1.2" "Scan=F" "Fax=F" "Duplex=F" "Color=T" "URF=W8,SRGB24,RS600,PQ3-4-5,IS1-4-20,MT1-3-4-5,CP1,OB10,IFU0,V1.3" "UUID=00000001-0000-1000-8000-9c934ea50a99" "TBCP=T" "Binary=T" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "adminurl=http://XRXA50A99.local./setting/setairprint.asp" "pdl=application/postscript,application/pdf,image/urf,image/jpeg,application/vnd.hp-PCLXL,application/vnd.hp-PCL" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022" "priority=40" "qtotal=1" "rp=ipp/print" "note=" "txtvers=1"]
= enp4s0 IPv4 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Web Site             local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [80]
txt = ["note=" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "adminurl=http://XRXA50A99.local./" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
+ enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  UNIX Printer         local
+ enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  PDL Printer          local
+ enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Internet Printer     local
+ enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Web Site             local
= enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  UNIX Printer         local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [515]
txt = ["note=" "rp=printer" "qtotal=1" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
= enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  PDL Printer          local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [9100]
txt = ["priority=10" "qtotal=1" "note=" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
= enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Internet Printer     local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [631]
txt = ["kind=document,envelope" "PaperMax=legal-A4" "air=none" "TLS=1.2" "Scan=F" "Fax=F" "Duplex=F" "Color=T" "URF=W8,SRGB24,RS600,PQ3-4-5,IS1-4-20,MT1-3-4-5,CP1,OB10,IFU0,V1.3" "UUID=00000001-0000-1000-8000-9c934ea50a99" "TBCP=T" "Binary=T" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "adminurl=http://XRXA50A99.local./setting/setairprint.asp" "pdl=application/postscript,application/pdf,image/urf,image/jpeg,application/vnd.hp-PCLXL,application/vnd.hp-PCL" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022" "priority=40" "qtotal=1" "rp=ipp/print" "note=" "txtvers=1"]
= enp4s0 IPv6 Xerox Phaser 6022 (A5:0A:99)                  Web Site             local
hostname = [XRXA50A99.local]
address = [192.168.0.111]
port = [80]
txt = ["note=" "usb_MDL=Xerox Phaser 6022" "usb_MFG=Xerox" "adminurl=http://XRXA50A99.local./" "product=(Xerox Phaser 6022)" "ty=Xerox Phaser 6022"]
+ enp4s0 IPv4 [LG] webOS TV UQ7590PUB                       _display._tcp        local
= enp4s0 IPv4 [LG] webOS TV UQ7590PUB                       _display._tcp        local
hostname = [LGwebOSTV-EQ4n.local]
address = [192.168.0.249]
port = [7250]
txt = ["p2pMAC=c2:d7:aa:c9:2a:d4" "mac=74:e6:b8:d5:f7:77" "1AS=0" "dev_name=MiracastR2Sink" "proto_ver=2.0""aud_src=0" "aud_psink=0" "Hdcp=HDCP2.2" "ses_avail=1" "Type=p-sink"]

...however, the weblink you provided gives me a "not found" error on every link on that page I click. The GUI doesn't seem to help me much either (I'm selecting "Print Settings" in the Application Launcher):

I've tried using the IP address, Xerox, Phaser, searching for it, etc. - no luck. So, I'm not familiar enough with Linux to know what to do next. Honestly, installing a printer should not be this difficult - and maybe it isn't, for someone experienced in Linux, but it's a huge turn-off to someone transitioning from Windows to Linux, as Windows makes it super-easy.

Side note: if we (Linux users, as a community) want Linux to become the desktop OS of choice, ease of use will HAVE to be a priority. Not everyone is willing (or has the patience, intelligence, etc.) to spend (what can amount to) large amounts of time to get simple things working that are just much easier in other (more popular) OS's.

BTW, I have only one network locally. That command also picked up other network devices, such as my smart TV and my Onkyo Media tuner, which I thought was interesting.

[UltraBlack]

try avahi-browse -a | grep Printer - iirc this is what i used to discover my printers. Then look for familiar protocols and try them all in the printer gui. For me none but ipp worked I think.

[BluishHumility]

Please, the soapbox is not helpful. You might not mean it this way, but you sound like you are attacking the Linux community because you are having trouble setting up your printer.

Not for nothing, but setting up printers on Windows machines is not always the walk in the park you make it out to be. Maybe for a simple home printer, but anyone who works in IT will tell you printer management with Windows machines can be absolute hell.

@Tech49

I’ve tried using the IP address

Did you try this formatting?

Network printers

For network printers, use ipp://printer_ip/ipp/port1 as printer address. For some older printers, this might not work. If not, try lpd://printer_ip/BINARY_P1 instead.

Some printers use the socket protocol. For these printers, use socket://printer_ip:9100. For http, use http://printer_ip/POSTSCRIPT_P1.

More here: CUPS/Printer-specific problems - ArchWiki

[lum1nuss]

Avahi is detecting your printer so that’s a good start. ^^
Dang, if only your solution was as simple as connecting to the right network! :')
Hopefully my suggestion below works for you, otherwise you’ll need to do what UltraBlack and BluishHumility suggested.

@Tech49

…however, the weblink you provided gives me a “not found” error on every link on that page I click.

From my (very noob) understanding, this is most likely due to socket activation, which means systemd will only start the cups.service if a program attempts to connect to those CUPS sockets. From my experience dealing with this, hitting ctrl+P on a webpage, canceling it quickly and then trying to access the web interface fixes it. Doing this also fixes not being able to access the webpage at all.

Like you, I am also a user who hopped over from Windows recently, so I understand the sentiment ^^; but learning a new OS will always be some form of time sink.

Printers though… home printers on Windows are enough of a pain! I’m no IT worker so I have no experience there, but home printers… the stupid thing just stops working one day and you have to reinstall the whole lot if you can’t figure out the simple solution! In short, printers are one of mankind’s worst enemies no matter where you go.
(well, maybe except a Ubuntu-based distro like Linux Mint where it magically works).

[UltraBlack]

adding to this: I just tried it, and found a comment below the post, and it used avahi-browse -t -d local -c -a --resolve | sed -n '/^=.*Printer/,/txt =/p'

(I just discovered that my printer has an admin interface. It's like old as hell

[Tech49]

I apologize; I certainly do not mean it this way.

All I was trying to say is that for the not-very-computer-literate crowd that are using Windows, helping (convincing?) them to transition from Windows (or MacOS) to any Linux distro as a daily driver will be difficult if they encounter difficulty in setting up a single network printer at their home, as I am attempting to do. Most people won't spend the time and effort to figure it out and will leave Linux to go back to Windows (or MacOS) with nothing good to say about Linux. Is that what the majority of the Linux community wants? I suspect not, or maybe it's not something that's all that important to discuss. Either way, it was a thought that I had and I chose to share it. I can understand how it may have come off as a complaint or "attacking" the community. Again, I apologize. That was not my intent.

Regarding trying the formatting you suggested: I think I tried ipp://192.168.0.111/ipp/port1 (that's my printer's IP address) and it didn't work. I'll try again using the resources you indicated, thank you for providing that.

[Tech49]

@UltraBlack I tried your suggestion to use avahi-browse -a | grep Printer and this is what I got:

So the printer is being detected. What is Avahi? I am not familiar with this.

When I have more time I'll dig back into this, but for now I have to get ready to go to work unfortunately.

[UltraBlack]

try avahi-browse too. It shows you where you can access your printers

Tbf I have no clue what avahi is. I just know that it can scan networks

[Tech49]

Thank you for all the help. Ultimately, when I had to reinstall Garuda due to somehow screwing up my permissions (that was in another thread), I had the option to install printer support (which I did), and then was able to install a package named "Print Settings" using the Chaotic AUR. This gave me a GUI interface that made it pretty simple to get both my networked Xerox printer and local USB Canon printer/scanner working.