Printer stuck in double-sided; test page wrong

Strange... a2ps (using A4dj medium and psutils) prints a PDF-file with correct
page layout
and in single-sided mode, so what is different when printing a PDF file directly?

(In reply to comment #1)
> Strange... a2ps (using A4dj medium and psutils) prints a PDF-file with correct
> page layout
> and in single-sided mode, so what is different when printing a PDF file
directly?

You used a2ps to print a PDF file? This actually converts an ASCII file to
PostScript, not a PDF one.

Did you use evince for printing the PDF? Does it make any difference to print it
with

  "lpr /path/to/pdf/file"

on the command line?

Indeed, the PDF test file prints OK from within Evince (single-sided); but printing
it directly with "lpr test.pdf" or "lp test.pdf" prints it in double-sided mode.
Just redirecting a directory listing with "ls | lp" prints properly single-sided.

I also fiddled a bit with /etc/cups/cupsd.conf to check the printer configuration
via http://localhost:631 -- everything appeared right as I had set it via the Gnome
Administration/Printing menu (see my original posting), except that paper size had
reverted back to "Letter". I changed this back to "A4", then ran off a test page,
which was the standard CUPS test page, and it printed correctly.

So the puzzle remains: (1) Why does the Ubuntu test page shift upwards by 1-inch,
though properly in single-sided mode?(2) Why does printing a PDF file (just the
regular kind of file that I produce daily with pdfLaTex) via "lp" or "lpr" put the
printer in double-sided mode? I don't consider the "Letter/A4" issue a problem, as
it didn't affect page layout, anyway it may be that "Configuring printer" doesn't
copy existing configuration details 100% accurately.

OK, I made some progress. I noticed that HPLIP is also running in Breezy by default,
so I checked the Sourceforge pages for HPLIP and noticed that it should be a CUPS
(IPP) printer, not a HP JetDirect printer. Running "hp-mkuri 10.0.0.160" gave me the
required CUPS URI: hp:/net/deskjet_5800?ip=10.0.0.160. So I reinstalled the printer
with these data, also choosing the HP(HPLIP) brand name and the recommended driver.
Now the Ubuntu test page prints properly.

The only thing left: "lp test.pdf" still prints double-sided...

How did you configure the hp backend in gnome-cups-manager?

How is it suppossed that HPLIP network printers (using hp:// URIs) must be
configured?

If I choose CUPS Printer, it always adds a ipp:// to anything I write.

please could you recheck this with a current dapper live CD (daily/daily live current)? See http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/

please try adding the printer with the gnome-cups-manager application

See my latest comment re bug 27239, I've not been able to install the printer in live-CD 20060414, so can't check whether the double-sided issue when printing pdfLaTeX-produced PDF files persists.

Henk,
More information is needed.
Is your print server running Ubuntu?
A lot of cupsys bugs have been fixed in the final Dapper, do you still have these problems in Ubuntu 6.06.1 LTS? If so please provide some basic printing information by running the printingbuginfo script on your print client machine. The printingbuginfo script can be found here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrintingBugInfoScript. Please also attach a PDF file created with pdfLatex that gives double-sided result.

Could you try downloading the Edgy release candidate live CD to see if these problems are fixed in Edgy which has a newer cupsys and hplip. The desktop (live) CD can be downloaded here: http://releases.ubuntu.com/edgy/

On Sat, 2006-10-21 at 15:19 +0000, Pascal De Vuyst wrote:
> Henk,
> More information is needed.
> Is your print server running Ubuntu?
> A lot of cupsys bugs have been fixed in the final Dapper, do you still have these problems in Ubuntu 6.06.1 LTS? If so please provide some basic printing information by running the printingbuginfo script on your print client machine. The printingbuginfo script can be found here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrintingBugInfoScript. Please also attach a PDF file created with pdfLatex that gives double-sided result.
>
> Could you try downloading the Edgy release candidate live CD to see if
> these problems are fixed in Edgy which has a newer cupsys and hplip. The
> desktop (live) CD can be downloaded here:
> http://releases.ubuntu.com/edgy/
>

Pascal, I think we can put this bug regarding my HP DeskJet network/USB
printer to rest:

1. Dapper AMD64 (religiously updated): installed as USB printer
   (the alternative with lower-case letters), printing test page OK,
   and pdfLaTeX produced file no longer spontaneously in double-sided
   mode with printer set to single-sided.

2. Edgy AMD64 (with latest updates): same story.

3. Dapper i386 installed in Parallels VM: installed as JetDirect
   network printer, for the rest same as above.

In all cases using just the suggested hpijs driver, and also the
HPLIP packages from the liveCD installed.

Thanks for all the good work!
--
Henk Koster <email address hidden>