Testing, cups update prevents printing

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 08:59 AM

Hello,
I'm on Debian 5.10.13-1 ; I recently agreed to update a range of cups packages (versions below), and since then, no way to print.
I do see the printers on my network, I can create new ones and even print test pages, but once that is done, whenever I try a 'normal' print, nothing happens. This applies to both my two printers.
There is an utility that triggers and tries to solve the issue ('select your printer', etc.) but its log, below, is for me difficult to understand (server not starting at boot maybe?) -anyway, I see the following :

Code:

Page 1 (<troubleshoot.SchedulerNotRunning.SchedulerNotRunning object at 0x7f1de37f7d60>):
{'cups_connection_failure': False}
Page 2 (<troubleshoot.ChoosePrinter.ChoosePrinter object at 0x7f1de37f7c10>):
{'cups_dest': <cups.Dest laser_Cannes_15Fev21>,
 'cups_instance': None,
 'cups_queue': 'laser_Cannes_15Fev21',
 'cups_queue_listed': True}

Any clue as to what is happening?
TIA!!
Hervé

My cups versions :
https://i.imgur.com/tyLrx5K.png

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 09:11 AM

Does debbug #976361 ring a bell?

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

Does debbug #976361 ring a bell?

Indeed!
Thanks Shruggy!
Do you think I could easily get back to the previous version?

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 09:53 AM

https://wiki.debian.org/RollbackUpdate

Additionally to what is described in the Debian Wiki article linked above, try

Code:

apt-cache policy cups

to see what CUPS versions are available.

cynwulf · 02-15-2021, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herve5

easily

It's the "testing" branch and there is the assumption the user knows what they are doing / the risks involved.

That output tells us very little and doesn't describe the error.

Examine the log for the actual error:
https://wiki.debian.org/CUPSDebuggin...CUPS_Error_Log

Alternatively, you could do a purge and clean install of cups. A purge removes configuration files, and the problem may lie there.

If you really want to downgrade to a previous version, you'll have to find a snapshot from before that particular version migrated to testing, add the repository, update the sources, purge cups and attempt to install the older versions:

http://snapshot.debian.org/

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 10:53 AM

Thank you for these quick reactions!

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

(...) try

Code:

apt-cache policy cups

to see what CUPS versions are available.

Alas, only the last version, apparently :

Code:

~$ apt-cache policy cups
cups:
  Installé : 2.3.3op2-2
  Candidat : 2.3.3op2-2
 Table de version :
 *** 2.3.3op2-2 500
        500 http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Checking the logs following cynwulf link : it seems cups indeed doesn't even start, as in the bug report :

Code:

~$ cupsctl --debug-logging
bash: cupsctl : commande introuvable

I also use to run a small utility named 'Timeshift' that creates snapshots of my system regularly ; I have one fro before the cups update for sure, but I'm a bit afraid because that specific upgrade did also upgrade the Linux kernel. And the only time where regressing that way broke everything here was once on Ubuntu around a kernel upgrade too...

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 10:59 AM

You have to enable stable Debian repositories in your /etc/apt/sources.list then.

Command not found means the package providing that command is not installed. In this case, the package cups-client.

cynwulf · 02-15-2021, 11:10 AM

Code:

$ whereis cupsctl
cupsctl: /usr/sbin/cupsctl /usr/share/man/man8/cupsctl.8.gz

I would advise against adding stable repositories to a testing system, as that would create a frankensystem. Look at the snapshots page in the link I provided - that's the correct way to downgrade.

Do a purge of cups next and reinstall it again.

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 11:37 AM

discard it.

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 11:52 AM

Thank you cynwulf!
on my system your command gives the very same output :

Code:

~$ whereis cupsctl
cupsctl: /usr/sbin/cupsctl /usr/share/man/man8/cupsctl.8.gz

I am going to look at these snapshots.

[edit] I just discovered that in http://snapshot.debian.org/binary/cups/ there is a newer package than the one I have, 2.3.3op2-3, with mine (2.3.3op2-2) just below in the list.
Still this version does not appear here for instance when updating Synaptic.
Does this mean it's from Unstable, perhaps? Or could I just download it and install it 'by hand' here??
[re-edit] As there are 25 versions of it when I click on the name, obviously it's not just a matter of downloading 'the .deb file' :-)

Thanks again!

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 11:59 AM

So /usr/sbin is not in your PATH. It's an administrative command. You should run it as root.

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 12:16 PM

@shruggy : even as root,

Code:

 root@LinuxHerve:/home/herve# cupsctl --debug-logging
bash: cupsctl : commande introuvable

cynwulf · 02-15-2021, 12:17 PM

As I will now say for the third time: You could purge and reinstall cups.

That will also clear out configuration files. Then when you reinstall you will get a clean start. It's worth doing because its a lot easier than downgrading.

What command did you use to become root?

shruggy · 02-15-2021, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herve5

Code:

root@LinuxHerve:/home/herve# cupsctl --debug-logging
bash: cupsctl : commande introuvable

The highlighted part says me that you used su to become root. Use su - instead.

Herve5 · 02-15-2021, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

The highlighted part says me that you used su to become root. Use su - instead.

You are right. Thank you; now it works. I get an enormous log just for the last minutes, because I asked for debug-logging; I'm searching for something like a pasteboard in order not to create a gigantic post here!

[edit] I pasted the log here