Hi,

I am using a JetDirect 300X (single port) & 500X (3 port) for my printing under Windows but I am trying to replace my domain controller with a SuSE 8 linux box and am having problems getting the printing setup under it. The 500X is the problem.

I can print via the 500X on Windows 2000 or XP and indirectly via shares to other Windows versions, I can sometimes manage to print to the default port printer (port 1, Epson 5700) but I cannot print tp port 2 (Epson 600). I know it CAN work as I just tried installing Mandrake 9 (off a cover CD) and during the installation I was able to test print to both printers (it detects the ports as 9000, 9001 & 9002 respectively). Unfortunately something went wrong with the install HD after I installed it so I can't figure the file settings.

I have asked this question loads of places so I'll be reaslly impressed if anyone knows the answer or can tell me where to go (constructively) here.

I am about to try a program caled Webmin (www.webmin.com) next.

I'm not familiar with the jetdirect hardware. I have a couple of edimax printsir pocket servers which come with a windows setup tool to assign the ip's.

I then use a samba printshare with printcap and raw print queues. Then is doesn't matter what kind of windows OS you use as long as the drivers for the particular printer are installed. Samba/linux just passes it down the line to the correct printer share.

raw queues

laser|Brother720
:rw
:sh
:rm=laser (ip in hosts)
:rp=lpt1
:sd=/var/spool/lpd/laser
:fx=flp

inkjet|HP952c
:rw
:sh
:rm=inkjet (ip in hosts)
:rp=lpt1
:sd=/var/spool/lpd/inkjet
:fx=flp

Have you looked at this?

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...7&locale=en_US

and maybe this?

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...1&locale=en_US

-KevinJ

If you use cups, I believe it's pretty easy to print to jet direct. Here's an exerpt from the Administrators manual:

Similarly, a HP LaserJet printer using a JetDirect network interface at IP address 11.22.33.44 would be added with the command:

/usr/sbin/lpadmin -p LaserJet -E -v socket://11.22.33.44 -m laserjet.ppd ENTER

... has more than one port, how do I do it then?

Thanks for the replies everyone has given BTW ... to date I have not suceeded in setting up print queues on my Linux server and I am getting very, very frustrated. I really don't understand why it should be so hard to get configuration information on Linux with a fairly common networking component i.e. a JetDirect box?

From the POV of a Windows techy (me) this is dead easy with any version of Windows I am familiar with (certainly under NT or better) and yet Linux doesn't seem to be able to do it. Why not? Are JetDirect boxes that uncommon? It's very, very frustrating because I am so itchy keen to migrate everything to Linux but without this relatively ordinary printer setup I can't do it. Following the advice I've had I've tried looking at the HP site, I've tried looking on the net, I've posted in several forums and mail lists, I've d/loaded WebMin and HP JetAdmin for Linux and each time I've been stumped. I freely admit it might be me and my inexperience with Linux but I really don't see why it has to be this damned hard ... I'm beginning to believe that my only recourse is to drop back to Windows as the centre of my network and I really, really would rather not do that.

Sigh ... someone, somewhere out there must know how to configure printers on a multi-port JetDirect box!

In many cases, believe it or not, manufacturers of both hardware and software succumb to pressure from Microsoft to make things that will ONLY work in Windows. Printing equipment is no exception.
In some cases MS develops proprietary hooks that are only supported in Windows and then MS forces the manufacturer to make equpment that will only work with those hooks or they don't get the hooks at all. In other cases, they just say "Do what we want or else."

Printing in Linux has been very frustrating for me as well... but only when I am trying to use a device or service that was designed specifically for WIndows. This is by MS design, and not a "flaw" in Linux. Just for reference.... its equally frustrating to get NT and other MS products to work in a UNIX printing environment sometimes. That too is by MS design and is the only reason NT print servers were ever sold in the first place.

But this device should work with Linux if you configure it properly.
Did you look at those two links I posted above?

-KevinJ

... I did.

Please don't think I was having a go or anything ... I'm just not that good at Linux right now (that may be by MS design too ... I do think use of Windows at a technical level creates a certian mindset and such a mindset isn't easy to shatter).

I want to build a non-windows server (linux appears to be the way to go), it has to work with some windows clients (samba) as well as Linux ones and I want to use it for mail & internet proxy on broadband (I get my broadband sometime this month). I want to migrate myself more-or-less entirely over to Linux but I'm finding that difficult too.

I really do appreciate any help I get but, from my POV as a Windows techy, very few people appear to understand or be interested in the problem I have. One linux person even said that I should use a Windows NT server as the centre of my network and I know I can do that dead easily but it kind of defeats the point of the exercise which is now and always was to completely sever any reliance my computers have on MS.

I'm not actually stupid but with Linux there are just some (many) things I don't understand but anyway I do thanks you for your help (I'll be trying that solution out soon .. when I'm on holiday).

I think your print device should work... but if it doesn't... can you use another option? Can you connect your printers directly to the Linux box and use it as a print server?

-KevinJ

Solved! Jet Direct Multi-Port Printing
Hi,

I finally have a solution for SuSE at any rate but I don't see why it wont work anywhere else :-)

1. Install cups
2. Start cups server (apparently there are 3 choices but since I used SuSE it was already running anyway).
3. Open browser, http://127.0.0.1:631/
4. Select "Administration" & enter root and root password
5. Select "Add printer" entering info in Name (the only important one on this screen ... other 2 are just text) to distinguish the printer on the hub from the others. Select "Continue"
6. At the next screen select "Device" as "AppSocket/HP JetDirect" and select "Continue"
7. At the next screen select "URI" as "socket://192.168.1.33:9100" (this is the 1st printer on the box, the subsequent ones are 9101 & 9102) and select "Continue"
8. At the next screen select "Make" (in my case Epson) and select "Continue"
9. At the next screen select "Model/Driver" (in my case Epson 5700) and select "Continue". I'll admit to being a bit baffled here as there are drivers with gimp, foomatic (or similar) so I just selected one and it worked.
10. At the next screen you will get a message "Printer xxxxx has been successfully added", click on printer name, click "Print Test Page" and Voila!!!!

My thanks to Ed Harrison on the SuSE support list for this.

I have the same problem as James Rocks.

I got the html-configration at IP 127.0.0.1:631/.

I found out the IP of the jetdirect with pushing the status button on the jetdirect.
But with the IP I don't get a test page either with the laser printer nor with the bubble jet.

Who can help?

Thanks in advance.

Stephan

This is an old thread but I just finished debugging the same problem and thought I'd post an
FYI in case someone else was chasing the same issue.

On the JetDirect 500x print spoolers, they will support up to 3 printers. When you go through
Yast to setup your printers, if they are connected through one of these jetdirect devices the
software is not smart enough to detect which port the printer is actually connected. It will
default to the first port which is 9100. If you are lucky enough to have the particular printer
you want to connect to be attached to this port your setup will go fine. If, however, your
printer is attached to one of the other two ports you need to identify this in the Yast setup.
The ports for the second and third printers are 9101 and 9102 respectively.