Printer in "pending" mode only, not printing

Question

OS: Ubuntu 13
Printer: HP Deskjet 2540

Problem: Printer worked initially. Suddenly stopped working. Printer cue just says "pending" and printing never happens.

How do I get it to go from "pending" to "printing"?

Solution 1

I found the problem. Under Settings>Printers>Policies "Enabled" was not selected. Why is this even an option?? Of all the features that used to make Ubuntu a good operating system have been stripped away, this one remains?? Unreal.

Solution 2

• sudo system-config-printer

• right click printer icon in Printers - localhost

  /properties
  /settings
  /policies

• check "enabled"

• close the system-config-printer tool

done.

Solution 3

Under Ubuntu 16.04 the same problem occurred, on my networked (wireless) HP 4635, in the same way: suddenly, without the user doing anything, and for no obvious reason. It was resolved in about the same way: click the Settings icon (gear), click System Settings, open Printers, right-click the printer, click "Enabled" in the printer's context menu to check-mark "Enabled". (If "Enabled" was already check-marked, this isn't your solution.)

Solution 4

Update to Donnie's answer:

For non-GUI CUPS user, you can adjust this setting in your CUPS web interface.

Administration => Manage Printers => Select your printer => Maintaince => Resume Printer.

It's really strange that, a single printing failure causes CUPS to prevent any further printing job. Bad design .

View more solutions

Comments

[cabreracanal]

That did the trick. I'm with you, it's a ridiculous option and the point is that I didn't do anything to have it disabled...

[IsaacS]

+1. Doesn't make sense that this Enabled option is not visible in Printing Status tool window.

[James]

+1 This resolved my issue even though I had already printed something out 10 mins earlier. So don't be shy to check this setting as it might be your issue.

[Fiksdal]

@cabreracanal This is such a strange bug.. The printer was working, and all of a sudden this bug kicks in.. What the...? Good thing it was this easy to fix.. But how did such a bug come into existence in the first place?

[sdaau]

Just wanted to note - to access this on Ubuntu 14.04: run system-config-printer; in the Printers dialog, select your printer, right-click, choose Properties; the Printer Properties dialog is started with the "Settings" tab on the left selected; the "Policies" tab is right below it - select "Policies" tab, and then can see the "Enabled" setting.

[Aleksandar Pavić]

Something is causing this, IMHO, CUPS should be able to control that "feature"...

[rjh]

Thank you. I actually printed one document fine, then the second was stuck and the printer said 'Paused'. So something unchcked Enabled.

[duduklein]

You saved ma a lot of time !!! Thanks. I had also printed some minutes before it stopped. I had a paper jam issue and maybe the printing was disabled because of that...

[Jabba]

Thanks, saved me. I sent 2 docs to the printer. The first one came out, the second got pending. With this solution I could repair it. Very strange.

[user289334]

Nope, that's not it. Enabled. But, still pending.

[user289334]

Nope, did all that. It's enabled fine, that's not the proble. Just, print q pending. Hintr: recently I cancelled a job which was printing voluminous unwanted stuff. Thereafter, "pending". Power cycle, add delete bla. Still "pending". I'll try again to remove thre printer and add it in again.