"Filter failed" from hplip

Question

Problem Description - Unable to print

Device name : HP LaserJet M1005 MFP USB printer

OS : Linux 3.8.13-1-MANJARO #1 SMP PREEMPT x86_64 GNU/Linux

Error Description :

1. Cups is working well and fine.
2. I am able to access localhost:631
3. Hplip is installed
4. Tried to print a PDF file.
5. After issuing print command, the print queue shows the error "Processing - Not connected?"
6. Further exploration for the print job error led me to an error "Filter failed"

What I have tried so far :

• Removed and added the printer through the cups web interface
• Tried installing the printer using hp-setup under root.

I am not sure what to do at this point. Could someone please tell me what to do or atleast where to look next to have a chance at solving my problem...

Solution 1

I see this line in the logs (/var/log/cups/error_log):

m_Job initialization failed with error = 48

A web search indicates that many HP printers, including yours, require a proprietary plugin to print, and that you will see this message if you haven't install this plugin (e.g. Fedora bug #611255).

The logs from hp-check -t confirm this:

error: Required plug-in status: Not installed

So it seems that you need to install the HPLIP binary plugin. The easy way is to run the hp-setup wizard and enter your printer model, it should install the appropriate plugin, but it doesn't seem to have worked in your case. As hp-check tells you, try hp-doctor, which may find the missing plug-in. If that doesn't work either, run the more basic tool hp-plugin.

Solution 2

Check if you have a full disk. The filter needs to create temporary files in /var. This was the cause of problems for me.

Comments

[Gilles 'SO- stop being evil']

Is there anything in /var/log/cups/error_log?

[Jay]

I do not have a file called error_log in that directory. I do have a file called error_log.1 in that directory. The contents are a few pages long. I didn't think it would be a good idea to paste the whole thing here, so I have pasted it on pastebin. Here it is link

[Gilles 'SO- stop being evil']

Your symptoms could be a sign of a missing proprietary plugin. But the resolution should then be to run hp-setup. What did the setup wizard do? Did it install an additional proprietary driver? Please run hp-check -t and post the output.

[Raza]

can you share the output of lpstat -a -v

[Jay]

@Salton Output of lpstat -a -v is HP_LaserJet_M1005 accepting requests since Wed 29 May 2013 03:44:00 PM IST device for HP_LaserJet_M1005: hp:/usb/HP_LaserJet_M1005?serial=KJ20Y9V

[Jay]

@Gilles hp-check -t produced a file called hp-check.log in my home directory. I have posted the contents of the file to pastebin. Here is the link

[Jay]

Thanks for your help. I managed to finally get it to work but the procedure was a little different. I tried hp-doctor. Apart from a few missing optional dependencies, there was one missing dependency called hpaio. I use arch linux. Didn't know what package provide the functionality of hpaio. After some searching, I installed sane and modified /etc/sane.d/dll.conf to include the text "hpaio" and "hpoj" in 2 seperate lines. And then, in arch linux ... python points to /usr/bin/python3. hp-doctor needs /usr/bin/python2. I changed linnk and ran hp-doctor again. It worked.

[razor7]

On my lubuntu 16.04 I managed to get my printer working with sudo apt-get install hplip cups and hp-setup -i (without sudo)

[tcoolspy]

I am utterly baffled by this answer — and that it worked. I've had an HP multifunction printer that I've been printing to like clockwork for something like 6 years now from the same Archlinux host. This morning it wouldn't print with this error, and adding the proprietary plugin fixed the problem (when reinstalling / restarting the entire subsystem and all related packages did nothing). What changed I don't know. Why did this printer suddenly decide it wouldn't work without some piece I've never had before?