Printing in 3.5.2.2

users
#1

Just installed 3.5.2.2 as an update in FreeBSD (8.3, AMD64 and i386) and
am unable to configure printers following the LibreOffice help page for
installing printers under unix. As well, there is no default printer.

Following the help page instructions, I have gone to
<install-path>/libreoffice/program and have attempted to run spadmin.
Doing so, I receive an error message (message panel) telling me that no
printers can be installed because the file system is read-only, but no
indication what filesystem it's referring to. So, where do I look or,
better yet, what do I do to get my printers configured?

I've been told, informally, that LO has gone from supporting lpd/lp
printing to a cups-only regime. If so, I suggest that this is a major
blunder since cups is not appropriate for many situations - small
installations with few users, desktops with attached printers, etc.
What's the truth here?

Bob Melson

#2

Well, ALL my printers, network and USB, have CUPS-based drivers. One only has a CUPS-based driver and not any other type.

What is wrong with CUPS for the single user printing systems?

I use a Ubuntu desktop with 4 different printers, one being an older USB printer. I have not had any problems with CUPS based drivers.

I still use 3.4.6, so I do not know about 3.5.2.2, but my question is why CUPS is not appropriate for desktops with attached printers. Never have heard this before and I have been using CUPS since Ubuntu 9.04.

#3

Just installed 3.5.2.2 as an update in FreeBSD (8.3, AMD64 and i386) and
am unable to configure printers following the LibreOffice help page for
installing printers under unix. As well, there is no default printer.

What printer is configured in the OS? Normally, the printer is configured in the OS and is available to all apps.

I use Linux MInt and my printer is configured in the OS not LO.

Following the help page instructions, I have gone to
<install-path>/libreoffice/program and have attempted to run spadmin.
Doing so, I receive an error message (message panel) telling me that no
printers can be installed because the file system is read-only, but no
indication what filesystem it's referring to. So, where do I look or,
better yet, what do I do to get my printers configured?

I've been told, informally, that LO has gone from supporting lpd/lp
printing to a cups-only regime. If so, I suggest that this is a major
blunder since cups is not appropriate for many situations - small
installations with few users, desktops with attached printers, etc.
What's the truth here?

I believe CUPS is from Apple and is supported by Linux distros and Apple. My understanding is this is more of an OS issue than an App issue

#4

Hi :slight_smile:
I think various questions in here have shown that LO uses some different system for printers and pretty much ignores whatever is set-up for the OS. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#5

You want to use it, that's fine. I should probably have
said it's not necessary for all printing environments,
such as desktops with attached printer. CUPS adds a layer
of complexity to an otherwise simple installation - lpd/lp
"just work". If that's not the case with you and CUPS
slides into place and works, great. Just remember, one
size does NOT fit all.

Bob Melson

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#6

Hi,

I've only used Libreoffice in Ubuntu. The printers available have always been the ones I have installed with the system, and always have all of the options available that any other programs have for the. The defaults are always the same as the way they are installed in Ubuntu. Sometimes the dialog boxes between different programs will be a little different. I've never had to configure a printer for Libreoffice, and that includes two inkjets, 2 black and white lasers, and one color laser. Three are HP, one is Samsung, and one is Konica-Minolta.

Don

#7

Hi :slight_smile:
I have never had troubles either but if you look back through the list you see questions about how to access the different trays that other programs can access but LO can't. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#8

A long time ago I had to configure all the printers for OO/SO with spadmin. Are you calling spadmin as root?

Steve

#9

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A long time ago I had to configure all the printers for OO/SO with
spadmin. Are you calling spadmin as root?

Yep. I think if I knew what file system the error panel
in spadmin is complaining about I might be able to get things
accomplished. I've tried changing permissions on every
directory in the path to the libreoffice executables, as well
as on the "dot" files in the root directory, all with no result.
I've looked at the /var files for the printer queues and snooped
in the cups directories here and there on system. All with no
result.

The frustration is that everything else on the system recognizes lpd
and plays nicely in that environment. It's ONLY LO that fails to
detect any printers/queues and, because of that, does not allow
printing. If this is because it requires cups, then, IMNSHO, it's
a gross error of planning and implementation that needs to be
rectified.

Bob Melson

#10

Hi,

I've been running Linux (Ubuntu) for 3+ years with nothing but cups drivers. There have been about 8 different printers, some inkjet and some laser, some networked and some not networked. Cups is the only thing I've ever used. I've had very, very few issues. Basically almost none.

Don

#11

I might add that up until the 3.5.2.2 release, printing
worked just fine, right out of the box. LO detected the
system printers, allowed additional printers to be added
and configured .. in short, all was right wit the world.
With 3.5.2.2, however, SOMETHING has changed, and for the
worst. A wise man once said, if it ain't broke, don't fix
it. It wasn't broke but it's been "fixed".

Bob Melson

#12

I might add that up until the 3.5.2.2 release, printing
worked just fine, right out of the box. LO detected the
system printers, allowed additional printers to be added
and configured .. in short, all was right wit the world.
With 3.5.2.2, however, SOMETHING has changed, and for the
worst. A wise man once said, if it ain't broke, don't fix
it. It wasn't broke but it's been "fixed".

Bob Melson

I have continuously upgraded from 3.3 to 3.5.2.2 and have no problems with the LO printing using various Ubuntu derivatives and Windows 7. Have you tried reinstalling the printer(s) in the OS? Maybe the printer driver got corrupted. LO recognizes the installed printers properly.

The only time I had a printing problem was when the driver was corrupted (do not know how it happened). Reinstalling the driver in the OS corrected the problem.

#13

This will sound snotty, I know, but I really don't mean it
to.

I'm very happy that those of you who successfully use CUPS on
your systems, whatever the o/s happens to be, can do so. But
that doesn't answer my basic question of how to get LO 3.5.2.2
to work as it did in previous releases, WITHOUT cups. Everything
else installed on my system, without exception, works with the
lpd/lp printer queues and daemon and, because it worked in the
same environment previously, there's no reason that LO should not.
If LO has changed to _require_ cups and only cups in order to
print, then I submit that that's a major blunder on the part of
the developers - not everybody who wants to run LO needs or
wants cups.

So, the questions are, first, is it true that LO REQUIRES cups since
the last release and, second, if not, how can I configure LO to
recognize and accept my printers? I have followed the printer
installation and setup guides provided by LO and regularly get
an error panel telling me that printers can't be installed because
the file system is read-only. I'm not told WHAT file system (which
might give me a chance to work around the problem if I knew), nor
is there any indication that there are any special requirements,
like cups, that must be met before I can configure my printers
in LO.

Bob Melson

#14

Jay,

Thanks. I've built and re-built LO from source twice,
now, and continue to receive the same error. I don't
believe it's a corrupted driver that's causing the
problem and, in fact, may be nothing more than a minor
error in the source code that causes LO to behave as
it does. On the other hand, if it's true that LO
now requires cups, that needs to be stated in the
documentation (which it isn't, as far as I can tell).

Bob Melson

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#15

Hi :slight_smile:
Have you tried the Forums/Mailing-Lists for whichever version of BSD you are using?  You can usually find an appropriate forum from
http://distrowatch.com
or/and it might be good to contact the LO devs
http://www.libreoffice.org/developers-2/

I think there might be problems with trying to compile the official source code in BSD.  I think a few people in the BSD community did port the code to BSD. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#16

Hi :slight_smile:
MAybe the easiest way to handle this is for you to post a bug-report
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport
and then install the 3.4.6 and stick with that one for a while.  There seems to be less problems with it generally anyway.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#17

Tom,

Thanks for the suggestion.

LO 3.5.2.2 is in the "official" FreeBSD ports tree and
is my source for the source. I've contacted the FBSD
LO maintainer and have filed a bug report with FBSD.

I'm just now getting ready to file a bug report with
LO, so we'll see what comes of _that_.

Bob Melson

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