Topic: Printing from Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard = blank pages

[itasor]

Hello everyone,

I set up a SME Server (latest version) and got everything working perfect. I disabled most of the e-mail stuff as I am just using this as a small file and print server.

I didn't have as much luck with the print server part. I have a Brother DCP-7020 (all in one laser) connected to the server via USB. I added the printer through the web based SME interface. My computer, a Mac running 10.5 Leopard, sees the printer on the local network just fine. I added the printer, and it tried to use "Generic Postscript Printer" as the driver. I clicked the option to specify a driver and specified the (already installed) DCP-7020 CUPS driver, which is what I used when the printer was hooked directly to my Mac via USB.

Printing to this newly added printer didn't do anything. The document was added to the successfully "Completed" section of the printer managed in OS X, but the printer did nothing.

I deleted the printer in OS X and re-added it. This time, I let it use the Generic Postscript Printer driver that it automatically chose. I test printer a page and the printer quickly made it's warming up noise. However, it proceeded to shoot out a continuous feed of blank pages. After about 8 blank pages I canceled the job.

I deleted the printer in OS X and re-added it numerous times trying a few different drivers, such as an AppleWriter Post Script (PS) laser printer driver. Same result, continuous blank pages.

Nothing I did fixed the issue so I did some searching on here and decided I would post a new thread. I saw quite a few of the people here are running Macs, so hopefully someone will have some ideas! I did not try to print from Windows yet, but I can fire up VMWare Fusion and try to print from my XP installation. I have a few PCs on the network I can try as well, but mostly Macs, so I need to get that working.

Thanks in advance for any ideas/help!
Ryan

[Jáder]

I think you could try to use CUPS as print server. See this page : http://wiki.contribs.org/Cups

Macs will be happier with CUPS.

Jáder

[itasor]

I think you could try to use CUPS as print server. See this page : http://wiki.contribs.org/Cups

Macs will be happier with CUPS.

Jáder

Thanks for the reply! Good suggestion. I have never really messed with Linux or CUPS much before, but I can follow that wiki page and type in the commands and see what happens!

EDIT: I'm going through it but I have this same exact error: http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=40195.0

I don't know Linux at all, so I have no clue what to do.

[CharlieBrady]

I didn't have as much luck with the print server part.

Please report details of anything which doesn't "just work" via the Bug Tracker. Thanks.

[itasor]

Please report details of anything which doesn't "just work" via the Bug Tracker. Thanks.

Well, I don't necessarily think it's a "bug" as much as it's an incompatible way of printing with Macs and my specific printer.

[itasor]

Any way to fix those CUPS instructions? I can't figure out how to get CUPS installed.

I have no idea what everyone is talking about in the other error thread where they say to just "wget" the files. I know what the command does, but I was hoping to follow the step by step guide. I don't have the command knowledge to do it without that.

[william_syd]

Well, I don't necessarily think it's a "bug" as much as it's an incompatible way of printing with Macs and my specific printer.

Don't narrow down your idea of a 'bug' as broken software.

If you come here, read the manuals, howtos and FAQs and still don't find an answer, then there is a 'bug' in the completeness of the information available here.

The bugtracker is the only tool here that can be used to solve 'bugs'.