eeta@yoda.byu.edu (03/23/91)
Well, I just got my brand new NextStation Color -- I like it a lot -- but I've managed to come up with a problem already. So this may be my first "dumb new user" question. Since I can't get the machine onto the net for a while, I can't get stuff like NeXTAnswers, so I'm stuck with the resources I've got here. Anyway, here's the Problem: When I go to print, the printer shoots blank pages out at me. All print jobs do this, including test pages sent through PrintManager, PrinterTester, and lpr through a terminal window. Accompanying each blank page is a message on the console like this: Mar 23 01:15:06 localhost mach: np0: Timeout waiting for Print Complete When I look in the printqueue (with lpq, lpc, or PrintManager) I see the job sitting there with a length of zero bytes. (Oh, by the way, this is the NeXT laser printer I'm using...) Anyway, I'm totally baffled as to what the problem is. With all my groping around, I've found that the PrinterTester will bypass the pring queues for test pages, while PrintManager uses the queues. Because both still generate the same problems, I suspect that the problem lies somewhere else...hardware, dev file/device driver, etc. but I'm not sure. I've talked to our campus rep, who talked to NeXT tech support, and their suggestions haven't worked. (So I'm posting, since I can't get outside help for at least a couple of days, and I really want to see this thing work right as soon as possible.) Here's wat I've tried to fix it: Reboot -- doesn't work. Turn off machine-disconnect printer-reboot-turn off-reconnect printer-reboot. Remove Local_Printer from NetInfo, reboot (which automatically rebuilds it...) Remove printers directory from NetInfo, reboot, add directory back in, reboot. Play with printer daemons with lpc and PrinterManager -- this hasn't worked, but perhaps it could fix things if I'm missing something here... So, non of the above worked. Various combinations of the above fail. So, anyone have this happen to them? How do I fix it? HELP! (BTW, I have spent well over 8 hours now reading man pages, manuals, and tracking down the people around here who might help. Now, I'm stuck.) Finally, I ought to mention that before this happened, I did manage to get a test sheet squeezed out of the printer, so I assume that the printer's hardware is OK; this whole mess reeks of a software problem, like a missing daemon, except that the lpd is there, and I've started and restarted it over and over... The first timethis problem was noticed was when I was away, and my roommate - from a non-privledged account - accidentally started a printout from chess. He said it sent out blank pages then. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a clue about what he did, other than "send a printout from chess", and I couldn't find any other symptoms in the log in /usr/adm/messages[.old] or in the printer error log. Since he knows zip about UNIX, I really have no idea what on earth sent my printer to the twilight zone. Please send e-mail to eeta@yoda.byu.edu if you have any suggestions/solutions that I can try. Thanks for your time... -Don Yacktman eeta@yoda.byu.edu
eeta@yoda.byu.edu (03/26/91)
Just a quick note to thank all those who replied -- thanks for the help! (There were to many to reply to personally, so I figure this isthe least I can do...) BTW, the problem did turn out to be hardware, as some suggested. I was able to swap printers with our campus rep, and we decided that the priner was bad. The BYU bookstore quickly replaced it and I'm up and running. Well, thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it a lot! -Don Yacktman eeta@yoda.byu.edu