Epson NX400 [Solved]

[nomad]

After install to SL 5.1, printer was not detected under CUPS 1.4.2. After a few hours of investigation and searching online, here are the notes on how I got my Epson NX400 multifunction printer to work under the latest CUPS. Thanks to the few over Archlinux. This is the sequence of actions that I did...

=======================================
- Run lsusb. Example:

Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 046d:c713 Logitech, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 046d:c714 Logitech, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 046d:0b04 Logitech, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 046d:c51a Logitech, Inc. MX Revolution/G7 Cordless Mouse
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04b8:084a Seiko Epson Corp.
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 050d:0416 Belkin Components
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

- Bus 001 Device 003 ID 04b8 is the printer identifier.

- Run: ls -l /dev/bus/usb/001 -> This looks for usb devices attached to bus 001.

total 0
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 0 Feb 8 20:56 001
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 1 Feb 8 20:56 002
crw-rw-r-- 1 root scanner 189, 2 Feb 9 05:50 003
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 3 Feb 8 20:56 004
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 4 Feb 8 20:56 005
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 5 Feb 8 20:56 006
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 6 Feb 8 20:56 007
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 7 Feb 8 20:56 008
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 8 Feb 8 20:56 009

- Change dir to /etc/udev/rules.d -> Look for the udev rule that assigned the printer to the 'scanner' group. This rule should contain the '04b8' identifier.

- Copy and edit to create a rule file to assign the printer to the 'lp' group -> 10-cups-usb.rules:

#Stylus NX400
ATTRS{idVendor}=="04b8", ATTRS{idProduct}=="084a", MODE:="0660", GROUP:="lp", ENV{libsane_matched}:="yes"

- Changed the assignment operators from '=' to ':=' as the line above has the three instances. According to the udev documentation, this prevents the assignment from being overridden by higher-numbered rule files. This is the only line in the new .rules file.

- Run: ls -l /dev/bus/usb/001 again:

total 0
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 0 Feb 8 20:56 001
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 1 Feb 8 20:56 002
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 3 Feb 8 20:56 004
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 4 Feb 8 20:56 005
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 5 Feb 8 20:56 006
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 6 Feb 8 20:56 007
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 7 Feb 8 20:56 008
crw-rw-r-- 1 root usb 189, 8 Feb 8 20:56 009
crw-rw----+ 1 root lp 189, 9 Feb 9 22:07 010

- Check for 'lp'. This should indicate the printer is assigned to the 'lp' group. Disconnect and reconnect the printer. Then in web browser run: localhost:631 . Add printer. Verify if the printer is available in usb. Example:

Description: EPSON Stylus NX400
Location:
Driver: Epson Stylus NX400 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.4 (color)
Connection: usb://EPSON/Stylus%20NX400?serial=4B4E5 ... nterface=1

- Print test page.

- May need to run: gpasswd <user> lp . This add <user> to the 'lp' group.

=========================================

The gpasswd command was not needed this time. But may be for others who may run into a similar problem. Apparently udev assigned this multifunction printer to the 'scanner' group and CUPS does not see it. May be CUPS does not have a problem with a printer-only USB type printer. Now NX400 works under CUPS and its scanner works under iscan.



Hope this help some people, if not with the NX400, then perhaps with similar printers. Hate to say it but this should not have taken hours to investigate and remedied. Things like this make me reluctant to recommend Linux to anyone.

[malek]

If the printer still doesn't work, make sure that module usblp is not loaded. Run "rmmod usblp" and add usblp to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

[corktowner]

Malek, thanks to you, I am now able to use my Epson Workforce 610. Excellent documentation. I had no 10-cups-usb.rules file so following your example I created it. I did have to reboot before it would work. I have been trying to get this printer working for 2 months.

Cheers!

[milan2010]

thank you very very much. this post helps me a lot.
btw. i share your opinion in recommend Linux to anyone : why is this work on the udev-rules needed to make a printer working? a printer ( Epson Stylus OFFICE BX300F) that works under 4.2 out of the box as a printer (to get the scanner working i had to "frickel" the udev-rules too).and now: scanning=out of the box, printing=a lot of searching the web

but all in all: sabayon rocks
thanks to the team
and in this case special-thanks to nomad

[Wildcat]

Hi!
Many thanks for the excellent how to!
It does worked on Epson Stylus DX5000 multifunctional machine too.
Just a small note:
After the creating the new udev.rule file I had to reboot my system that recognise the printer in "lp" group. Otherwise never recognised it just in scanner group.
Once more: Meny thanks for this how to!

Wildcat

[nomad]

Update...

Had to do the same for 5.4K to get the printer to work. Here is the content for the printer rules file.

more 10-cups-usb.rules

===
# This file was automatically created based on description files (*.desc)
# by sane-desc 3.5 from sane-backends 1.0.21 on Fri Sep 3 23:49:21 2010
#
# udev rules file for supported USB and SCSI devices
#
# The SCSI device support is very basic and includes only
# scanners that mark themselves as type "scanner" or
# SCSI-scanners from HP and other vendors that are entitled "processor"
# but are treated accordingly.
#
# To add a USB device, add a rule to the list below between the
# LABEL="libsane_usb_rules_begin" and LABEL="libsane_usb_rules_end" lines.
#
# To run a script when your device is plugged in, add RUN+="/path/to/script"
# to the appropriate rule.
#
# If your scanner isn't listed below, you can add it as explained above.
#
# If your scanner is supported by some external backend (brother, epkowa,
# hpaio, etc) please ask the author of the backend to provide proper
# device detection support for your OS
#
# If the scanner is supported by sane-backends, please mail the entry to
# the sane-devel mailing list (sane-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org).
#
ACTION!="add", GOTO="libsane_rules_end"
ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", GOTO="libsane_create_usb_dev"
SUBSYSTEMS=="scsi", GOTO="libsane_scsi_rules_begin"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", GOTO="libsane_usb_rules_begin"
SUBSYSTEM!="usb_device", GOTO="libsane_usb_rules_end"

# Kernel >= 2.6.22 jumps here
LABEL="libsane_create_usb_dev"

# For Linux >= 2.6.22 without CONFIG_USB_DEVICE_CLASS=y
# If the following rule does not exist on your system yet, uncomment it
# ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", MODE="0664", OWNER="root", GROUP="root"

# Kernel < 2.6.22 jumps here
LABEL="libsane_usb_rules_begin"

# Epson Stylus NX400
ATTRS{idVendor}=="04b8", ATTRS{idProduct}=="084a", MODE:="0664", GROUP:="lp", ENV{libsane_matched}:="yes"

LABEL="libsane_rules_end"

===

The 'MODE' value this time is '0664' instead of '0660'. Else everything and the steps are the same.

[nomad]

Update...

Same solution for SL 6K. Thought 6 would have this printer working immediately. But this rule file is still needed.