USB Printer

[Joe]

I cannot seem to get a USB Printer working on any qubes AppVM.

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Printer does install without any problem, but print jobs immediately STOP.
I am not seeing any CUPS errors other than generic filter failed.

Printer is physically a Dell 1250c (but all Linux distros use a compatible Xerox Phaser 6010N driver).

The driver comes as an rpm and a deb package, and includes the PPD files.
I've tried both fedora-26 and debian-9 based VMs.
I've tried attaching the USB device, and assigning the entire PCI USB Host Controller to that AppVM.
I've tried reinstalling CUPS.

I have an bare-metal Lubuntu system, that works fine with just the deb install.
So I created an HVM via a Lubuntu 16.04.2 ISO, assigned the PCI USB Host Controller, and it works fine there too.

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Current Workaround:
Dedicated USB Host Controller for the printer, assigned to a 'printer' HVM, running CUPS on Lubuntu, and shared. sys-firewall iptables rule to ACCEPT port 631 on the FORWARD chain. Then install the printer pointing to the 'printer' vm.

I figure this has to be a CUPS filter driver problem that is uniquely Qubes.
If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks.

[sm...@tutamail.com]

I am not sure I have all the answers but here are some thoughts and hints based on how I have my printer setup(wirelessly):

1) I created a dedicated Template for printing, in that template I have my CUPs installed (This way I keey my other templates clean). I am also able to create a DVM and a AppVM based on that template

2) I use a Debian template, in that Print Template I have GNOME installed

3) During setup I need to allow connection access to test its working, once tested I remove network access (You might need to allow USB access or in my case I allow access to Sys-firewall" for testing only.

4) I use "Print Settings" to set up my printer in the template, then when I create an AppVM or -DVM the information is populated. My CUPs stuff gets populated into the "print settings" GUI

5) Make sure to shutdown template before creating the AppVM or DVM

I don't use a lot of USB devices with my setup but I suspect you need to allow access to the USB via the "Device" tab in the AppVM.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[Joe]

Thanks, but it sounds like your printer has networking capability. I suspect that alone would solve the issue. Being a USB printer, without a built in driver already part of the basic distro... it requires more.

[sm...@tutamail.com]

...as an FYI I did have to add my drivers as they were not included, I downloaded my drivers in a DVM, moved the driver to my templates DeskTop and then did the following to install them:

su
cd Desktop
sh "driver file"

I was then prompted with a long list of commands in terminal that are likely different depending on your printer.

The USB vs Network is something I can't speak to...

[Tai...@gmx.com]

For future reference I suggest to all to obtain a network printer that
supports open command languages for printing such as PS/PCL so that you
don't need to rely on USB junk that requires non-free firmware and or
will eventually break due to no driver updates for new distros.