Comment 106 for bug 35638

I'm suddenly having major issues with my USB-connected printer. I have a Sharp MP30 laptop (from 2005), Epson Stylus Photo R220 printer, and running Hardy 8.04 with all updates applied as of Apr 20. (As a user, not a developer, I don't know what the problem really is or whether this is the correct thread.)

Before I read this thread, this was the problem: after a cold start, everything worked, but after suspend, the system thought the printer was "unplugged." Other USB devices, like a thumbdrive, would not work either. I have two USB ports, and either one would become nonfunctional after trying to talk to the printer. Restarting cupsys, restarting X, nothing worked. Only a complete shutdown and boot up made the USB ports available again.

After I read this thread and tried some of the diagnostics after suspending, it turned out that $lsusb or $lpinfo -v somehow woke the port back up and it would print. So what's the deal?? Any command to poll the printer or usb reminds the system of something and everything works again??

Bizarre. I hope I'm not the only person with this problem and it's something that can get sorted out. I've been using Ubuntu since Dapper, and this is the first time anything like this has happened.

Some of the output from diagnostics:
-----------------------
Cold boot, printing via usb cable works:
-----------------------
$lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 04b8:0005 Seiko Epson Corp. Stylus Printer
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

$sudo usb_printerid /dev/usb/lp0
GET_DEVICE_ID string:
MFG:EPSON;CMD:ESCPL2,BDC,D4;MDL:Stylus Photo R220;CLS:PRINTER;DES:EPSON Stylus Photo R220;

$lpinfo -v
network socket
network beh
direct hal:///org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_4b8_5_M01P20511302159560_if0_printer_noserial
direct usb://EPSON/Stylus%20Photo%20R220
direct epson:/dev/usb/lp0
direct hpfax
direct hp
network http
network ipp
network lpd
file cups-pdf:/
direct scsi
network smb

------------------------
after suspend: printer and/or usb no longer works
------------------------
$lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

HOWEVER: this time, after running lsusb, the printer woke up and started printing the job I'd just given it. In the past, besides restarting X, I'd also tried restarting cupsys service and everything else I could think of.

Now the output is
$lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04b8:0005 Seiko Epson Corp. Stylus Printer
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

------------------------------
another suspend: printer not working at first
------------------------------
$lpinfo -v
network socket
network beh
direct hal:///org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_4b8_5_M01P20511302159560_if0_printer_noserial
direct usb://EPSON/Stylus%20Photo%20R220
direct epson:/dev/usb/lp0
direct hpfax
direct hp
network http
network ipp
network lpd
file cups-pdf:/
direct scsi
network smb

and it started printing the job I'd just given it....