Linux Mint will not recognize my printer

[rpcvdvet]

I have an HP 4200 laser printer with a Centronics port and a desktop PC that does not. The PC has only USB ports. I bought a cable that can physically connect the two units, but my operating system (Linux Mint) only partially recognizes the printer. I get a message that a print job is being processed, but it does not print. I think the software may be expecting that the connection for this particular printer will be a via a parallel port on the computer, but there is no such port. Does anyone know how I can convince the OS to recognize this hybrid cable?

Stumped in Shelton

[rthonpm]

You may want to try this from HP's open source support site: Troubleshooting and/or enabling parallel support | HPLIP Knowledge Base Did you check to make sure that the USB to parallel adapter is supported in Linux (Mint is just a modified version of Ubuntu)?

[KenB]

I'd definitively go with Rthon's suggestion first.

I've seen issues with those cables; keep in mind that the OS has to load drivers for it.

Another possibility may be to get a parallel port card for the PC, which should be very inexpensive.

The card, of course, would have the same potential issue as the cable, where the OS would have to support it.

[slimslob]

How to Connect the HP 4200 With a USB | eHow

[NeoMatrix]

I have an HP 4200 laser printer with a Centronics port and a desktop PC that does not. The PC has only USB ports. I bought a cable that can physically connect the two units, but my operating system (Linux Mint) only partially recognizes the printer. I get a message that a print job is being processed, but it does not print. I think the software may be expecting that the connection for this particular printer will be a via a parallel port on the computer, but there is no such port. Does anyone know how I can convince the OS to recognize this hybrid cable?

Stumped in Shelton

Centronics ? Is that for use as parallel DB25 or DB9 Serial cable ?
You can purchase a USB/A/B to DB9 serial cable conversion, I'm not sure about USB to DB25 parallel. I don't know how the PC's serial on board chip set would convert over to parallel for the printer interface. You would require a software interface to do the conversion from parallel to USB serial and vice versa.

It would be handy if you had an old style 486/Pentium/Athalon PC with an existing parallel printer port.

Does any one use parallel printer comms any more ?

[qbert69]

Go with what you know WORKS!

This will more than likely work for your situation!

https://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapt...le~ICUSB128410

Startech has been around for a looong time!...they make alot of the weird sh!t that no one else does...to get the work done that YOU NEED TO DO!