PDA

View Full Version : Miscellaneous Konica Minolta BizHub C364e - MAC Authentication Problems


Custom Search


mcapehart
09-03-2014, 04:42 PM
I am experiencing an intermittent problem with authentication, on Macs, with the Konica Minolta BizHub C364e. Sometimes users can print and other times they can't. When they can't print I receive "Server Errors" when I try to check the default settings in CUPS. I have suggested that the user, having the most frequent problem, restart the laptop but he is usually working with a tight deadline when this problem occurs. The problem usually occurs when he is trying to print pdf files; I'm not sure if this is relevant but thought I should mention it. I would welcome any ideas or suggestions. THANKS!

emujo
09-03-2014, 05:20 PM
MAC is not very friendly with authentication and accessories (unlike windows). I would have the user enter their print code (and the user name is case sensitive) and check the save settings box. Of course I don't know exactly how you have authentication setup, but if you have a public user for B&W, then I would create a preset with color selected and the authentication info input. My guess is the user is not getting the codes correct every time. The MFP would not intermittently delete a verified code. One other thing, make sure you have the latest firmware on the MFP (G9) and the MFP is updated to maintenance release version 6. The 5.0 drivers are on the KM public site. If a user downloads and installs these w/o the MFP updated it could cause some authentication issues. Emujo

mcapehart
09-03-2014, 06:01 PM
Thanks for the quick response! I should have provided more detail in my original post. Here are the full details of how I configure Macs when installing print drivers for Konica Minolta copiers since we use authentication on all of our Konica Minolta copiers. Our Konica Minolta copiers were new when installed in April of this year and had the latest firmware available when delivered.

I installed the latest Mavericks Drivers for this copier. Then I added the printer in the printer area. Then I opened CUPS in Safari using 172.0.01:631. I clicked on the "Adding Printers and Classes" link, clicked on the "Manager Printers" button, clicked on the copier, clicked on the "Administration" button and chose the "Set Default Options" option, clicked on the "Finishing Options" link, turned on "Account Track". I closed Safari. Then I opened a document, chose print from the "File" menu, clicked on the "Show Details" button, clicked on the drop-down just below the "Orientation" icons and selected "Output Method", clicked on the "Account Track" box and enter the authentication code in the "Password" box, checked the "Saved Settings" box and clicked on the "OK" button and the "Print" button. Now the settings should be complete and correct.

Like I said it prints intermittently. When it prints, I can open CUPS in Safari and look at these settings. When it doesn't print, I get a "Server" error when I try to look at the settings in CUPS.

I suspect I am describing a process that is advanced for most Mac users. I welcome any other ideas you can offer.

emujo
09-03-2014, 06:14 PM
you're correct, I don't add printers that way in MAC, I use the add printer in SYS Pref. TCP/IP printer, LPD, queue name of print and add the specific PS driver. Never had this type of issue doing it this way. Emujo

mcapehart
09-03-2014, 06:35 PM
You described my second step in the correct detail when I said, "Then I added the printer in the printer area". - I was taking the step by step process for granted for this step in the process.

I did fail to mention that our network is a small Domain (18 house workstations) with 100 or so "bring your system" users. These users are independent contractors and supply their own desktop or laptop. We are installing the drivers "machine based" not server based. PCs do not have any problems with printing with authentication. I embed the password in the driver for some users and check the pop-up box option for users who assist other users so they can enter the appropriate code when printing. Like I said this works flawlessly on PCs.

I originally tried to configure the authentication settings in the driver but that would fail after the user restarted their Mac. After some in-depth research, I found details about how to access CUPS and set these settings in the "Set Default Options" area. This solved the problem of losing authentication after rebooting a Mac. We are still losing authentication intermittently. I have asked users to reboot their Mac to see if this restores the authentication but many are very busy when they need to print.

Thanks again for your reply. It sounds like you may not be using Account Tracking authentication in your environment with Macs.

emujo
09-03-2014, 06:41 PM
Authentication is common with color devices, my MAC installs are less common, but I can muddle through them easily enough. Again, I have never seen this issue arise. What about connecting the MAC users to a Windows shared printer? Emujo

occus
09-04-2014, 12:10 PM
I have a few customers with maverics and account track.
Sometime from special PDF's (i can't reproduce) they get a error message on MFP panel... solution= print as image, but that case is maybe 1 of 100/200prints from a CAD Software.

Which protocol do you use? we had problems with bonjour (ipp error), and lost print jobs. (short message on spooler: print error)
Take tcp/ip LPD!

...somewhere i read the info the user should not have admin permissions. (but i never had problem with admin permissions)
And install the driver like emujo!

mcapehart
09-04-2014, 05:13 PM
The installation process, I outlined in my second post, includes emujo's driver installation suggestion (step by step as he outlined it) in the second step. As I said, I used the "pkg installer" to install the driver on the MAC. Then I followed emujo's installation process to add the printer. Then I used CUPS to turn on "Account Track" in the default settings. Then I opened a document to use the print command to configure account track authentication, add the password and choose the save settings option. I found the instructions for CUPS, after hours of searching for a solution, since the authentication wasn't holding.

I know this forum, like the others I have used over the years, is comprised of experienced users and industry professionals who are willing to offer solutions to the questions posted by others. These forums are valuable and I am grateful for all who are willing to give of their time to respond - frequently these users provide information that helps those posting questions solve their problems. I know some replies will suggest things I have already tried. I appreciate the replies so far and am hoping that one of the people who finally solved this problem will find my post and offer the working solution.

Thanks again for the replies; they are appreciated!

MFPTech
09-05-2014, 02:39 PM
You described my second step in the correct detail when I said, "Then I added the printer in the printer area". - I was taking the step by step process for granted for this step in the process.

I did fail to mention that our network is a small Domain (18 house workstations) with 100 or so "bring your system" users. These users are independent contractors and supply their own desktop or laptop. We are installing the drivers "machine based" not server based. PCs do not have any problems with printing with authentication. I embed the password in the driver for some users and check the pop-up box option for users who assist other users so they can enter the appropriate code when printing. Like I said this works flawlessly on PCs.

I originally tried to configure the authentication settings in the driver but that would fail after the user restarted their Mac. After some in-depth research, I found details about how to access CUPS and set these settings in the "Set Default Options" area. This solved the problem of losing authentication after rebooting a Mac. We are still losing authentication intermittently. I have asked users to reboot their Mac to see if this restores the authentication but many are very busy when they need to print.

Thanks again for your reply. It sounds like you may not be using Account Tracking authentication in your environment with Macs.

Keep in mind that the authentication and the account tracking are two totally different things. Normally customers need either one or the other.

emujo
09-05-2014, 02:43 PM
If he has authentication and/or account track enabled, and something is wrong with the codes, it will never print, he's getting intermittent failures. I don't have a handle on the CUPS side of MAC, I always use the code settings in the driver, and save the settings if the customer doesn't want to put them in always. Emujo

mcapehart
09-05-2014, 03:02 PM
It sounds like I may be using the term "authentication" incorrectly. For me any time you are monitoring and/or restricting the number of prints/copiers, for a given user, you are using a form of authentication; their password, whether embedded in the driver or using the popup authentication dialog box, must be verified and their remaining allocation confirmed before the job prints. I looks like I am doing exactly what Emujo suggests, with the addition of turning on "Account Track" in CUPS. The fact that the user can print without doing anything else, some of the time, would seem to indicate that the install/configuration is correct. I have Business Contacts who sell/service Sharp, Ricoh and Kyocera copiers and although they agree that "authentication" is tricky with MACS none of them have experienced this type of problem. I feel that there is a unique issue with Konica Minolta and MACS; perhaps I am wrong. It could be a problem with this user's MAC, although I have the same problem, on occasion, with our other MAC users.

Thanks for the replies!

darry1322
09-05-2014, 03:07 PM
I've had better stability in the drivers by using the HP Jetdirect Socket in the IP installation menu rather than going with LPD. I use CUPS in my Linux system and have to reinstall printers fairly often to keep them working even without access codes. I don't do a lot of Mac installs, but my experience is better when using the add printer menu rather than CUPS.

emujo
09-05-2014, 03:11 PM
User authentication...allows tracking/monitoring of all print/copy jobs. Can be configured to allow public user to print/copy B&W w/o codes, but this option must be ticked off in the mac driver. Account Track....all users must enter code to print/copy. No public user. Authentication/Account track combo...Users are part of an account group. Can be synchronized, or users can be forced to enter both user code and account track group code info. Give us your particular configuration. If codes are saved correctly then it should always work. I would look at the job log on the copier to see some detailed info as to why the prints are failing..Login error, group authentication error etc...Emujo

Custom Search