[Glastonbury] A query please re Epson C82 printer and Gimp

[info at wccl.co.uk]

Dear All

I'm a newcomer to the group and also not a tecchie at all, merely a very 
enthusiastic user of Linux desktop after having to use it when Windows died on 
me dramatically and I needed to get on with work immediately (how lucky I had 
it loaded to try out sometime - I only use Win now when forced to do so). 

The printer works fine but for one intractable issue I've wrestled with for 
months. If there is a problem with a print job, I can't persuade the computer  
to cancel it. 

Epson help line told me they know nothing about Linux and can't help much. 
They say there is no memory in the printer so the computer is holding the 
job somewhere. They told me to disconnect the printer completely from computer 
and power and then cancel the job. This doesn't work or when it has, two or 
three times, I can't identify how it worked or repeat that success - and 
worse, the job is now corrupted and usually prints as an infuriating sequence 
of one line code then one page throw ad infinitem. The only recourse is to 
turn computer off completely and then reboot. So any attempt on these lines 
to cancel a job merely leads to printing havoc.

The best recourse with this printer seems to be never ever cancel a print job. 
But occasionally one really needs to - one may turn the printer off 
accidentally or a paper jam (very rare in this printer thank goodness) or any 
other mechanical problem immediately shuts the printer down, thus corrupting 
any print job processing.

So we conclude the computer is holding the job somewhere - but where? Can I 
get at it and remove it or is complete shut down the only solution?

Another trick I was told is to hold the off button down for a period and that 
should get rid of the job, but although this works fine I am told for a 
cheaper simpler Epson printer (I know a Linux user who has one of those, and 
has no trouble at all cancelling print jobs), my C82 dislikes this dodge. It 
carries on printing gibberish when switched back on. Also Epson told me not 
to do this - to keep on switching printer on and off they say degrades it.

I don't know if the mtink reset button should clear the print job but it 
doesn't. If I try this, mtink hangs and stays hanging even when I try to 
close it using system monitor. Mtink advises reset doesn't work for all 
printers, however, I don't know if reset has anything to do with print job 
cancelling.

lpq in command line will always say there are no print jobs even when the 
printer is churning out gibberish.

One solution is never to try to cancel a job, just let it print. But that's 
ludicrous - wasteful of ink, time, my temper. There are occasions when the 
printer gets turned off accidentally - eg, if a paper jam (very rare thank 
goodness) printer turns itself off immediately, it won't wait for me to clear 
the paper, or if a mechanical fault etc.

It is not a problem if your answer has to be highly technical. I have someone 
who will understand it and explain to me whatever you advise. 

Another small query. When I have tried to print say a jpg from Gimp, the 
printer doesn't print the picture but instead interminable numbers of close 
printed pages of code (yet another kind of print job I can't cancel!!) Is 
there something else I should do in Gimp in order to print the picture than 
the simple "print"?

I haven't noticed if Gimp prints other types of file such as png. Given the 
problem cancelling print jobs, I don't dare experiment! 

No problem printing a jpg etc from file manager.

Thanks very much if you can advise. 

Regards
Ros Williams
Wells Computer Consultants Ltd