Can't enable network printer in CUPS - 'printer configuration is incorrect'

User Support Hardware Issues
1

Thanks to everyone who contributed to printer documentation for Qubes - I’ve learned a lot, but still stumped by this issue.

I’m running Qubes R4.2.1 on a Nitrokey nitropad-nv41 laptop.
Kernal: 6.1.75-1
CUPS: 2.4.7

I successfully set up a fedora-39-xfce template VM with my Epson ET-3750 network printer after many hours of trial and error and bashing my head against the wall. I was able to print the test page and documents without issue. I declared success and celebrated by going to sleep. The next day I tried to re-create another template to make sure I had the process down before I set up a disposable VM based on the template. I’m stuck because I can’t recreate a template that successfully pairs with the printer. This is my installation approach - please let me know if you see any corrections I can make.

  1. Clone the fedora-39-xfce template to create a new template VM (let’s call it NewT)
  2. Open NewT settings to set the Net qube to sys-firewall - Apply to assign IP address
  3. From NewT command line, install my software (sudo dnf install yum, pdfarranger, vi cups)
  4. From NewT command line, install OnlyOffice using yum
  5. From NewT Firefox instance, download Epson linux drivers from the Epson website
  6. Shutdown NewT qube
  7. From dom0 command line, enable cups (qvm-service --enable fedora-39-xfce-clone-5 cups)
  8. Restart NewT - verify in Settings >> Services tab that cups is enabled
  9. From NewT command line, install drivers (sudo rpm -i EpsonDrivers.rpm)
  10. From NewT File Manager, open and extract the ppd for my printer - store it in Documents
  11. From NewT command line, open printer settings GUI (sudo system-config-printer)
  12. Add printer → Device URI (from printer): http://192.168.50.26:631/ipp/print/
  13. At prompt, point to the specific, unzipped .ppd file for my printer
  14. Print test page
    And that’s when I get the error message for Printer State: “Stopped - The printer configuration is incorrect or the printer no longer exists.” When I go to the Policies group of the Printer Settings GUI, the Enabled checkbox is unchecked (it is checked in the template that successfully prints). When I try to check the box, it reverts quickly to being unchecked.

I know the printer exists because I can use it flawlessly from my other template that I was able to magically connect (let’s call it GoodT). I’ve reviewed CLI history for GoodT and tried to duplicate it - no luck. I thought GoodT might be blocking some other templates somehow, so I backed it up and then deleted it from my system… that didn’t do anything either. I’ve also edited the /etc/cups/cupsd.conf file in NewT to look like GoodT - it doesn’t do anything.

Thank you for any suggestions.

2

I was able to solve this issue with lpadmin. Here are the steps that worked for me if anyone else runs into the same issue:

  1. Clone the fedora-39-xfce template to create a new template VM (let’s call it NewT)
  2. Open NewT settings to set the Net qube to sys-firewall - Apply to assign IP address
  3. From NewT command line, install my software (sudo dnf install yum, pdfarranger, vi cups)
  4. From NewT command line, install OnlyOffice using yum
  5. From NewT Firefox instance, download Epson linux drivers from the Epson website
  6. Shutdown NewT qube
  7. From dom0 command line, enable cups (qvm-service fedora-39-xfce-clone-5 cups on)
  8. Restart NewT - verify in Settings >> Services tab that cups is enabled
  9. From NewT command line, install drivers (sudo rpm -i EpsonDrivers.rpm)
  10. Install printer (lpadmin -p ET_3750 -v ipp:/192.168.50.26/ipp/print -E -m everywhere)
  11. Configure printer (sudo system-config-printer)
  12. Print test page