On Mar 20, 2025, Kleene, Steven (kleenesj) wrote:

The software setup for my Brother DCP-L2640DW driverless laser printer is confusing the hell out of me. I'm running bookworm.

The printer is connected via USB only (not wireless). When I first connected it, CUPS (apparently) set up a printer Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB automatically. A corresponding file in /etc/cups/ppd was there only when the printer was on.

It's zeroconf / ippanywhere; and honestly it's pretty garbage (even over network).

It's been a while since I've done USB printers, but I *THINK* you can
still setup two different definitions that ultimately point via the real
driver -- so you can have L2640_A4 and L2640_LTR, and not have to deal
with the zeroconf pseudo-printer.


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|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Us

On 3/20/25 17:11, Kleene, Steven (kleenesj) wrote:

The software setup for my Brother DCP-L2640DW driverless laser printer is confusing the hell out of me. I'm running bookworm.

remove cups-browsed. Then the brother drivers which fully support their printers will work.

The printer is connected via USB only (not wireless). When I first connected it, CUPS (apparently) set up a printer Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB automatically. A corresponding file in /etc/cups/ppd was there only when the printer was on.

Because of a font-rendering problem, I also installed the driver supplied by Brother. Now there is a printer DCPL2640DW. It and its PPD file are always there, even when the printer is off. Sometimes there is also a third printer, DCPL2640DW_drx (drx being the desktop's name).

Sometimes I want to use DCPL2640DW and sometimes Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB; they have performed with some differences I won't go into (e.g. note default paper sizes below). The problem is that Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB is by default absent. If I open a file in firefox and call print, Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB and its PPD file appear. If I cancel the print job, it disappears within 10 seconds. If I try to just ask lp to use Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB, it may say there's no such printer.

Once I set Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB as the default printer, but as soon as that printer vanished, there was no default printer.

Below are some descriptions I've captured. You'll see some inconsistencies, but I don't know which ones to correct. Can I make DCPL2640DW and Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB both be available full-time, with Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB as the default? Thanks.

-----------------------
localhost:631

DCPL2640DW
Description: Brother DCP-L2640DW (USB)
Location:
Driver: Brother DCP-L2640DW for CUPS (grayscale, 2-sided printing) Connection: ipp://Brother%20DCP-L2640DW%20(USB)._ipp._tcp.local/ Defaults: job-sheets=none, none media=iso_a4_210x297mm sides=one-sided

Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB
Description: Brother DCP-L2640DW (USB)
Location:
Driver: Printer - IPP Everywhere (grayscale, 2-sided printing) Connection: ipp://localhost:60000/ipp/print
Defaults: job-sheets=none, none media=na_letter_8.5x11in sides=one-sided

DCPL2640DW_drx
Description: {printer_info}
Location: {printer_location}
Driver: {printer_make_and_model} (grayscale, 2-sided printing) Connection: {device_uri}
Defaults: job-sheets={job_sheets_default} media=unknown

-----------------------
/etc/cups/ppd:
-rw-r----- 1 root lp 12450 Mar 20 16:19 Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB.ppd -rw-r----- 1 root lp 11268 Mar 20 16:19 DCPL2640DW_drx.ppd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 17898 Mar 20 16:14 DCPL2640DW.ppd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 17898 Mar 20 16:13 DCPL2640DW.ppd.O

-----------------------
printers.conf shows just this
Info DCPL2640DW
MakeModel Brother DCP-L2640DW for CUPS
DeviceURI ipp://Brother%20DCP-L2640DW%20(USB)._ipp._tcp.local/

even when Brother_DCP_L2640DW_USB is available
.

Cheers, Gene Heskett, CET.
--
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author, 1940)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
- Louis D. Brandeis

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