Ticket Options

Question Profile

Question Details

TICKET ARCHIVE -> Okidata OL600e printer and Mac OS 10.4.6

maribull - Jan 8, 2007 - 11:34 am

I have been trying to find a solution to this problem for several days! Can someone help me?!

Someone has probably already posted a similar question but I am brand new to the site and don't know where to look....

I am working with a new MacBook running OS 10.4.6 and trying to get my old and wonderful Okidata OL600e printer up and running with it. I have downloaded Gimp-Print and had the printer at least running (the printer showed up in the printer list) but no data would print, or only partial pages. I tried following the instructions included with Gimp-Print on how to print but they didn't seem to apply to what I was seeing on the screen, even though I followed the directions exactly (although I held down the Option key while selecting "add new printer" I never, after repeated attempts, got the "Advanced set-up" I was supposed to see.) I also tried downloading and running Gutenburg from the SourceForge site thinking it was the update for OS 10.4.6 but I couldn't even get it to list my printer in the printer list. Can someone tell me how to do this, or at least steer me in the right direction? I can't seem to find any way to contact the SourceForge.net folks (who put out Gimp-Print and Gutenburg stuff) for support.

Sigh.

Thanks,
Marilyn

gsahli - Jan 8, 2007 - 2:54 pm

The instructions are for an older version OS X (10.3.x).
Can you please tell me how the printer is connected? If via USB, are you using a USB-parallel adapter cable? or are you connected by ethernet, etc...

(I don't have that printer - any help you can give me to describe what you have done so far and how it's connected will be useful! I used to have an OL4e that worked fine)

maribull - Jan 8, 2007 - 4:41 pm

The printer is connected through a USB cable. I have downloaded Gimp_Print (several times!) and followed the directions to get my printer into the print list. The Gimp directions on how to do so didn't seem to be relevant to what I was seeing on my screen; I goofed around a little and managed to get the Okidata printer to finally appear on the rpinter list (I can't recreated how I did this, unfortunately.) Although the printer would run, pages would come out without anything on them or with gibberish. Once or twice i got a page to print when I created it as a new document. I also downloaded and installed Ghostwriter altho now i see it is for earlier versions of OS. The last thing I tried was to download and install Gutenberg - I tried to follow the instructions and could only get the printer list to show "USB printer" or something similar to that.

gsahli - Jan 8, 2007 - 5:07 pm

I guess you mean Gutenprint 5.0.0.
To Add the printer in 10.4, you click ADD, then wait for the printer to show up in the "Default Browser" window (click the Default Browser icon at the top if the window isn't titled Default Browser). The printer will show up with USB next to it. Then Select the Gutenprint driver and finish. If the printer doesn't work after that, you probably have some other problem in your OS X software - don't reinstall GutenPrint anymore. If this is where you're stuck, please come back and I'll give you some more steps to try.

maribull - Jan 8, 2007 - 10:20 pm

I'm away from my printer for the evening but will try this tomorrow. Should I uninstall Gutenprint first? And once it is downloaded again and I start through the process to add my printer, do I have to hold the Option button down as suggested in GimpPrint, or can I just click on "add"? Also, where will I find the Gutenprint driver?
Thanks,
Marilyn

gsahli - Jan 9, 2007 - 12:10 am

Do not uninstall GutenPrint. Do not download GutenPrint again. You won't need to hold the option key. If you have installed the GutenPrint driver by double-clicking on a .pkg installer file, it will be found in the same place as all other drivers when looking at the Default Browser (oh, I see the top of that window is labelled Printer Browser, not Default Browser) - you click on the printer once to select it, and then you select the driver using the area near the bottom of the window called "Print Using:"

maribull - Jan 9, 2007 - 3:34 pm

Hello again,
I have followed your instructions and find they are successful up to the point where the printer is printing out a page; in a 1-page document nothing appears on the first page from the printer and that is followed by about 10 pages of gibberish.

gsahli - Jan 9, 2007 - 4:37 pm

Hmmm.
Please try adding the printer and choosing the HP Laserjet 4 Series driver (OL600 is HP-compatible.) for troubleshooting.

And by the way, I'm pretty sure you're using a USB to parallel (Centronics) adapter cable.

gsahli - Jan 9, 2007 - 4:47 pm

Oh, I just noticed that the OL600 is HP Laserjet IIP (older than 4) compatible. Please change the above to LJ IIP driver.

maribull - Jan 9, 2007 - 4:53 pm

I was just doing that when I got your response (I remembered it used to run with the HP LaserJet llP)- however, to no avail. I did again get a half a page of text, and then several more blank pages from a one-page document.

gsahli - Jan 9, 2007 - 7:20 pm

I'm giving you some troubleshooting steps to try - these are based on my theory that the problem has to do with a corrupted file in your OS X installation - not on the driver.
Try restarting the Mac and printing after you try each step.
Repair permissions (Disk Utility).
Reset Printing System (new in Tiger) - In Printer Setup, click this menu item found just above Quit Printer Setup.
If there is a downloadable Combination Updater from Apple, use it to re-Update OS X.
Try Printer Setup Repair from www.fixamac.net.
Use a Disk Utility like Disk Warrior to repair the HD.
(Final step - reinstall OS X using the Archive & Install option in the installer.)

maribull - Jan 9, 2007 - 7:40 pm

Oaky, Iv'e tried the first two steps - the first one resulted on two gigantic letters printing and then multiple blank pages, the second step resulted in the printed not printing although the document seemed to go to the print queue. If I go on to the next few steps - updating OS X, and reinstalling OS X won't I lose all my settings and have to start over? It's taken me days to get this new machine back to where my old one was in terms of software, etc.

maribull - Jan 9, 2007 - 9:40 pm

Hi again,
I have downloaded and looked at (but not run) the Printer Setup repair program you suggested...it looks very complicated to me - I don't undstand a lot of what is in the "Read me" file and am fearful of starting this because I don't want to mess up my brand new computer! Is it something I should have a computer repair person do????

gsahli - Jan 9, 2007 - 10:12 pm

I don't think you should be worrying about a program that thousands of people have used. But if this isn't comfortable to you, then I think you should go to a computer repair person.

maribull - Jan 9, 2007 - 11:56 pm

Okay, now I have downloaded and run the Apple Combination Updater, to no avail, and also gone as far as I could understand with the Printer Setup Repair. It told me I had two missing files, which it found, and then beyond that I didn't know what options to choose - I did not delete the contents of the private/tmp/50/TempItems directory. I did delete the HP drivers but didn't know what to do with the PPD installation part. As of this time the printer still is not working.

gsahli - Jan 10, 2007 - 7:56 am

I think you should try every "free" option in PSR (aren't some parts non-functional until you pay?).

An alternate to Disk Warrior is this - insert your OS X install DVD. Restart and hold down the C key until you're sure the computer is using the DVD for startup. DO NOT start the installer. Instead, find Disk Utility in the top (Finder) menus and run that. Repair the hard drive (not permissions this time). If there are errors found, let the process complete and then run the repair again. Then you can restart normally and delete the added printer and re-add it within Printer Setup.
I am going through this elaborate stuff with you to try to avoid reinstalling. However, there is a reinstall option called Archive & Install that keeps settings, documents and applications. Some applications have to be reinstalled because they put files into the system folders that get replaced.

maribull - Jan 10, 2007 - 8:49 am

Good morning,
the whole of PSR is free, I think, for a seven day trial. i have gotten to the PPD Installation segment of it, and wonder if you can tell me what PPD means? There are several options here - Install PPD, Delete PPD files, and an empty window with a menu that says /Library/Printers/PPDs and then System/Library/PPDs. When I click on those two choices I get a listing of many printers - in fact it looks like the same list repeated several times. Can you tell me how to get through this segment?

gsahli - Jan 10, 2007 - 9:28 am

I would look through to make sure your model is still there (in the PPDs), but otherwise do nothing to the PPDs.

PPD = postscript printer description. Each is a text file that tells the computer the size of the printable area and which if any fonts are contained in the printer (so they don't need to be sent with the actual page data/text). In the case of OS X/linux/CUPS, this file also tells the OS which driver to use.

maribull - Jan 10, 2007 - 12:10 pm

I deleted the HP driver the first time I went through PSR, so it no longer shows up in the PPD Installation and Removal section of - and there doesn't seem to be an option to re-install it.

gsahli - Jan 10, 2007 - 2:14 pm

How about the Okidata OL600, GutenPrint model choice - is it there?

maribull - Jan 10, 2007 - 5:15 pm

There are no Okidata Printers listed; however I still have the Gutenprint download on my HD.

gsahli - Jan 10, 2007 - 7:36 pm

Time to install the Gutenprint software. I believe it's a .dmg file which is a disk image. Double-click on it to mount it on your desktop, then double-click to open it, then double-click the .pkg installer to install.

maribull - Jan 10, 2007 - 11:51 pm

OK, Gutenprint is installed.

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 12:05 am

Ok, now try Adding the Okidata in Printer Setup and using the Okidata OL600 model driver.

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 12:13 am

I now have on my printer list, under "Name", USB to Parallel Cable, and under "Kind", Okidata OL600e.

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 9:18 am

Does it print?

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 9:39 am

Yes, but with "*b6Wi" printed alongside the edges every two inches. (I printed out twice and got the same result both times).

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 12:15 pm

Well, I'm at a loss on that one - never seen it. I suppose it is some postsript code that isn't being interpreted correctly.

I suggest, for troubleshooting, that you take your MacBook somewhere and try to print with some other printer - both postscript and non-postscript. (The Okidata is a non-postscript printer and the drivers/components interpret postscript to create output for it.) I hesitate to tell you to reinstall OS X, but I have to tell you that Apple Support people would be saying "Reinstall" right now.

Although I have doubts that this could help, I'd like to suggest you download and install an alternate USB driver called "usbtb" from:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...?group_id=1537
This is supposed to be a more reliable USB connection. Worth having whether or not it fixes your issue.

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 1:01 pm

I have already tried it with a Lexmark printer - (can't remember the model) - it was fine. Is that a postscript printer? I'll try the USB driver you suggested. Once I download it is there anything I should do with it besides install it (i.e. remove any other USB connection info)?

I didn't call the Apple Support line because they have only screwed things up much much worse with previous computers!

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 2:27 pm

After installing usbtb, delete and re-Add the printer. You should see both USB and usbtb choices for your printer - just choose the usbtb one.

I believe you have posted on Apple Discussions, too. That's good. I won't respond there unless to "bump" it back to the top of the list.

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 2:43 pm

I have installed usbtb, and it now shows up on my printer list. Is that right? And should I delete and add just the Okidata printer, or should I delete and add the new one titled "Info Software...."?

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 2:56 pm

I'm not sure what the Info Software is. Just Add the Oki with usbtb next to it in the printer browser window (you still choose the same Print Using model OL600).

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 3:59 pm

Okay, now iin the "Kind" column it says GenericPostScript... (There is no choice on the printer list for Okidata - I have been using the HP LaserJet 2P and GutenPrint 5.0) and then in the "Name column it has "USB to Parallel Cable". When I choose to print, the icon that appears in the dock at least now LOOKS like my printer; however, when I try to actually print, the print queue spins for a moment and then says "Job stopped" under the "Status" column. When I click on the document name the only choices I am given are Start jobs, delete, and hold (Resume printing is not an option.) when I click on start jobs, the same thing happens - I get "Job stopped."

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 4:22 pm

Generic postscript won't work for your Oki - do you mean it doesn't allow you to choose Okidata anymore - or it just doesn't autoselect?

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 5:00 pm

Sorry, I've been trying so many things I got mixed up. It does support the Okidata OL600e; I went back to Printer Setup and chose that printer. Now the Printer list says Okidata OL600e, and USB to Parallel Cable; howver, these are listed under "Kind" and "Name", respectively. SHouldn't it be the other way around - the name of the printer is Okidata, and the kind os USB to Parallel? It won't print the way it is - I get the "printer stopped" message.

gsahli - Jan 11, 2007 - 9:29 pm

Sorry, I have no other ideas. I think you should do an Archive & install reinstall.

maribull - Jan 11, 2007 - 11:12 pm

If I do the Archive & Install reinstall which you explained above how will I know which applications needs to be re-installed - will they simply not show up when I try to use them, or will the program tell me what is being deleted?

gsahli - Jan 12, 2007 - 12:06 pm

The only way to tell which apps need reinstallation is by running the app. If you get an error, then you probably need to reinstall. Sorry there is no better way.

maribull - Jan 12, 2007 - 12:41 pm

How do I run this?

gsahli - Jan 12, 2007 - 2:21 pm

Put the OS X install DVD in, restart while holding down c key to start from the DVD instead of the hard drive. start the install OS X icon, in the first one or two windows of the installer there is a button "options." (I think in the left side of the install window) CLick that and select Archive & Install. Then continue and install.

maribull - Jan 12, 2007 - 2:53 pm

i will try this as a last resort. I haven't yet done Disk Warrior or the alternative you suggested above. Should I do those first?

gsahli - Jan 12, 2007 - 3:39 pm

Yes, please try repairing the hard drive first.

maribull - Jan 13, 2007 - 2:59 pm

The Okidata is printing, but still with all kinds of junk on each page. I will try the Disk Warrior and then the Archive and Install if Disk Warrior doesn't do anything. I suspect I'll probably just end up hooking my Mac Book up to some other printer. I think I'm going to close out this session - you've been really helpful despite my not being able to get the printer up and running. Thank you so much for all your time and ideas.

gsahli - Jan 13, 2007 - 6:51 pm

Sorry we didn't get it working right.