Comment # 14 on bug 916781 from Johannes Meixner

The "Bad Driver Information File '/usr/share/cups/drv/sample.drv'"
error message in your /var/log/cups/error_log has nothing to do
with whether or not printing via parallel port works for
your HP LaserJet 5MP.

That error message comes from cups-driverd that is run by the cupsd
e.g. when lpinfo -m" is run to list all available printer drivers (PPDs)
and then cups-driverd complains about some issues but cups-driverd
is not involved when something is actually printed.

In short:
You can ignore messages from cups-driverd here.


In general a single line from /var/log/cups/error_log
is basically meaningless for me because I need more context
to have at least a chance to help, see
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:How_to_Report_a_Printing_Issue
In particular I need the whole CUPS debug messages
for exactly one single failed print job.

Regarding basic tests whether or not the printer
is accessible via the parallel port see
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Installing_a_Printer

When you run as root

echo -en "\rHello\r\f" >/dev/lp0

does your HP LaserJet 5MP print one sheet with the word Hello on it?

If not,
when you run as root

rmmod lp
rmmod ppdev
rmmod parport_pc
rmmod parport
modprobe parport
modprobe parport_pc
modprobe ppdev
modprobe lp
echo -en "\rHello\r\f" >/dev/lp0

does it now print one sheet with the word Hello on it?

If not,
when you run as root

rmmod lp
rmmod ppdev
rmmod parport_pc
rmmod parport
rm /dev/lp*
systemd-tmpfiles --create /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/parallel-printer.conf
modprobe parport
modprobe parport_pc
modprobe ppdev
modprobe lp
echo -en "\rHello\r\f" >/dev/lp0

does it now print one sheet with the word Hello on it?