print pages from Dot Matrix Printer TVS MSP250 STAR on ubuntu 16.04

Question

I'm working with a web application which prints receipts reading from a web-server on same machine. As I'm much inclined to open software, I thought to provide the entire pack on Ubuntu. But, knowing almost every clients using a dot-matrix printer from local manufacture, I have to somehow deal with this printing problem.

Ubuntu showed it's name as -TVS MSP-250* in Printers application and then I had to choose the Driver. So I opted for Generic text-only printer.

Tried to print a page from firefox & a page from gedit.

Printer not responded at all!

Reading Epson EX 100 and ESC/P from usb_printerid, I have tried Epson 9-Pin Series make and model.

Then it printed first line of page partially.

From a webpage, it almost printed first line readable in small font-size., on a bigger font, some clipping occures at bottom for letters like g From gedit, it also looks same - only printing bottom clipped first line.

Then, I have tried Epson Dot Matrix Foomatic/epsonc (recommended) from a PPD file downloaded from openprinting That moved printer head, but not printed anything.

Finally I have tried the TVSE9W80COL.ppd file downloaded from printer manufacture.

Product page

Download link

That one also not working.

I can print from root user using:

cat linux.txt > /dev/usb/lp0

It prints quickly, but doesn't care about the page width.

I have called the customer service of the manufacture and they asked me to contact Ubuntu :`(

I have read qz-tray can help. But want to make sure, I can't do anything with the default softwares. I don't know anything about the hardware or drivers, how cups work or does it involves here. Please suggest a good solution that works on Ubuntu.

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sudo usb_printerid /dev/usb/lp0

GET_DEVICE_ID string:
NUFACTURER: TVS Electronics,INDIA;COMMAND SET:ESC\P;MODEL: TVS MSP-250*;CLASS: PRINTER;DESCRIPTION:TVS MSP-250*;CID:Epson_EX-100�
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x���Ox86_64usb_printerid/dev/usb/lp0TERM=xterm-256colorLS_COLORS=rs=0:di=01;34:ln=01;36:mh=00:pi=40;33:so=01;35:do=01;35:bd=40;33;01:cd=40;33;01:or=40;31;01:mi=00:su=37;41:sg=30;43:ca=30;41:tw=30;42:ow=34;42:st=37;44:ex=01;32:*.tar=01;31:*.tgz=01;31:*.arc=01;31:*.arj=01;31:*.taz=01;31:*.lha=01;31:*.lz4=01;31:*.lzh=01;31:*.lzma=01;31:*.tlz=01;31:*.txz=01;31:*.tzo=01;31:*.t7z=01;31:*.zip=01;31:*.z=01;31:*.Z=01;31:*.dz=01;31:*.gz=01;31:*.lrz=01;31:*.lz=01;31:*.lzo=01;31:*.xz=01;31:*.bz2=01;31:*.bz=01;31:*.tbz=01;31:*.tbz2=01;31:*.tz=01;31:*.deb=01;31:*.rpm=01;31:*.jar=01;31:*.war=01;31:*.ear=01;31:*.sar=01;31:*.rar=01;31:*.alz=01;31:*.ace=01;31:*.zoo=01;31:*.cpio=01;31:*.7z=01;31:*.rz=01;31:*.cab=01;31:*.jpg=01;35:*.jpeg=01;35:*.gif=01;35:*.bmp=01;35:*.pbm=01;35:*.pgm=01;35:*.ppm=01;35:*.tga=01;35:*.xbm=01;35:*.xpm=01;35:*.tif=01;35:*.tiff=01;35:*.png=01;35:*.svg=01;35:*.svgz=01;35:*.mng=01;35:*.pcx=01;35:*.mov=01;35:*.mpg=01;35:*.mpeg=01;35:*.m2v=01;35:*.mkv=01;35:*.webm=01;35:*.ogm=01;35:*.mp4=01;35:*.m4v=01;35:*.mp4v=01;35:*.vob=01;35:*.qt=01;35:*.nuv=01;35:*.wmv=01;35:*.asf=01;35:*.rm=01;35:*.rmvb=01;35:*.flc=01;35:*.avi=01;

lpstat -a

TVS-MSP-250 accepting requests since Sunday 01 July 2018 03:17:54 PM IST

ls -l /etc/cups/ppd/

total 4
-rw-r----- 1 root lp 1401 Jul  1 15:17 TVS-MSP-250.ppd

lsusb

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 0e75:1101 TVS Electronics, Ltd 
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 046d:c077 Logitech, Inc. M105 Optical Mouse
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 046d:c31c Logitech, Inc. Keyboard K120
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

lpinfo -v

network beh
network http
network ipp14
network ipp
network socket
network https
direct hp
network ipps
network lpd
serial serial:/dev/ttyS0?baud=115200
direct usb://TVS/MSP-250*?serial=TVS-250STAR
direct hpfax

ls -l /dev/usb/lp0

crw-rw---- 1 root lp 180, 0 Jul  1 15:52 /dev/usb/lp0

lsmod | grep usb

usblp                  20480  0
usbhid                 49152  0
hid                   118784  2 hid_generic,usbhid

Answer 1

TL;DR

Connect the printer using USB and try parallel connection via uri

parallel:/dev/usb/lp0

Do not connect any other printers to the same device. Follow the wiki-ubuntu link for more instructions.

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What I did :

Printer was connected to the computer using a USB cable. So, I had ignored parallel:/ and was focusing on usb: . Also the default URI showed on printers application was something similar.

usb://TVS/MSP-250*?serial=TVS-250STAR

After 6 hours, just before giving up I thought to give a try for something found From

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingPrintingProblems#USB_-.3E_Parallel_adapter.

Set up the printer with the device URI parallel:/dev/usb/lp0, either by selecting "Enter URI"...

and it worked when URI changed to,

parallel:/dev/usb/lp0

See, the printer has two interfaces.

Centronics IEEE-P1284A Parallel, USB

I was using USB type B to USB type A connection leaving parallel port open, even though it worked for the trouble shooting section under USB -> Parallel adapter section from the above url.