Printer Driver

[KARL]

This is a long shot.

I am trying to find a driver to install for running an HP Laserjet Pro MFP M130a printer/scanner under Ubuntu. I have gone in circles on the HP pages and got nowhere. I have done this before successfully on another computer, it still works very well, although I no longer recall how it went except it was easy, just following really simple instructions/choices - now I want to repeat the exercise. This time the printer is detected, and the auto-search begins by getting to HP (click) and then the driver search lands on a recommendation for the MFP M527 driver (which doesn't look right to me at all, but still). When I download that it does not work, even a test page job doesn't show in the print queue.

I would have thought an M128 driver would be nearer the mark and, actually, M130 is not on the list but I have a vague recollection that the previously recommended driver was not 130 but instead 128 or even 129 (not listed) or maybe it was even 125 - this feeling is unreliable. When I download/install one of the 128 drivers the printer shows up on the "connected" list as M129-M134..... but although now the test page print jobs can be seen in the queue they are labelled "stopped". There is paper in the thing (green light only, set to go) and it behaves as if on standby (but not responding).

Previously, an HP icon ("HP ready") was installed in the course of things, now that has not appeared. Can anyone advise/help, simple instructions needed, maybe even step by step ?

[KARL]

I should have mentioned that I can't access the scanning function at all (from memory it was accessed before through the HP icon) as well as making it clear that the printer is not printing the test pages at all, no reaction whatever and no error message.

[Buenchico]

Have you got HPLIP on your machine and, importantly, is it up to date? If not, obtaining the latest version should offer you a way forward:
https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/gethplip
(Click 'More information', towards the foot of the screen, if you're not sure whether or not you need to install/update HPLIP. This thread suggests that HPLIP didn't used to support your printer but that the latest version now does: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Setup-Software-Drivers/Linux-quot-driver-quot-for-HP-LaserJet-Pro-MFP-M130a/td-p/5991537 )

[Buenchico]

PS: I strongly recommend uninstalling the driver that you've already downloaded before installing the new one.

[KARL]

Thank you Chris.
I have successfully installed HPLIP (an older version was already installed) and printed both a test page and own composition. I had come across the thread you linked and also discovered that all the links on it resulted in "Page not found".
All I have to do now is find how to scan - can't yet see an option/icon leading to performing this. As I said, that was but a click before ("Simple Scan") but I don't see any such option this time.
Thanks again.

[Buenchico]

I don't use Linux but when using Windows I rarely (if ever) directly use the scanning software that came with my all-in-one printer. Instead I open an image processing program (such as Photoshop or GIMP) and then go to File > Acquire. That, in turn, makes a call upon the device's TWAIN driver, thus enabling me to scan an image.

Perhaps there's something similar in whatever image processor you use with Ubuntu?

[KARL]

P.S. Looking at the manual I am left with the impression that further download/installations may be required to enable scanning and, among OSs mentioned, Ubuntu is not there (out of date manual ?).

[KARL]

Thanks Chris, I'll see if I can scratch at this one.