Ubuntu 9.04, Epson TX110 USB Printer Issues

We've had this problem for around three months now - its been a doozy so I thought I'd mention it here. We've also created an issue for it on Computerbank's issue tracker at http://code.google.com/p/computerbank/issues/detail?id=173

An Epson TX110 purchased by one of our clients (on our general advise) wants to automatically set up each and every time it is plugged in. Even with the latest driver from the Avasys website. We are using a custom version of Ubuntu 9.04, mostly up to date.

We searched for a solution. Our searches were around getting the printer working properly and we also repeated software install attempts. Several people were involved in this investigation.

Finally we thought about stopping the automatic printer detection foo from happening. We think we hit the answer, thanks to Marcus and http://centos.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&order=DESC&topic_id=16210&forum=37

Basically you need to edit a file - sudo gedit /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/10-hal_lpadmin.fdi and remove --add from line 7. Don't forget to restart HAL with the command sudo /etc/init.d/hal restart (or just reboot).

Finding this info was not easy. Now the only problem is that the epson printer is out of ink and has gone into error mode. It won't print! It is happy to scan though so I guess that is a good sign. I'll know for sure tomorrow when I take it back to the owner and they can top up the ink supplies.

Phew. I'll add an update tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

PS: To save lots of headaches, another tip for Linux printing, ensure your BIOS is set to ECP+EPP printing mode (or just ECP).

Brain Party 0.5 - very addictive

Brain Party - apparently an iphone app - has a version that will run on Linux. It is licensed under the GPLv3. Very addictive puzzle game, nicely done too. As you get better, more games are unlocked.

Download here http://www.tuxradar.com/files/brainparty/brainparty0.5.tar.gz
Website at http://www.tuxradar.com/brainparty

If you are running a debian/ubuntu system you'll also need to get the following packages: libsdl1.2-dev libsdl-mixer1.2-dev libsdl-ttf2.0-dev libsdl-image1.2-dev libsdl-gfx1.2-dev mesa-common-dev libglu1-mesa-dev.

Happy puzzling!

Peritoneal Dialysis and Shoulder Tip Pain - Ouch!

I've been laid up this Easter. Not really a bad thing because I need the rest, but I've been in major pain. There was a whole bunch of things I wanted to do; screencasting, documentation and distro work.

This time it is my own fault because I thought I had primed my dialysis machine - but hadn't. Air got into my peritoneum and caused the worst bout of shoulder tip pain ever. 48 hours of it - I still have slight pain now. Must have been a lot of air. I won't be doing that again!

For those looking for a way to alleviate this kind of pain - lay on your back so your shoulders are lower than your abdomen - use a pillow. Mostly you just have to wait for the air to dissolve out.