HPLIP 3.25.2 - Enhanced for Python 3.12 and Modern Linux Distributions

This repository contains a modified version of HP Linux Imaging and Printing (HPLIP) 3.25.2, optimized to work with Python 3.12 and modern Linux systems. The modifications address compatibility issues with Python 3.12, recent CUPS versions, and D-Bus dependencies, enabling network printing for HP printers like the LaserJet P1102w and many others.

Key Modifications

• Python 3.12 Compatibility:
  • Updated pcard/pcardext/pcardext.c to use Python 3.x APIs (PyBytes_* instead of PyString_*, PyLong_* instead of PyInt_*)
  • Implemented modern module initialization with PyModuleDef and PyInit_pcardext()
  • Fixed type declarations in prnt/hpps/pserror.c to avoid compilation errors
• Enhanced CUPS Compatibility: Added missing function declarations to avoid errors with recent CUPS versions
• D-Bus-free Configuration: Option to remove D-Bus dependency, avoiding the need for libdbus-1-dev and Polkit/systemd interactions
• Build System Fixes: Resolved various issues to ensure successful compilation with current development tools

Compatibility

• Linux Distributions: Works on most modern distributions (Ubuntu 24.04/24.10, Fedora, Debian, Arch, etc.)
• Desktop Environments: Compatible with X11, Wayland, and other graphical environments
• Python Versions: Optimized for Python 3.12, but compatible with Python 3.8+
• Printers: Supports most HP printers, including USB and network models

Dependencies

Install the following packages before building (names for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential libsnmp-dev avahi-utils libcups2-dev python3-dev \
libusb-1.0-0-dev libavahi-client-dev libavahi-common-dev libjpeg-dev libnetsnmp-dev

For Fedora/RHEL-based distributions:

sudo dnf install gcc gcc-c++ make snmp-devel avahi-tools cups-devel python3-devel \
libusb1-devel avahi-devel libjpeg-turbo-devel net-snmp-devel

Build & Installation

Standard Configuration

./configure --with-hpppddir=/usr/share/ppd/HP \
  --libdir=/usr/lib64 \
  --prefix=/usr \
  --enable-network-build \
  --disable-scan-build \
  --disable-fax-build \
  --disable-dbus-build \
  --disable-qt4 \
  --disable-qt5 \
  --disable-class-driver \
  --disable-doc-build \
  --disable-policykit \
  --disable-libusb01_build \
  --disable-udev_sysfs_rules \
  --enable-hpcups-install \
  --disable-hpijs-install \
  --disable-foomatic-ppd-install \
  --disable-foomatic-drv-install \
  --disable-cups-ppd-install \
  --enable-cups-drv-install \
  --enable-apparmor_build

make
sudo make install

Additional Options

• For systems without AppArmor, omit --enable-apparmor_build
• For 32-bit systems, use --libdir=/usr/lib instead of --libdir=/usr/lib64
• To enable scanning functionality (requires additional dependencies): omit --disable-scan-build

Graphical Interface Support (Optional)

For Ubuntu 24.10 with Wayland

If you need graphical tools like hp-wificonfig or hp-toolbox, you'll need to enable Qt5 support:

1. Install additional dependencies:

sudo apt install python3-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5.qtsvg python3-dbus.mainloop.pyqt5 qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev qtbase5-dev-tools

2. Configure HPLIP with the --enable-qt5 option:

./configure --with-hpppddir=/usr/share/ppd/HP \
  --libdir=/usr/lib64 \
  --prefix=/usr \
  --enable-network-build \
  --disable-scan-build \
  --disable-fax-build \
  --disable-dbus-build \
  --disable-qt4 \
  --enable-qt5 \
  --disable-class-driver \
  --disable-doc-build \
  --disable-policykit \
  --disable-libusb01_build \
  --disable-udev_sysfs_rules \
  --enable-hpcups-install \
  --disable-hpijs-install \
  --disable-foomatic-ppd-install \
  --disable-foomatic-drv-install \
  --disable-cups-ppd-install \
  --enable-cups-drv-install \
  --enable-apparmor_build

Note: According to HP's official documentation, you must specifically use --enable-qt5 to enable Qt5 support (simply omitting --disable-qt5 is not sufficient).

Available GUI Tools

When Qt5 support is enabled, you'll have access to these additional tools:

• hp-toolbox: Comprehensive printer management interface
• hp-wificonfig: Configure printer wireless settings
• hp-devicesettings: Adjust printer-specific settings
• hp-diagnose_queues: Interactive problem-solving tool
• hp-firmware: Firmware upgrade utility

Verifying Installation

After installation, you can verify that everything is correctly set up by running:

hp-check -r

This command performs a comprehensive health check of your HPLIP installation and will:

• Verify all required dependencies are installed
• Check that necessary files are in their correct locations
• Confirm printer discovery services are working
• Report any issues that need to be addressed

You can also check the version of the installed HPLIP package with:

hp-check -v

Uninstallation and Reinstallation

If you need to uninstall HPLIP and then reinstall it (for example, to change configuration options):

1. Uninstall the current installation:

cd /path/to/hplip-3.25.2
sudo make uninstall

2. Clean up any remaining files:

sudo rm -f /etc/hp/hplip.conf
sudo rm -rf /usr/share/hplip
sudo rm -f /etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop

3. Reset build environment:

make distclean

4. Reconfigure with new options (for example, to enable Qt5):

./configure --with-hpppddir=/usr/share/ppd/HP \
  --libdir=/usr/lib64 \
  --prefix=/usr \
  --enable-network-build \
  --disable-scan-build \
  --disable-fax-build \
  --disable-dbus-build \
  --enable-qt5 \
  --disable-qt4 \
  --disable-class-driver \
  --disable-doc-build \
  --disable-policykit \
  --disable-libusb01_build \
  --disable-udev_sysfs_rules \
  --enable-hpcups-install \
  --disable-hpijs-install \
  --disable-foomatic-ppd-install \
  --disable-foomatic-drv-install \
  --disable-cups-ppd-install \
  --enable-cups-drv-install \
  --enable-apparmor_build

5. Rebuild and reinstall:

make
sudo make install

6. Fix permissions if needed: If you encounter permission errors during the build process:

sudo chown -R $(whoami):$(whoami) /path/to/hplip-3.25.2
chmod -R u+w /path/to/hplip-3.25.2

Setting Up Your Printer

After installation, you'll need to configure your printer:

sudo hp-setup -i

This will launch the interactive printer setup utility that will:

1. Discover available HP printers on your network or connected via USB
2. Install the appropriate drivers and PPD files
3. Create print queues in CUPS
4. Configure printer-specific options
5. Print a test page to verify the setup

For network printers, you can specify the IP address directly:

sudo hp-setup -i 192.168.1.100

For more advanced options, see the help:

hp-setup --help

Troubleshooting

• Python compilation error: Ensure you have python3-dev (or python3-devel) installed matching your Python version
• CUPS error: Verify that cups-devel (or libcups2-dev) is installed
• Printer detection issues: Check that avahi-utils is installed and Avahi service is running
• Missing dependencies: Run hp-check --fix to automatically install missing dependencies (requires root)
• Wayland warning messages: If you see warnings like qt.qpa.wayland: Wayland does not support QWindow::requestActivate() when running GUI tools on Wayland, this is normal and can be safely ignored. It's just informing you that certain window activation functions work differently between Wayland and X11.

Contributors

• Original HPLIP developed by HP Inc.
• Modified by Daniel Ignacio Fernández (DannetStudio.com)
  • Python 3.12 compatibility
  • Optional D-Bus dependency removal
  • CUPS compatibility improvements
  • Build system fixes

License

Same as original HPLIP. See COPYING file for details.