Dell 2660DN not printing correctly, only "?"s

Support Printers & Scanners
1

Hi,

I use a Dell printer 2660DN connected using network. I installed cups and all I could get and installed this printer with lpadmin. The printer is found by cups.

The printer is now printing, but the output is a lot of ??? (question marks), sometimes in a frame.

I used the web frontend (localhost:631) to adjust some settings like the connection type from LPD, to socket and more over to the (found) network printer. It seems, changing here has no effect to the output.

Has anyone an idea, what to try next?

Fump

2

Ensure you use the correct ppd file

3

Have a look here, this may help:

4

I suggest that, if you have the necessary support, switch to IPP.

From German Wikipedia:
The standard is intended to eliminate the need to provide a separate driver for each printer, since IPP Everywhere makes it possible to use any compliant printer with CUPS, for example, without requiring an additional device driver or specific PPD.

1 Like
5

I switched to ipp and ipp everywhere.
Same broken results.

6

What are you printing; or, trying to print?
What type of document, and which application are you using to print it?

Please provide your system information formatted according to forum guidelines. See the Mini-HowTo’s following. :point_down:

Regards.

[Mini-HowTo] Provide System Information

Basic details provided by *-fetch type apps might give enough information for someone wishing to buy a computer, however, for Support purposes it’s best to ask your system directly.

Output of the inxi command will generate more useful and detailed information for those who may wish to help:

Suggested inxi command (use either):
inxi -zv8 (short-form)
inxi --filter --verbosity=8 (long-form)

Command output should be presented as pre-formatted text in accordance with forum guidelines. :eyes:

Running inxi within a chroot environment

  • Add --color=0 to the long-form command, or…
  • Change the short-form command to inxi -zv8c0

Your privacy is respected

[Mini-HowTo] Present code or command output

Note: Grave accent (or, backtick) characters are used. :eyes:

For inline code or to show a single command:

  • please follow this simple example: code here.

For multi-line command output:

  • place text beween two rows of three (```) backtick characters to form a scrollable text box, or …
  • use the </> button in the Compose window to achieve the same result.

The empty row between these rows of backtick characters is where to paste any multi-line command output (such as inxi).

An example of a pre-formatted text enclosure:

What is a Quark?

A. In Physics, an elementary particle and fundamental constituent of matter. 
B. A character from the Star Trek: "Deep Space Nine" television series.
C. A soft, creamy, usually unsalted cheese traditional to central Europe.
8

What are you printing; or, trying to print?

I try to print a PDF. This PDF is printable with a different OS on the same printer.

What type of document, and which application are you using to print it?

Document Type is PDF, made from LibreOffice or downloaded from the intranet. Applications are Firefox and Evince.

Inxi output:

System:
  Kernel: 6.12.91-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 16.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-6.12-x86_64
    root=UUID=9a2dbd80-b5d8-4b1a-80ea-ece53abfa976 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet splash apparmor=1 security=apparmor udev.log_priority=3
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.2 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.52 wm: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0
    with: xfce4-panel tools: xfce4-screensaver vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0
    Distro: Manjaro base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Dell product: OptiPlex 7060 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 3 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0C96W1 v: A02 serial: <superuser required> part-nu: 085A
    uuid: <superuser required> Firmware: UEFI vendor: Dell v: 1.32.0
    date: 09/03/2024
Battery:
  Message: No system battery data found. Is one present?
Memory:
  System RAM: total: 32 GiB available: 31.14 GiB used: 2.75 GiB (8.8%)
  Message: For most reliable report, use superuser + dmidecode.
  Array-1: capacity: 64 GiB slots: 4 modules: 4 EC: None
    max-module-size: 16 GiB note: est.
  Device-1: DIMM1 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous size: 8 GiB speed:
    spec: 2666 MT/s actual: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits): data: 64
    total: 64 manufacturer: 01980000802C part-no: KY7N41-MIE serial: <filter>
  Device-2: DIMM2 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous size: 8 GiB speed:
    spec: 2666 MT/s actual: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits): data: 64
    total: 64 manufacturer: 01980000802C part-no: KY7N41-MIE serial: <filter>
  Device-3: DIMM3 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous size: 8 GiB
    speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits): data: 64 total: 64
    manufacturer: 80AD000080AD part-no: HMA81GU6AFR8N-UH serial: <filter>
  Device-4: DIMM4 type: DDR4 detail: synchronous size: 8 GiB
    speed: 2400 MT/s volts: curr: 1 width (bits): data: 64 total: 64
    manufacturer: 80AD000080AD part-no: HMA81GU6AFR8N-UH serial: <filter>
PCI Slots:
  Permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-8700 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Coffee Lake
    gen: core 8 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 0xA (10) microcode: 0xFA
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 6 cores: 6 threads: 12 tpc: 2
    smt: enabled cache: L1: 384 KiB desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 1.5 MiB
    desc: 6x256 KiB L3: 12 MiB desc: 1x12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/4600 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800
    8: 800 9: 800 10: 800 11: 800 12: 800 bogomips: 76831
  Flags: 3dnowprefetch abm acpi adx aes aperfmperf apic arat
    arch_capabilities arch_perfmon art avx avx2 bmi1 bmi2 bts clflush
    clflushopt cmov constant_tsc cpuid cpuid_fault cx16 cx8 de ds_cpl dtes64
    dtherm dts epb ept ept_ad erms est f16c flexpriority flush_l1d fma fpu
    fsgsbase fxsr ht hwp hwp_act_window hwp_epp hwp_notify ibpb ibrs ida
    intel_pt invpcid lahf_lm lm mca mce md_clear mmx monitor movbe mpx msr
    mtrr nonstop_tsc nopl nx pae pat pbe pcid pclmulqdq pdcm pdpe1gb pebs pge
    pln pni popcnt pse pse36 pti pts rdrand rdseed rdtscp rep_good sdbg sep
    smap smep smx ss ssbd sse sse2 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 stibp syscall tm tm2
    tpr_shadow tsc tsc_adjust tsc_deadline_timer vme vmx vnmi vpid x2apic
    xgetbv1 xsave xsavec xsaveopt xsaves xtopology xtpr
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT
    vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS; IBPB: conditional; STIBP: conditional;
    RSB filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: TSX disabled
  Type: vmscape mitigation: IBPB before exit to userspace
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CoffeeLake-S GT2 [UHD Graphics 630] vendor: Dell
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20
    ports: active: HDMI-A-1,HDMI-A-2 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, HDMI-A-3
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3e92 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.org v: 1.21.1.22 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.11
    compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-size: <missing: xdpyinfo>
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 pos: primary,left
    model: Samsung S24B350 serial: <filter> built: 2012 res: mode: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 92 gamma: 1.2 chroma: red: x: 0.631 y: 0.349
    green: x: 0.333 y: 0.616 blue: x: 0.157 y: 0.051 white: x: 0.314 y: 0.329
    size: 531x299mm (20.91x11.77") diag: 609mm (24") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 1920x1080, 1680x1050, 1600x900, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1280x800,
    1152x864, 1280x720, 1024x768, 832x624, 800x600, 720x576, 720x480,
    640x480, 720x400
  Monitor-2: HDMI-A-2 mapped: HDMI-2 pos: right model: Samsung SMB2330H
    serial: <filter> built: 2010 res: mode: 1920x1080 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1)
    dpi: 96 gamma: 1.2 chroma: red: x: 0.639 y: 0.329 green: x: 0.298 y: 0.600
    blue: x: 0.149 y: 0.059 white: x: 0.314 y: 0.329
    size: 509x286mm (20.04x11.26") diag: 584mm (23") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 1920x1080, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1280x960,
    1280x800, 1152x864, 1024x768, 832x624, 800x600, 640x480, 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris platforms: device: 0 drv: iris
    device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: iris surfaceless: drv: iris x11: drv: iris
    inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: intel mesa v: 26.1.1-arch1.2 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:3e92 memory: 30.41 GiB unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.350 layers: 2 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel
    UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2) driver: mesa intel v: 26.1.1-arch1.2
    device-ID: 8086:3e92 surfaces: N/A
  Info: Tools: api: eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo de: xfce4-display-settings
    x11: xprop,xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:a348 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.91-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-3: PipeWire v: 1.6.5 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-LM vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: kernel
    port: N/A bus-ID: 00:1f.6 chip-ID: 8086:15bb class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IP v4: <filter> type: dynamic noprefixroute scope: global
    broadcast: <filter>
  IP v6: <filter> type: noprefixroute scope: link
  Info: services: NetworkManager,systemd-timesyncd
  WAN IP: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Message: No bluetooth data found.
Logical:
  Message: No logical block device data found.
RAID:
  Hardware-1: Intel SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci v: 3.0 port: 3060
    bus-ID: 00:17.0 chip-ID: 8086:2822 rev: N/A class-ID: 0104
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 50.23 GiB (5.4%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Western Digital
    model: WD10EZEX-75WN4A0 size: 931.51 GiB block-size: physical: 4096 B
    logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter>
    fw-rev: 1A02 scheme: GPT
  Message: No optical or floppy data found.
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 486.28 GiB size: 486.28 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 49.75 GiB (10.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5 label: N/A
    uuid: 9a2dbd80-b5d8-4b1a-80ea-ece53abfa976
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 700 MiB size: 696 MiB (99.43%)
    used: 304.2 MiB (43.7%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1 label: ESP
    uuid: A60C-B4D2
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 486.28 GiB size: 486.28 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 49.75 GiB (10.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5 label: N/A
    uuid: 9a2dbd80-b5d8-4b1a-80ea-ece53abfa976
  ID-4: /tmp/.mount_SciebofAcKDH raw-size: N/A size: 183.9 MiB
    used: 183.9 MiB (100.0%) fs: fuse.sciebo-linux64-4.0.4-build-36005.appimage
    source: ERR-102
  ID-5: /var/cache raw-size: 486.28 GiB size: 486.28 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 49.75 GiB (10.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5 label: N/A
    uuid: 9a2dbd80-b5d8-4b1a-80ea-ece53abfa976
  ID-6: /var/log raw-size: 486.28 GiB size: 486.28 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 49.75 GiB (10.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda5 maj-min: 8:5 label: N/A
    uuid: 9a2dbd80-b5d8-4b1a-80ea-ece53abfa976
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 60 (default) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2
    dev: /dev/sda6 maj-min: 8:6 label: N/A
    uuid: 40365f5f-b162-4e3b-afa3-b64e1295e82d
Unmounted:
  ID-1: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2 size: 128 MiB fs: <superuser required>
    label: N/A uuid: N/A
  ID-2: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3 size: 440.65 GiB fs: ntfs label: N/A
    uuid: B0D87D76D87D3BA2
  ID-3: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4 size: 813 MiB fs: ntfs label: N/A
    uuid: ACA29E5FA29E2DB8
  ID-4: /dev/sda7 maj-min: 8:7 size: 990 MiB fs: ntfs label: WINRETOOLS
    uuid: DA50142750140CBF
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 16 rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s (57.2 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 chip-ID: 1d6b:0002
    class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-11:2 info: Dell KB216 Wired Keyboard type: keyboard,HID
    driver: hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 2 rev: 1.1
    speed: 1.5 Mb/s (183 KiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 1.0 power: 100mA
    chip-ID: 413c:2113 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: 1-12:3 info: Dell MS116 Optical Mouse type: mouse
    driver: hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 1 rev: 2.0
    speed: 1.5 Mb/s (183 KiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 1.0 power: 100mA
    chip-ID: 413c:301a class-ID: 0301
  Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: super-speed hub ports: 10 rev: 3.1
    speed: 10 Gb/s (1.16 GiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 3.2 gen-2x1 chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 2-1:2 info: Transcend Information microSD/SD/CF UHS-II Card
    Reader [RDF8 RDF9] type: mass storage driver: usb-storage interfaces: 1
    rev: 3.0 speed: 5 Gb/s (596.0 MiB/s) lanes: 1 mode: 3.2 gen-1x1
    power: 896mA chip-ID: 8564:4000 class-ID: 0806 serial: <filter>
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 30.0 C pch: 46.0 C mobo: 28.0 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): cpu: 1030 fan-2: 1040
Repos:
  Packages: 1456 pm: pacman pkgs: 1444 libs: 400 tools: pamac pm: flatpak
    pkgs: 0 pm: snap pkgs: 12
  Active pacman repo servers in: /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
    1: http://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/linux/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    2: https://mirror.init7.net/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    3: https://ftp.snt.utwente.nl/pub/linux/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    4: https://mirrors.cicku.me/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    5: https://ct.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    6: https://gsl-syd.mm.fcix.net/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    7: https://mirror.datacenter.by/pub/mirrors/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
    8: https://mirror.phoepsilonix.love/manjaro/stable/$repo/$arch
Processes:
  CPU top: 5 of 295
  1: cpu: 17.8% command: localsearch-3 pid: 3705 mem: 73.4 MiB (0.2%)
  2: cpu: 11.5% command: firefox pid: 4968 mem: 710.4 MiB (2.2%)
  3: cpu: 11.3% command: firefox pid: 5394 mem: 278.9 MiB (0.8%)
  4: cpu: 1.5% command: firefox pid: 5387 mem: 376.1 MiB (1.1%)
  5: cpu: 1.5% command: wezterm-gui pid: 10219 mem: 214.5 MiB (0.6%)
  Memory top: 5 of 295
  1: mem: 710.4 MiB (2.2%) command: firefox pid: 4968 cpu: 11.5%
  2: mem: 376.1 MiB (1.1%) command: firefox pid: 5387 cpu: 1.5%
  3: mem: 291.9 MiB (0.9%)
    command: Sciebo-Linux64-4.0.4-build-36005.AppImage pid: 1674 cpu: 0.4%
  4: mem: 278.9 MiB (0.8%) command: firefox pid: 5394 cpu: 11.3%
  5: mem: 214.5 MiB (0.6%) command: wezterm-gui pid: 10219 cpu: 1.5%
Info:
  Processes: 295 Power: uptime: 44m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep
    avail: s2idle wakeups: 0 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot,
    suspend, test_resume image: 12.42 GiB
    services: upowerd,xfce4-power-manager Init: systemd v: 260
    default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: clang: 22.1.5 gcc: 16.1.1 Shell: Bash v: 5.3.9
    running-in: wezterm-gui inxi: 3.3.40

One more observation:

Printing on the command line with lp -d printername testfile.pdf works perfectly, where evince and firefox give strange results.

Mod edit:- Please avoid consecutive posts. If there are no posts since your previous post edit that post instead to add additional content. Fixed for you this time; no charge.

9

Please verify whether other document formats exhibit the same kind of output when printed.

Try some LibreOffice formats; as you use XFCE, try printing a text document via Mousepad.

You haven’t responded to this, which is not overly helpful, as it means nobody can yet rule out an incorrect ppd file as the culprit. Have you checked this, and/or tried other compatible ppd files?

There is a Dell C2660dn Color Laser Printer Cups Driver available via the AUR might provide an alternative ppd.

pamac build dell-c2660dn

The usual warning applies, that the AUR is not officially supported by Manjaro (or Arch) and use of any software obtained via the AUR is entirely at your own risk.

I’ve personally had no experience with this printer, however for the benefit of others and to the extent that they might be useful, please find linked manuals for possible reference;

This is a stab-in-the-dark, but also verify that the font used in the PDF document is actually available in your system.

I’ll chime in again if I think of anything else.

Regards.

2 Likes
10

… which can mean, among other things: the 64-bit driver software from DELL …

However, if only the 32-bit version is available, you might need the multilib repository and appropriate libraries (if “driverless” via IPP is not possible).

At DELL I found and unzipped C2660dn-Linux-Driver.zip and did

rpm2cpio Dell-C2660-Color-Laser-1.0-1.i686.rpm

Dell-C2660-Color-Laser-1.0-1.i686.rpm contains:


-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     root        34491 Jul 28  2013 ./usr/lib/cups/filter/Dell-C2660-Color-Laser/DLPSACJFilter
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         8732 Jul 28  2013 ./usr/share/cups/model/Dell/Dell_C2660dn_Color_Laser.ppd.gz

file ./usr/lib/cups/filter/Dell-C2660-Color-Laser/DLPSACJFilter

./usr/lib/cups/filter/Dell-C2660-Color-Laser/DLPSACJFilter: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel i386, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib/ld-linux.so.2, for GNU/Linux 2.6.4, with debug_info, not stripped

Dell_C2660dn_Color_Laser.ppd addresses the filter.

1 Like