[PRINTER] Why multiple printer entries?

[joneall]

I have two Wifi-connected HP printers, one multi-purpose HP Deskjet 2600 and one laser HP Laserjet M102W. Both appear multiple times when I try to print from an application, such as Libreoffice, or in the HP graphic interface or in CUPS. They don't all always work for the same thing.

HP_DeskJet_2600_series_3DC20B_
HP_DeskJet_2600_series_3DC20B_@HPC8D9D23DC20B.loca l
HP_LaserJet_M101-M106
HP_LaserJet_M102w_A3C03E_
HP_LaserJet_M102w_A3C03E_@NPIA3C03E.local

What is behind this? And how do I know which to use, other than trial and error?

For comparison, the HP configure window shows connections and drivers:

HP_LaserJet_M101-M106
connection: hp:/net/HP_LaserJet_M101-M106?ip=192.168.1.32
driver: Current - HP LaserJet m101-m106, hpcups 3.20.3

HP_LaserJet_M102w_A3C03E_
connection: implicitclass://HP_LaserJ
driver: Current - HP LaserJet M101-M106, driverless, cups-filters 1.27.4

HP_LaserJet_M102w_A3C03E_@NPIA3C03E.local
connection: implicitclass://HP_LaserJet_M102w_A3C03E_%40NPIA3C03E.local/
driver: Current - HP LaserJet M101-M106, driverless, cups-filters 1.27.4

I have no idea what all that means. Why hpcups in one case and driverless in the other two? How can a printer work without a driver?

[claydoh]

A standard 'driverless' system is how wifi connected printers operate, and many USB ones support this, even if they are not wireless. Ubuntu is using something called IPP-over-USB, via a utility called ippusbxd , and apparently this has become the default, or it has become buggy. It allows USB connected printers to be seen and used as driverless wifi/networked printers, on those ones that support it. The idea is pretty good, actually. But of course this has been keeping some printers from working properly, or at the very least, making for a confusing mess sometimes when users can't search and select a driver for the driverless device being detected.

Of course, it worked great for me on my $20 Canon, but I moved the printer to a different spot so switched to using wifi. You can uninstall the package ippusbxd and the extra printers should go away, or at least be deleted.