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Both printers aren't working anymore since my last update yesterday.

A internal error reporting box fires up, when I try to add another printer under system settings. Here is some info:

  • Executable Path: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cups-pk-helper-mechanism
  • Package: cups-pk-helper 0.2.5-2ubuntu2

  • ProblemType: Crash

    cups-pk-helper-mechanism crashed with signal 5 in g_variant_new_va()

Found this: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups-pk-helper/+bug/1565170

This is the error firefox-printer dialogue shows:

What can I do?

David Foerster
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empedokles
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  • My best guess based on the limited information you have provided is that something is awry with [/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cups-pk-helper-mechanism](https://packages.ubuntu.com/xenial/amd64/cups-pk-helper/filelist) or one of it's configuration files. Have you tried removing and reinstalling the package? What have you tried? – Elder Geek Oct 12 '17 at 20:34
  • I'd need a routine for this. I only did run the weekly ubuntu update and it's not working anymore since this. – empedokles Oct 12 '17 at 21:34
  • cd /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cups-pk-helper-mechanism -> bash: cd: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cups-pk-helper-mechanism: Is not a directory – empedokles Oct 12 '17 at 21:44
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    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cups-pk-helper/+bug/1565170 – empedokles Oct 12 '17 at 21:51
  • Good find. Subscribe to the bug so that you can be notified when it's squashed. Meanwhile you may want to https://askubuntu.com/questions/138284/how-to-downgrade-a-package-via-apt-get Previous releases of `cups-pk-helper` can be found [here](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/cups-pk-helper/releases/) – Elder Geek Oct 12 '17 at 22:54
  • doing *sudo apt-get purge cups* and then *sudo apt-get install cups --install-suggests* fixed the problem for me.... – ΦXocę 웃 Пepeúpa ツ Dec 11 '18 at 08:12

1 Answers1

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Unless you truly need the fine grain priveleges that cups-pk-helper provides, you might try simply removing the package with sudo apt-get remove cups-pk-helper if that fails, you can purge the package where packagename is cups-pk-helper

You might also take a look at this related post.

Elder Geek
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  • I tried both (remove and purge), but I still receive the same error under firefox-printing (see screenshot above). I also got the same exclamation mark under printer settings on the specific printer. – empedokles Oct 13 '17 at 07:53
  • Turned out, cups wasn't installed anymore and has been removed with my deinstallation of imagemagick without asking back. – empedokles Oct 13 '17 at 09:23