HP LaserJet M209dwe not printing with Ubuntu

[ComicWisdom]

I'm running Linux Ubuntu with HPLIPS installed trying to print to the HP LaserJet M209dwe. Has anyone experienced issues with getting Ubuntu to print in this setup? The computer recognizes the printer. What did you do to fix the problem?

[Samrit26]

Hello,

Hi Joe — yes, this exact scenario comes up a lot with the LaserJet M209dwe, and it’s not you or Ubuntu doing something wrong. This model behaves very differently from classic HP LaserJets, so let me mentor you through what’s really going on and how to fix it properly.

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First: the uncomfortable truth about the M209dwe

The HP LaserJet M209dwe is a “cloud-dependent / driverless-class” printer.

That means:

• ❌ It does NOT support traditional HPLIP printing

• ❌ USB printing is limited and unreliable on Linux

• ❌ PPD-based setup often “adds” the printer but never prints

• ✅ It expects IPP / IPP Everywhere / AirPrint-style printing

• ✅ HP Smart / HP+ design assumptions break Linux workflows

So when you say:

“Ubuntu recognizes the printer but won’t print”

That is classic M209dwe behavior on Linux.

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Why HPLIP doesn’t actually help here

Even though HPLIP installs cleanly:

• HPLIP does not include a functional driver for M209dwe

• The printer may show as “Ready”

• Jobs will queue → disappear → never print

This is expected and documented (quietly).

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The correct way to print from Ubuntu (this is the fix)

✅ Method 1 (Best): IPP Everywhere (no HPLIP)

This is the only reliable approach.

Step 1 – Remove existing printer (important)

sudo lpadmin -x M209dwe

(or remove via Settings → Printers)

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Step 2 – Make sure required packages are present

sudo apt update sudo apt install cups cups-client ipp-usb avahi-daemon

Why:

• ipp-usb enables modern USB-over-IPP devices

• avahi handles printer discovery

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Step 3 – Restart services

sudo systemctl restart cups sudo systemctl restart ipp-usb sudo systemctl restart avahi-daemon

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Step 4 – Add printer via CUPS (not HP tools)

1. Open browser → http://localhost:631

2. Administration → Add Printer

3. Select:

   • HP LaserJet M209dwe (IPP Everywhere)

4. When asked for driver:

   • Choose IPP Everywhere

   • NOT HPLIP

   • NOT Generic PCL

Finish setup.

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✅ Method 2: Network IPP (if Wi-Fi enabled)

If the printer is on your network:

• Add printer using:

  ipp://<printer-ip>/ipp/print

• Driver: IPP Everywhere

This often works better than USB on this model.

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What NOT to do (important)

• ❌ Do not use HP Smart (Linux unsupported)

• ❌ Do not force PCL6 or PostScript

• ❌ Do not expect firmware/driver parity with Windows

• ❌ Do not rely on legacy HPLIP workflows

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Known M209dwe Linux limitations (by design)

Even when printing works:

• No toner level reporting

• No sleep/wake feedback

• Occasional delay before first page

• Duplex works, but controlled by CUPS not printer UI

This is normal.

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Why HP did this (mentor context)

HP positioned the “e” models (like dwe) as:

• Subscription-first

• Cloud-managed

• Mobile-centric

Linux was not a design target, only tolerated via IPP standards.