[NBLUG/talk] Ubuntu 5.04 + KDE - printer dissappears, prints garbage

[A.C.]

Greetings,

Here's an interesting problem to chew on: I set up Ubuntu 5.04 plus the 
KDE install (i.e. Ubuntu + Kubuntu) for a friend, but they have twice 
had a very unusual problem with their Epson Stylus Color 777 printer 
(Parallel, LPT1).  Both times, the printer has suddenly started printing 
garbage when a print job was attempted even though they had been able to 
successfully print for a couple of weeks prior to the problem.  In both 
cases, the printer stopped showing up in KDE's printer manager 
application, but the printer is visible to the CUPS web configuration 
utility (although no changes can be made there).  Print jobs attempted 
after this behavior starts are always aborted without a reason why.  The 
first time this problem happened I removed all printing applications and 
configuration files and started over from scratch, but now that it's 
happening again I need to figure out the root cause or at least how to 
prevent it.

I'm about to take the nuclear option and just install a straight Kubuntu 
5.10 install instead of having Ubuntu with KDE on it, but I wanted to 
ping the group first to see if anyone had any similar problems or 
suggestions.  If I do end up going ot Kubuntu 5.10, has anyone here 
taken it for a spin?

I continue to be appreciative of the support I've been given here - 
thanks to all who have helped me in the past.  Have a good day,

A.C.
******