Linux Printing

[wollensak]

This is the one area where Linux has problems, in my experience.

Printer makers don't supply Linux Drivers, so the Linux community has to develop them on their own.

Sole exception is HP printers which are more likely to run under Linux.

I'm trying Linux Mint Gloria 7 and trying to get my HP1341 Deskjet going. I had this working on Ubuntu on another machine. Mint comes with hplip already loaded and it's supposed to work, but no luck.

I tried downloading hplip-3.9.8.run, and I dowloaded the gcc compiler from Synaptic, but the auto installer says I have 7 unresolved dependencies - loolks like a real snakepit.

Anyone here successfully navigated this and has any helpful suggestions?

 

[The Options Menu]

This is the one area where Linux has problems, in my experience.

Printer makers don't supply Linux Drivers, so the Linux community has to develop them on their own.

Sole exception is HP printers which are more likely to run under Linux.

I'm trying Linux Mint Gloria 7 and trying to get my HP1341 Deskjet going. I had this working on Ubuntu on another machine. Mint comes with hplip already loaded and it's supposed to work, but no luck.

I tried downloading hplip-3.9.8.run, and I dowloaded the gcc compiler from Synaptic, but the auto installer says I have 7 unresolved dependencies - loolks like a real snakepit.

Anyone here successfully navigated this and has any helpful suggestions?

Rule 1: NEVER GO OUTSIDE OF YOUR PACKAGING SYSTEM FOR STUFF THAT GETS INSTALLED SYSTEM WIDE. The exceptions are games the install cleanly to a couple of directories and stuff you build and run from $HOME. Just don't do it, Jim. Feel free to fish from experimental or independent repositories, just make sure that it's packaged, or figure out how to package it yourself.

1. Screw around in your printer config applet.

2. Try:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure cups
sudo dpkg-reconfigure hplip
sudo dpkg-reconfigure printconf

Beyond that, update your sources to point to the bleeding edge branch, and / or look for a PPA (If you're in Ubuntu land), and install the newest CUPS and Hplip(?) packages.

 

[Anynym]

Never forget either that each Linux-based distribution is a unique product in its own right, and although the various Linux-based product families have a lot in common, their differences are attributable to the distro and not to Linux itself.

You can't draw a lot of conclusions about the Ford Flex by looking at the parts on a Ford Fusion: just as each vehicle has its own merits, the parts are not interchangeable and some may not be available on one or the other.

If some capability is not currently available for Mint (but is available for other distributions), the blame properly rests with the folks who put together that distribution and not with Linux itself or with other distributions.

Since Mint is put together with commercial support available, you may want to contact them and ask what their story is for printing support: they may have specifically chosen to exclude some capabilities to ensure they were not exposed to intellectual property rights disputes.

 

[WoodPeckr]

If some capability is not currently available for Mint (but is available for other distributions), the blame properly rests with the folks who put together that distribution and not with Linux itself or with other distributions.

This is both a strength and weakness of Linux. There are over 100 Linux distros out there presently and they are not as uniform in operating as M$ and Mac. Like different cars the various Linux distros operate differently.

 

[wollensak]

Problem Resolved

Printer did not work in Ubuntu either, but went back to the Synaptic and dowlnoaded the hplip gui file, that allowed me to see the hp toolbox, which showed the problem as a paper or cartridge jam.

Lubed the shaft that the cartridges travel on as I could see there was some erratic movement there.

New error says "Printer is Busy". Printer of course wont respond if it is in an error state.

Looks like this is a hardware problem,

 

[WoodPeckr]

Had a problem with a new HP printer a couple years ago.
It worked fine with both XP and Ubuntu. After a few months but still under warranty it stopped showing the ink levels with XP. Called up HP phone support....BIG MISTAKE! HP phone support for their printers is as bad as for their PCs. After ~30 minutes of talking with a tech in India with marginal English, he got it working. A week later same thing occurred, ink levels didn't show! There were so many steps taken in the fix I couldn't remember so had to call HP phone support again. Went through talking with India again but this time they tried to sell me a new 'refurb' printer that cost more than what I paid for my printer, saying there must be something faulty with it! Turned them down because the printer worked fine, still does, just the ink level indicator doesn't work on XP.

Well then when running Ubuntu, I saw the HP toolbox available in Synaptic and downloaded it. It installed flawlessly. After opening the HP toolbox and clicking on a maintenance tab, there was an ink level indicator there! Clicked on it and it worked fine showing me the ink levels for black and color cartridges! While in XP the ink levels wouldn't work at all, in Ubuntu they worked fine showing the ink levels! I'm still using that printer today.

 

[wollensak]

Printer Bad, Linux Good

I tried running my HP1341 Printer under Windows XP and it didn't work there either.

Went back to Ubuntu - downloaded the hplip GUI pacjage and I gor the same messages as windows. Unresolvable paper jam.

Bought a new HP Printer model that is listed as "totally compatible" on the Linux printer list and voila! works perfectly.