[LINK] Linux printer installation not for newbies

[Richard Chirgwin]

Robin,

I *am* a newbie, but I have found a workaround for the HP2600n which may 
help you.

1) On the Windows machine, set up a redirect printer pointed to 
Ghostview's print utility (gsprint.exe). GSprint can be fiddly to set up 
but there are plenty of instructions out there.

2) Set up the Linux box to print not to the HP, but to GSprint on the 
Windows box, using any suitable Postscript driver (I used an Apple 
LaserWriter print driver.

See:
http://pnm2ppa.sourceforge.net/PPA_networking/PPA_networking-4.html

This is a kludge, but it's at least a working kludge.

Comments:

- I entirely agree that this is a PITA on Linux. Also, many of the "this 
works" claims on various Linux printing sites are just wrong. Also, 
instructions are hopeless, ditto information presentation.

- No matter how good the distribution's print GUI, if you have a printer 
that doesn't have a driver, welcome to kludge-land.

RC


Robin Whittle wrote:
> Short version:
>
>    Linux has so many dimensions and options to the printer driver
>    process that no ordinary person could be expected to understand
>    the entire system sufficiently to wade through what is relevant
>    to their particular:
>
>       Operating system
>       Printer
>       Physical method of connecting the printer
>       Protocols using in connecting the printer via a LAN
>
>    Attempts at automating and simplifying the process may be helpful
>    for some folk, but can lead to more and more options, which the
>    user can't know for sure will work, so the user tends to try one
>    thing, for a few hours, fail, and then try another . . . and fail.
>
>
> My experience is that many devices can be installed with minimal fuss on
> Windows, but that some things won't work right, and there's no way
> around it.
>
> With Linux, I think probably almost anything can be installed, and work
> well, if you have the time and expertise.  I don't have the time and
> have become really bored and frustrated trying to develop extreme
> expertise required to do something (ideally) simple such as connect a
> printer.
>
> I have been running Linux for about 10 years.  I installed Debian 3.1
> some time ago.  Now I have a Brother HL-5250DL printer (1200DPI, fast,
> relatively cheap toner, $500 for the printer so its life of 100,000
> pages is OK) on the LAN, with a local IP address, and am driving it from
> Windows machines using a "TCP/IP" port approach, as described in the
> printer's manual.  (I had also been able to get it to run with
> NetBios/SMB, as if it was a computer on the LAN with its own printer
> device.)
>
> Attempting to install the printer in Debian, I try Applications >
> Desktop Preferences > System Tools > Printers and nothing happens.
> Googling lead me to:
>
>   http://excess.org/docs/linux_windows_printing.html
>
> from which I got these incantations:
>
>   apt-get update
>   apt-get install cupsys cupsys-bsd cupsys-client foomatic-bin samba
>                   smbclient gs-esp a2ps
>
> which at least made the System Tools > Printers thing work.
>
> I also discerned from some page I read that the following file:
>
>   http://www.linuxprinting.org/download/PPD/Brother/BR5250_2_GPL.ppd
>
> should be used, and I saved this to my machine and gave its location as
> the "driver" - since the thing wanted a .ppd file.
>
> I couldn't get any satisfaction out of it, for reasons including:
>
> 1 - I was unsure whether to use "CUPS Printer (IPP)", "Windows Printer
>     (SMB)" or "Unix Printer (LPD)".
>
> 2 - For the first two, it was not clear how to specify the URI, and
>     I tried various approaches, some of which were accepted, and none
>     of which caused anything to be printed - jobs were spooled.
>
> 3 - The thing would not remember the previous state of the connection
>     settings.
>
> 4 - The thing would not display basic settings for paper, except in
>     the first instance of setting it up.
>
> 5 - I can't find a way of deleting the printer connections set up
>     with this thing.  Deleting lines in /etc/cups/printers.conf
>     doesn't help.
>
> 6 - The thing would get stuck and I would have to forcibly close it.
>
> Now, I don't know whether this thing is the problem or not.  I have no
> idea where to begin.
>
> I am left wondering exactly what CUPS is, and whether I need Foomatic.
>  (I have looked around http://www.linuxprinting.org and found it
> impossible to understand, in terms of my needs, in the several hours I
> have spent on this.)
>
> I can't justify risking another day or more in potentially wasted time,
> so for now the Linux machine won't be able to print.
>
>  - Robin
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