From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Sep 21 23:00:10 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4807D1065673 for ; Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:00:10 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from btillman99@yahoo.com) Received: from web36504.mail.mud.yahoo.com (web36504.mail.mud.yahoo.com [209.191.85.4]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id EB9268FC17 for ; Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:00:09 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 42288 invoked by uid 60001); 21 Sep 2010 23:00:07 -0000 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoo.com; s=s1024; t=1285110007; bh=unG9hM4iSp3g3d1VBoYktzrAVz+mPLrqdA91GNxwCS4=; h=Message-ID:X-YMail-OSG:Received:X-Mailer:Date:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=hfM+ls/fp49pFDKr64QWY91DXLEx5xxDEVy8bdQmrtytelk+1phZ1UXqaln8P+6qP2C8xmYyPlR86+qSR19rN6UM1bcZfAYl8nfHqRPnNBvpRgLYfcNpIQFD/Jr6h2KxJARJ+YGAOcqC6rmIJxgfNZp0e/ymSMppCLT1T6WIZtA= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=s1024; d=yahoo.com; h=Message-ID:X-YMail-OSG:Received:X-Mailer:Date:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=kBJVXiweXZq8NxIcnF3CbuXrixBQMwa3S7k41uVEX6aV9KfUL0tCKTSKu4b82kIhZH6P7hVIRQoa9OeTym0YUfFdaziuOmKaWQ7dJTlb851my7s+fTHbUlPwQXfz38NvXl66N62diUEP0hb+ZkDEpWusMCeKKMxvG369yRZTK/s=; Message-ID: <212781.37980.qm@web36504.mail.mud.yahoo.com> X-YMail-OSG: xKf59aYVM1mSAh.kRaeitJlSlsyDoGQcWeqhSSQkcWN002N Xxbl2wQbNvw7mKaIC53QBG3CgRfM1w9BLlH2Pd5a633q5IsDez925VMKWfWv ltStY191Dv5NnGJqAOW_6cBW.ll46cPzcFkUyqqw9ZAEg8BGlFDme0tdInIm Wrx8jfwTQyrJwfKafgATOeUJNhgk.BTL.DK.hiHEU5osVWh64T7NrIb5RBcT M3u0wqSFKMc7WyGRdoCoLmX_Q0kBWtcbHAkFQeCGOqIrCTRbPN0RxmPF2rq4 S Received: from [98.242.233.74] by web36504.mail.mud.yahoo.com via HTTP; Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:07 PDT X-Mailer: YahooMailClassic/11.4.9 YahooMailWebService/0.8.105.279950 Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:00:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Bill Tillman To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20100921201248.3BBFA1065778@hub.freebsd.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Subject: Re: The nightmarish problem of installing a printer X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:00:10 -0000 I once used an inkjet printer and almost went broke keeping it fed with ink= . I found a refurbished Brother HL-2040 Laser printer at Tiger Direct for $= 89. It's been running now for almost 3 years and I'm only on my second tone= r cartridge. To be honest, we're all on a big paperless effort and I rarely= print anything these days. With PDF files and new software like Bluebeam R= evu I just don't have the need to print much. =A0 But since I occassionally do print and the kids need it from time to time f= or school I have my laser setup on a FreeBSD server which serves all segmen= ts in my LAN, including the separate wireless LAN for laptops. CUPS is inst= alled on my server as a dependency for other apps but I don't use it to pri= nt. =A0 I used to run it with a parallel cable but when I updated my server=A0I had= to switch to=A0the USB port on the printer. And I just use simple LPR prin= ting from the windows clients. Now I won't say it was that easy but once it= was up and running it's hands free. The FreeBSD server uses ghostscript an= d a simple filter file which envokes gs. The /etc/printcap file is very sim= ple too.=A0I set the windows clients up to use a=A0postscript printer drive= r to send the files to the server which it then processes and prints. All i= s well and I never have any trouble with it. One day soon I will have to pu= rchase another toner cartridge but those are available at several sources. =A0 Don't be intimidated by printing under FreeBSD. It's really quite simple un= less you're trying to use one of those WinPrinters which will only run with= M$. =A0=0A=0A=0A