From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 26 03:01:42 2012 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 AB10D106566B for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:01:42 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rperry1742@verizon.net) Received: from vms173003pub.verizon.net (vms173003pub.verizon.net [206.46.173.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8C3F08FC12 for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:01:42 +0000 (UTC) Received: from masai ([unknown] [108.52.127.157]) by vms173003.mailsrvcs.net (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.02 32bit (built Apr 16 2009)) with ESMTPA id <0LYD00185XQSGFA0@vms173003.mailsrvcs.net> for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:01:40 -0600 (CST) Message-id: <3D355DBC35F1403E9A6C746D54FE9969@my.domain> From: "robert perry" To: References: <1EFD2A72678E4EE8BC2BE49BBEA0339C@my.domain> Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:01:35 -0500 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=response Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6157 X-Mailman-Approved-At: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:34:08 +0000 Subject: Re: How to Research Availability of Print Drivers 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: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:01:42 -0000 ----- Original Message ----- From: "robert perry" To: Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 2:39 PM Subject: How to Research Availability of Print Drivers >I intend to purchase a multifunction printer (including fax, scanner, & >copier) and return to utilizing the BSD operating systems. Early research >indicates that few printer manufacturers formally support the FreeBSD or >Unix operating systems but imply that drivers may still be available >elsewhere. In the past, I remember visiting certain websites that provided >links to drivers but have forgotten the address. Could someone refresh my >memory or provide an address that could help? =============== >From Robert Bonomi: For the 'printer' side, look for something that supports a 'standard' printer _language_ -- preferably PostScript -- over a serial or parallel port, or the 'lpr/lpd' protocol over a network connection. *OR* look at the (limited!) list of 'winrinters' directly supported by Ghostscript. For faxing, look for something tht is 'Class2.0' (aka EIA/TIA 592) compliant. any standard fax software -- like 'hylafax' - will talk to it. For scanning, see the manpage for SANE(7). also The higher-end Brother MFP units pretty much work 'out of the box', for everything except scanning. Brother provides scanner driver binaries for SANE on Linux, and source-code for the adventurous. A quick persual indicates that a number of *nix varients are supported, including several *BSD varients (FreeBSD is not explicitly mentioned, unfortunately) It does not look like it would require 'linuxemulator' compilation. A quick attempt at './configure' indicated a need for some tweaking of pathnames or file location. ================= >From Polytropon: Maybe you're thinking about linuxprinting.org which provides PPD device descriptions that can be incorporated in CUPS which has become the "de-facto standard" for printing? ================= >From Da Rock: Maybe try openprint.org? Thank you all for your suggestions. I was able to review each and I think they'll be helpful. I almost forgot how much fun this could be. Bob Perry