Date: Sun, 14 May 2017 23:06:56 +0000 From: "Thomas Mueller" <mueller6722@twc.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Printer advice Message-ID: <01.09.29375.F03E8195@dnvrco-omsmta02> References: <alpine.BSF.2.20.1705131813110.49571@tripel.monochrome.org> <E0.B4.25473.5EF08195@dnvrco-omsmta03> <20170514171907.180a99c2.freebsd@edvax.de>
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from Polytropon: > On Sun, 14 May 2017 08:05:50 +0000, Thomas Mueller wrote: > > My luck with HP has been bad, enough to dissuade me from buying > > any more HP products. > I always suggest to check http://hplipopensource.com/ _before_ > actually buying something. I believe I did that. > > I have HP LaserJet Professional M1212nf MFP, and the first > > several attempts were fruitless, in both NetBSD and FreeBSD. > Did you use the (most current) CUPS and hplip software? > http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/models/laserjet/hp_laserjet_professional_m1212nf_mfp.html > The following addition is provided: > This printer REQUIRES a downloadable driver plug-in, > which is required to enable print, fax or scan support. > Use hp-setup to install the printer, and to download > and install the plug-in. Driver plug-ins are released > under a proprietary (non-open) license and are not part > of the HPLIP tarball release. > Did you pay attention to this nonstandard part? Sure I saw that. But hp-setup always failed when attempting to download that plug-in. This is part of the reason, along with poor HP support policy, why I don't want to ever again buy anything from HP. How would I know before buying another printer if it requires a proprietary binary plug-in? A few years ago, on visiting HP website, this printer was past end-of-life, and no drivers were available even for MS-Windows. So I can try, but would be very surprised if that proprietary binary plug-in were even available. But I think I still have some old stuff for MS-Windows on hard drive. I looked in /usr/ports/print/hplip-plugin/pkg-plist, and couldn't see anything for my HP model. But hplipopensource was still alive (and well?). > > I finally got it to print in NetBSD through cups with a special > > PPD file, think FreeBSD might also work with the same PPD file. > Yes, the first P in PPD means "portable". :-) I think my printing success was due to cups; hplip seemed to play no part. > Scanning is not a problem once you have installed hplip and SANE. > Fax... who uses fax anymore? ;-) Scanning didn't work even with hplip and/or sane. Now I wonder if, when I get to needing another cartridge, the toner for my printer model will still be available. If not, I will consider myself blessed because that would mean I can give up on this printer in favor of something better. Besides FreeBSD, I will also have chances with NetBSD and a future Linux installation. I tried copying my custom NetBSD 7.99.71 kernels for amd64 to i386 by NFS from the Intel Ivy Bridge computer to my other (Intel Sandy Bridge) computer, and they booted successfully: a great surprise after failing on Intel Ivy Bridge computer. Tom
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