From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 20 08:02:29 2008 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 BE31816A400 for ; Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:02:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from aristotle.thought.org (dsl231-043-140.sea1.dsl.speakeasy.net [216.231.43.140]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E36E13C45D for ; Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:02:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from thought.org (tao.thought.org [10.47.0.250]) (authenticated bits=0) by aristotle.thought.org (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id m1K82PvX087648 for ; Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:02:25 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: by thought.org (nbSMTP-1.00) for uid 1002 kline@thought.org; Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:02:25 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:02:25 -0800 From: Gary Kline To: FreeBSD Mailing List Message-ID: <20080220080221.GA1947@thought.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: With 21 of service to the Unix community. X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.4 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.2.3 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on aristotle.thought.org Cc: Subject: DJ500 dead after >= 16 years. 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: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:02:29 -0000 Guys, I need some input about what kind of _new_ printer to buy for my desktops. I'd like to hang the printer off my FBSD box; my Ubuntu platform is probably too far away. At least 3 meters. Circa '01 or '02 I figured my olden DJ500 had cost ~$45/year. Not counting the ink. It kept chugging around until a month or so ago and by now it really is worm out. It makes it's old, clunking, grinding sounds when I power dowwn, but nothing when I boot up. And a friend stopped by this afternoon and checked. Cabling is fine; printer has power. None of the buttons respond; no reset, no formfeed, nada. Only two of the usual three LED's are lit, so it's probably broken, burn-out, or worn out wires somewhere. The problem with buying New---and my wife is threatening me if I buy some older, junker printer---the problem is getting any of these printers that do everything but shine your shoes is: are there drivers to make them work with FreeBSD? I don't care about fax, or features like scanning and copying. About the same with color since most files are code or essays. Nutshell, I'd like anyone's ideas/experiences with some of these new HP/<<< or whateverbrand>>> printers. I wouldn't *mind* if I could scan in text from a techy paper into HTML or PDF or text. But mostly, like 99.44% plain black text. My old deskjet used gs as a filter to print PostScript. Do we have any such plugin support, or are printers still roll-your-own? [FWIW, I can't seem to get CUPS working... altho it maay be my misssing /dev/lpt0.] gary -- Gary Kline kline@thought.org www.thought.org Public Service Unix http://jottings.thought.org http://transfinite.thought.org