Re: [gentoo-user] Buying a low-cost printer for Linux

[Hazen Valliant-Saunders]

G'day;

Most Manufacturers support Post Script out of the box (it's a 30 year old
standard); you just need to make sure that your kernel has the appropriate
driver. And you have the appropriate sub-system installed.

(LPR, CUPS whatever).

HP makes a concerted effort to support all operating systems (linux,Unix,
BSD, Windows, QNX ...) you get the picture.

So get a low cost HP printer and you'll do fine; lexmark is also a very good
place to look but make sure that the printer is supported by whatever
subsystem you choose (let's say you choose CUPS then make sure it's
compatable with the model you are interested in first).

This is the bane of the linux camp; enjoy.

On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 11:25 AM, Albert Hopkins <marduk@×××××××××××.org>wrote:

> On Wed, 2008-12-03 at 19:44 -0800, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > Does anyone have a good way of figuring out what printers that you can
> > actually buy in the retail market place actually have support in
> > Linux? I sure don't.
>
> My first Linux printer was a *used* Apple LaserWriter (with serial
> port).  I knew it worked with Linux because it had built-in PostScript
> and they guy I bought it from actually used it on his Sun workstation.
> It weighed 600 lbs and printed 0.25 pages per minute but the output was
> awesome!
>
> My second Linux printer was a Lexmark LED printer.  I knew it was
> Linux-compatible because it actually came with a CD that had Linux
> drivers on it.  It was relatively inexpensive although the cartridges
> weren't.
>
> My third Linux printer was a Canon ink jet.  It would be my first and
> last ink jet printer.  I bought it because it was cheap, color and
> worked with Linux.  Big mistake.  I rarely print out color and the color
> jets dried out and were unusable.  Tossed it.
>
> My fourth (current) printer is a Ricoh color laser.  It was not cheap
> though.  I knew it worked with Linux because it has built-in PostScript
> *and* PDF, supports ipp, LPD, etc. and it's built-in OS is actually
> based on FreeBSD.  It also comes with PPD files on CD. Although the
> printer itself wasn't cheap, the cartridges are actually not bad.
>
> My suggestion would be not go go cheap.  Nowadays you can get a color
> laser w/ built-in PostScript for around $400.  The output is fast and
> great (compared to ink jets) and It Just Works [tm] with Linux.  I'd
> rather spend the extra money and be happy with my choice, but that's
> just me.
>
> -a
>
>
>
>


-- 
Hazen Valliant-Saunders
IT/IS Consultant
[phone]