Hello, On Apr 19 19:39 Eberhard Roloff wrote (shortened): > > On Wednesday 18 April 2007, Hans van der Merwe wrote: > >> I have an unsupported USB Lexmark P3450 printer ... > >> Is it still possible to share this printer, as RAW, with cups > >> and samba to Windows machines? ... > my recommendation would be to alternatively do it extremly easy: > scrap that printer, buy something that works greatly from HP. > see http://hplip.sourceforge.net/supported_devices/index.html > before you buy.
I like HP very much because it is one of the few printer manufacturers which do really support Linux. In particular regarding Lexmark there is a big difference if a Lexmark inkjet printer or a laser printer is used, see http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/Database/LinuxSupportByPrinterVendors "Lexmark Optra Division" versus "Lexmark JetPrinters". I think in this particular case the initial problem does not require to use a printer for which there is a Linux printer driver (i.e. a piece of software which produces printer specific data) because all what is needed in this particular case is to forward whatever data (in this case printer specific data made by the Windows printer driver running on the Windows client systems) via USB to the printer. Of course this requires a printer which can operate in the usual unidirectional way like all normal printers can do - i.e. in a first step the printer driver can make the printer specific data without communication to the printer and in a separated second step the printer specific data can be sent to the printer without any communication to the printer driver. As I wrote in a previous mail, there exists printers which work only if there is a bidirectional communication between driver and printer. Even some HP all-in-one devices can work only this way - i.e. they can only work if connected directly to the computer where the HPLIP system runs (HPIJS driver and the I/O services "hpiod" and "hpssd"), see http://hplip.sourceforge.net/tech_docs/hpijs.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ HPIJS provides no I/O. HPIJS emits standard file output. The output can be directed to a file or to the actual device via the parallel or USB port. This "raw" printing does not require bi-directional I/O. Some all-in-one devices do not support "raw" I/O and must use HPLIP for printing (ie: OfficeJet K80). In this case HPIJS output is sent to the "hp" CUPS backend, the backend opens an 1284.4/MLC print channel, then the data is passed to the actual device. ------------------------------------------------------------------ This means that e.g. an OfficeJet K80 would not work if it is connected to a Windows host and HPIJS runs on the Linux host and the CUPS "smb" backend is used and I assume it does also not work if it is connected to a Linux host and should be used via CUPS and Samba from a Windows host where the Windows driver runs (but it would work if a Windows PostScript driver is used and on the Linux host the HPLIP system is running). For the Lexmark P3450 it could be the same so that it does not work when it is not connected to the host where its driver runs. Of course only Lexmark could answer this question definitely. I think we discussed it long enough without a definite result so that now Lexmark must be asked to provide this crucial piece of information. Kind Regards Johannes Meixner -- SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstrasse 5, 90409 Nuernberg, Germany AG Nuernberg, HRB 16746, GF: Markus Rex -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
