I've been working to install this for 8 full weekends in a row, and I'm about at the end of my rope.
The MD5000 is a major advance over the inkjets, and I can move entirely to Linux if I can install it.

Running Suse7.2. Tried LPD, but the Alps driver must be compiled into Ghostscript. I actually managed to compile the Japanese guy's driver into GS5.5, and then 7 in turn, and in each case  gs -h  shows the md5k and md2k. But selecting the device in gs gives:

hydra:~ # gs -h
GNU Ghostscript 5.50 (2000-2-13)
Copyright (C) 1998 Aladdin Enterprises, Menlo Park, CA.  All rights reserved.
Usage: gs [switches] [file1.ps file2.ps ...]
Most frequently used switches: (you can use # in place of =)
-dNOPAUSE           no pause after page   | -q       `quiet', fewer messages
-g<width>x<height>  page size in pixels   | -r<res>  pixels/inch resolution
-sDEVICE=<devname>  select device         | -dBATCH  exit after last file
-sOutputFile=<file> select output file: - for stdout, |command for pipe,
                                        embed %d or %ld for page #
Input formats: PostScript PostScriptLevel1 PostScriptLevel2 PDF
Available devices:
  x11 x11alpha x11cmyk x11gray2 x11gray4 x11mono md5k md2k deskjet djet500
  laserjet ljetplus ljet2p ljet3 ljet4 cdeskjet cdjcolor cdjmono cdj550 pj
  pjxl pjxl300 u,niprint bj10e bj200 bjc600 bjc800 faxg3 fax
g32d faxg4
  pcxmono pcxgray pcx16 pcx256 pcx24b pcxcmyk pbm pbmraw pgm pgmraw pgnm
  pgnmraw pnm pnmraw ppm ppmraw pkm pkmraw tiffcrle tiffg3 tiffg32d tiffg4
  tifflzw tiffpack tiff12nc tiff24nc psmono psgray psrgb bit bitrgb bitcmyk
  pngmono pnggray png16 png256 png16m jpeg jpeggray pdfwrite bbox pswrite
  epswrite pxlmono pxlcolor nullpage
Search path:
  . : /usr/share/ghostscript/5.50 : /usr/share/ghostscript/fonts
For more information, see /usr/share/ghostscript/5.50/doc/Use.htm.
Report bugs to ghost@aladdin.com , using the form in Bug-form.htm.
hydra:~ # gs
GNU Ghostscript 5.50 (2000-2-13)
Copyright (C) 1998 Aladdin Enterprises, Menlo Park, CA.  All rights reserved.
This software comes with NO WARRANTY: see the file COPYING for details.
GS>(bj200) selectdevice

GS>(md5k) selectdevice
Error: /rangecheck in --.setdevice--
Operand stack:

  --nostringval--
Execution stack:
  %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   %loop_continue   2   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--
 --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   1   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
  --dict:902/941(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:50/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 20
GS<1>(md2k) selectdevice
Error: /rangecheck in --.setdevice--
Operand stack:
  --nostringval--   --nostringval--
Execution stack:
  %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   %loop_continue   3   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringv
al--
 --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
  --dict:902/941(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:50/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 20
GS<2>(ljet3) selectdevice
GS<2>

It seems to be missing something, but what?  There's NOTHING in the newsgroups.  The only other device in contribs.mak that has  $(gsparam_h) and shows the *same*error* as md5k & md2k is cdeskjet.  Many other printers fail with 'failed get', but the common ones work fine..


Switched to Cups using Yast2. (usually a good idea to use Yast in Suse - why I haven't tried Kups) It installs its own Ghostscript, and you can add drivers (to Cups?), including the Alps.  Cups recognises the printer hardware and I go through the install wizard. But on Print Test Page, "lpr: unable to print file: the requested resource is currently unavailable on this server". (cups daemon *is* running) I assign an Epson driver to it, and the Alps starts to print, although messed up.

I add the Alps using the Cupsd XML interface and it seems to add fine. But I print a test page and it zooms into the bitbucket. Not in Jobs, no sign of it, no log.  Cups seems to come with the driver for the Alps as it shows with the other added drivers.. I think there are two drivers for the front end. So is the backend driver missing?  Is the .ppd messed up?

I understand Cups has a small version of Ghostscript. Do I need to compile the Alps driver into that as well?  Looks like it.  If so I must get that working first, but how?

I've read Admin/User's/Install guides twice, all the readme's, swept linuxprinting.org and Google, and no luck. 
I'm told the Alps works in Mandrake, and Mandrake tells me their GS binaries 
work in Suse without recompile.  Had to add several rpms to satisfy dependencies,
but it runs fine, but I'm getting exactly the same error as before with my Alps:

/usr/utilities/hardware/printers/GS # gs -h
GNU Ghostscript 6.51 (2001-03-28)
Copyright (C) 2001 artofcode LLC, Benicia, CA.  All rights reserved.
Usage: gs [switches] [file1.ps file2.ps ...]
Most frequently used switches: (you can use # in place of =)
 -dNOPAUSE           no pause after page   | -q       `quiet', fewer 
messages
 -gx  page size in pixels   | -r  pixels/inch resolution
 -sDEVICE=  select device         | -dBATCH  exit after last file
 -sOutputFile select output file: - for stdout, |command for pipe,
                                         embed %d or %ld for page #
Input formats: PostScript PostScriptLevel1 PostScriptLevel2 PDF
Available devices:
   bmpmono bmpgray bmpsep1 bmpsep8 bmp16 bmp256 bmp16m bmp32b imagen iwhi
   iwlo iwlq lbp8 lips3 m8510 necp6 oki182 ln03 dl2100 okiibm oki4w ibmpro
   omni hpijs DJ630 DJ6xx DJ6xxP DJ8xx DJ9xx DJ9xxVIP AP21xx ap3250 appledmp
   epson epsonc eps9mid eps9high la50 la70 la75 la75plus escp hl7x0 hl1240
   hl1250 gdi deskjet djet500 laserjet ljetplus ljet2p ljet3 ljet3d ljet4
   ljet4d lj5mono lj5gray paintjet pjetxl cdeskjet cdjcolor cdjmono cdj550
   pj pjxl pjxl300 pcl3 hpdjplus hpdjportable hpdj310 hpdj320 hpdj340
   hpdj400 hpdj500 hpdj500c hpdj510 hpdj520 hpdj540 hpdj550c hpdj560c
   hpdj600 hpdj660c hpdj670c hpdj680c hpdj690c hpdj850c hpdj855c hpdj870c
   hpdj890c hpdj1120c uniprint cp50 declj250 dnj650c lj4dith lj250 lq850
   lp8000 lp2563 oce9050 bj10e bj200 bjc600 bjc800 cdj500 cdj670 cdj850
   cdj890 cdj1600 cdj880 cdj970 jetp3852 st800 xes stcolor stp alc8500
   alc2000 epl5800 epl2050 epl2050p md2k md5k lex5700 lex7000 lxm5700m
   lx5000 lxm3200 ljet4pjl lj4dithp dj505j picty180 pr201 pr150 pr1000
   pr1000_4 jj100 bj10v bj10vh mag16 mag256 mj700v2c mj500c mj6000c mj8000c
   fmpr fmlbp ml600 lbp310 lbp320 lips2p bjc880j lips4 lips4v bbox escpage
   lp2000 npdl md50Mono md50Eco md1xMono faxg3 faxg32d faxg4 cfax r4081 sj48
   t4693d2 t4693d4 t4693d8 tek4696 dfaxlow dfaxhigh sxlcrt pcxmono pcxgray
   pcx16 pcx256 pcx24b pcxcmyk pbm pbmraw pgm pgmraw pgnm pgnmraw pnm pnmraw
   ppm ppmraw pkm pkmraw pksm pksmraw tiffcrle tiffg3 tiffg32d tiffg4
   tifflzw tiffpack tiff12nc tiff24nc psmono psgray psrgb bit bitrgb bitcmyk
   pngmono pnggray png16 png256 png16m jpeg jpeggray pdfwrite pswrite
   epswrite pxlmono pxlcolor chp2200 cljet5 cljet5c nullpage
Search path:
   . : /usr/share/ghostscript/6.51/lib : /usr/share/ghostscript/6.51/vflib :
   /usr/share/ghostscript/6.51 : /usr/share/fonts/default/ghostscript :
   /usr/share/fonts/default/Type1 : /usr/share/ghostscript/fonts
For more information, see /usr/share/doc/ghostscript-6.51/Use.htm.
Report bugs to bug-gs@ghostscript.com, using the form in Bug-form.htm.
/usr/utilities/hardware/printers/GS #

/usr/utilities/hardware/printers/GS # gs
GNU Ghostscript 6.51 (2001-03-28)
Copyright (C) 2001 artofcode LLC, Benicia, CA.  All rights reserved.
This software comes with NO WARRANTY: see the file COPYING for details.
Loading NimbusRomNo9L-Regu font from 
/usr/share/fonts/default/Type1/n021003l.pfb... 2319860 953829 1622424 
328124 0 done.
Loading NimbusSanL-Regu font from 
/usr/share/fonts/default/Type1/n019003l.pfb... 2581108 1204268 1642520 
335588 0 done.
GS>(md5k) selectdevice
Error: /rangecheck in --.setdevice--
Operand stack:
   --nostringval--
Execution stack:
   %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   
--nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   
--nostringval--   %loop_continue   2   3   %oparray_pop   
--nostringval--   --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   
.runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   
%stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   1   3   
%oparray_pop   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
   --dict:1025/1476(ro)(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:83/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 20
GS<1>


Since Mandrake's GS is known working in Mandrake, and since the Alps driver compiled 
into both GS 5.5 & 7.0 fails in exactly the same way as Mandrake, *something*must*be*missing*
from Suse.

Recall, before I was patching the GS source (both 5.5 & 7.0) with a 
driver written in 1998 by a Japanese guy.
Here there's *no*change* in behaviour.

Can you advise?  The Cups listserv is not able to help further.